Excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption data

• US 9,924,213 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelsen, Michael S., Nakhre, Tushar, Huang, Shan, Danforth, Andrew, Pfeffer, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US15/341,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption-based data billing counts. This is useful for excluding traffic from consumption totals where the application traffic has been accounted for using other means, such as through billing as a separate or technically distinct service. In practice, a tablet computer (or other end user device) can run a video application that uses a high-speed data network via a cable modem. This video application may be included as part of a core video package associated with a distinct cable television service. The system then provides accurate consumption billing of customer traffic that is outside of any other managed services by creating separate logical data service flows at a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) for excluding specific traffic counts.

Claims

1. A method of managing content distribution, the method comprising:

via content distribution hardware, performing operations of;

allocating a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery;

allocating a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery;

receiving first data packets, the first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user;

examining first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and

in accordance with the first classifier information, transmitting the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first data packets are assigned the first classifier information for distribution over the second data flow based at least in part that the user of the communication device subscribes to a content retrieval service through which the user has alternate access over the communication link to the content included in the first data packets, the content retrieval service provided by a particular service provider.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the particular service provider provides the communication link over which the user has access to the first source and the second source.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first classifier information is derived from examining network address information associated with the first data packets.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first classifier information is assigned to the first data packets in response to detecting that the first data packets include content available to the user over the communication link other than through the first data flow and the second data flow as part of a subscription service to which the user subscribes.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

generating first content consumption information indicating an amount of data transmitted over the first data flow;

generating second content consumption information indicating an amount of data transmitted over the second data flow; and

forwarding the first content consumption information and the second content consumption information to a billing system.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the content in the first data packets is first content, the method further comprising:

receiving second data packets including second content requested by the user operating the communication device, the second data packets received from a third source, the third source not operated by a particular service provider to which the user subscribes;

detecting that the second data packets are assigned second classifier information, the second classifier information indicating to forward the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the second classifier information, transmitting the second content over the first data flow.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first data flow and the second data flow both support conveyance of Internet data packets to the communication device.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second data packets, the second data packets received on behalf of the user operating the communication device;

examining second classifier information assigned to the second data packets, the second classifier information indicating to transmit the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the classifier information indicating the first data flow, transmitting the second data packets over the first data flow to the communication device.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the subscriber has access to cable television content over the communication link other than through the first data flow and the second data flow.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein a particular service provider provides the communication link to a domain of the user, the user being a subscriber that pays the particular service provider for access to the cable television content over the communication link.

12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

receiving second data packets, the second data packets received on behalf of the user operating the communication device;

examining second classifier information assigned to the second data packets, the second classifier information indicating to transmit the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the second classifier information indicating the first data flow, transmitting the second data packets over the first data flow to the communication device.

13. A system comprising:

computer processor hardware operable to manage content distribution;

computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by the computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to;

allocate a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery;

allocate a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery;

receive first data packets, the first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user;

examine first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and

in accordance with the first classifier information indicating the second data flow, transmit the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first data packets are assigned the first classifier information for distribution over the second data flow based at least in part that the user of the communication device subscribes to a content retrieval service, provided by a particular service provider, through which the user has alternate access over the communication link to the content included in the first data packets.

15. The system as in claim 14, wherein the particular service provider provides the communication link over which the user has access to the first source and the second source.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first classifier information is derived from examining network address information associated with the first data packets.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first classifier information is assigned to the first data packets in response to detecting that the first data packets include content available to the user over the communication link other than through the first data flow and the second data flow as part of a subscription service to which the user subscribes.

18. The system as in claim 13, wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

generate first content consumption information indicating an amount of data transmitted over the first data flow;

generate second content consumption information indicating an amount of data transmitted over the second data flow; and

forward the first content consumption information and the second content consumption information to a billing system.

19. The system as in claim 13, wherein the content in the first data packets is first content, the computer processor hardware further operable to:

receive second data packets including second content requested by the user operating the communication device, the second data packets received from a third source, the third source not operated by a particular service provider to which the user subscribes;

detect that the second data packets are assigned second classifier information, the second classifier information indicating to forward the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the second classifier information, transmit the second content over the first data flow.

20. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first data flow and the second data flow both support conveyance of Internet data packets to the communication device.

21. The system as in claim 13, wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

receive second data packets, the second data packets received on behalf of the user operating the communication device;

examine second classifier information assigned to the second data packets, the second classifier information indicating to transmit the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the classifier information indicating the first data flow, transmit the second data packets over the first data flow to the communication device.

22. The system as in claim 13, wherein the subscriber has access to cable television content over the communication link other than through the first data flow and the second data flow.

23. The system as in claim 13, wherein a particular service provider provides the communication link to the user, the user being a subscriber that pays the particular service provider for access to the cable television content.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

receive second data packets, the second data packets received on behalf of the user operating the communication device;

examine second classifier information assigned to the second data packets, the second classifier information indicating to transmit the second data packets over the first data flow; and

in accordance with the classifier information indicating the first data flow, transmit the second data packets over the first data flow to the communication device.

25. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

allocate a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery;

allocate a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery;

receive first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user;

examine first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and

in accordance with the first classifier information indicating the second data flow, transmit the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device.