Mobile end-user device with agent limiting wireless data communication for specified background applications based on a stored policy

• US 9,392,462 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Lavine, James, Green, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/541,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 7, 726/26, 726/27, 709/217, 709/221, 455/405, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/420, 455/456.1, 370/230, 370/232, 370/235, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Mobile end-user devices are disclosed having a stored network access policy, applicable to specific applications stored on and executable by the device. The policy specifies, for at least some of the applications, whether or not those applications are individually allowed to initiate access network communication activity using one or more wireless data modems, when those applications are running as a background application. One or more device agents, which may operate at different points within the device in different embodiments, enforce the policies based on a determination as to whether a running application is running as a background application.

Claims

1. A mobile end-user device comprising:

a cellular data modem configurable to connect to one or more wireless wide area data networks;

a wireless data modem configurable to connect to one or more wireless local area data networks;

a stored access network policy for one or more specific applications stored on the device and executable by the device, the access network policy including a classification for at least one of the specific applications as to whether or not that application is allowed to initiate access network communication activity when the application is running as a background application and the mobile end-user device is connected to at least one data network via at least one of the cellular data modem and the wireless data modem; and

at least one agent configurable to enforce the stored access network policy for access network communication activity by one of the specific applications when that application is running, based at least in part on a determination as to whether or not the running application is running as a background application.

2. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the stored access network policy also is configurable to provide different access network policy settings for one or more of the specific applications, the different access network policy settings to take effect in dependence on a network type that indicates whether the device is connected to a wireless wide area data network or a wireless local area data network, the at least one agent further configurable to select and enforce an access network policy setting corresponding to a current network type.

3. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the stored access network policy also is configurable to provide different access network policy settings for one or more of the specific applications, the different access network policy settings to take effect in dependence on a network type that indicates whether or not a connected wireless wide area data network is a roaming network, the at least one agent further configurable to select and enforce an access network policy setting corresponding to a current network type.

4. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one agent further comprises an agent configurable to:

receive at least a portion of an access network policy from a network element via at least one of the cellular data modem and the wireless data modem; and

store the received portion into the stored access network policy.

5. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one agent enforces the stored access network policy at an application layer of a device operating system.

6. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one agent enforces the stored access network policy at a library or a framework layer of a device operating system.

7. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a device communications stack, wherein the at least one agent enforces the stored access network policy by interacting with the device communications stack or modifying a traffic flow communicated through the stack.

8. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one agent enforces the stored access network policy at a kernel or a low-level operating system layer of a device operating system.

9. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, the at least one agent performing the determination as to whether or not the running application is running as a background application, such that the running application is classified as a background application when the running application is nor currently selected by a device user to:

occupy a foreground of the user interface;

or

accept user interface input to enable interaction with the device user.

10. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one agent enforces the stored access network policy only when a current network for access network communication activity is a wireless wide area data network connected through the cellular data modem.

11. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the at least one agent further comprises a user interface agent that allows a device user to operate the user interface to modify the stored access network policy to specify, for one or more of the specific applications, whether the at least one agent is to block or allow access network communication activity by each of those applications, respectively, when each of those applications is running as a background application.