US-12621717-B2 - Intermediate networking devices

Abstract

A wireless communication device comprising: one or more network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate over a first wireless network; one or more network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with two or more end-point devices over a second wireless network; one or more processors configured to execute one or more instructions; and memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to provide the one or more processors with the one or more instructions. The one or more instructions, when executed by the processors, cause processors to: establish a first connection between the wireless communication device and a first end-point device; establish a second connection between the wireless communication device and a second end-point device; apply a first control to traffic transmitted by or to the first end-point device; and apply a second control to traffic transmitted by or to the second end-point device.

Inventors

• Gregory G Raleigh
• Vien-Phuong Nguyen
• Lisa Stark
• Jose Tellado

Assignees

• HEADWATER RESEARCH LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220606

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A wireless communication device comprising: one or more access network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with a network system over a wireless network; one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with a plurality of end-point devices; one or more processors configured to execute one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: establish a first connection between the wireless communication device and a first end-point device of the plurality of end-point devices; establish a second connection between the wireless communication device and a second end-point device of the plurality of end-point devices; monitor first data traffic between the wireless communication device and the first end-point device; obtain a first accounting of a first network usage of the first end-point device based on monitoring first data traffic between the wireless communication device and the first end-point device; apply, based on the first accounting of the first network usage, a first network usage control to the first data traffic; monitor second data traffic between the wireless communication device and the second end-point device; obtain a second accounting of a second network usage of the second end-point device based on monitoring second data traffic between the wireless communication device and the second end-point device; and apply, based on the second accounting of the first network usage, a second network usage control to the second data traffic; and memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to provide the one or more processors with the one or more instructions.
2. 2 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first accounting of the first network usage of the first end-point device includes a first measure of first usage for first data communicated between the first end-point device and the wireless communication device.
3. 3 . The wireless communication device of claim 2 , wherein the second accounting of the second network usage of the second end-point device includes a second measure of second usage for second data communicated between the second end-point device and the wireless communication device.
4. 4 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to: modify the first network usage control based on the first accounting of the first network usage by the first end-point device.
5. 5 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first network usage control or the second network usage control is based on a service plan limit.
6. 6 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine that the first end-point device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device to communicate.
7. 7 . The wireless communication device of claim 6 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to: in response to the determination that the first end-point device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device, provide a notification to the first end-point device.
8. 8 . The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the notification comprises information about a service plan.
9. 9 . The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the information indicates that the service plan has expired and provides an offer for the service plan.
10. 10 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first network usage control blocks or restricts the first data traffic.
11. 11 . A method for use by a wireless communication device including one or more access network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with a network system over a wireless network, and one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with a plurality of end-point devices, the method comprising: establishing a first connection between the wireless communication device and a first end-point device of the plurality of end-point devices; establishing a second connection between the wireless communication device and a second end-point device of the plurality of end-point devices; monitoring first data traffic between the wireless communication device and the first end-point device; obtaining a first accounting of a first network usage of the first end-point device based on monitoring first data traffic between the wireless communication device and the first end-point device; applying, based on the first accounting of the first network usage, a first network usage control to the first data traffic; monitoring second data traffic between the wireless communication device and the second end-point device; obtaining a second accounting of a second network usage of the second end-point device based on monitoring second data traffic between the wireless communication device and the second end-point device; and applying, based on the second accounting of the first network usage, a first second network usage control to the second data traffic.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first accounting of the first network usage of the first end-point device includes a first measure of first usage for first data communicated between the first end-point device and the wireless communication device.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second accounting of the second network usage of the second end-point device includes a second measure of second usage for second data communicated between the second end-point device and the wireless communication device.
14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: modifying the first network usage control based on the first accounting of the first network usage by the first end-point device.
15. 15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first network usage control or the second network usage control is based on a service plan limit.
16. 16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: determining that the first end-point device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device to communicate.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: in response to the determination that the first end-point device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device, providing a notification to the first end-point device.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the notification comprises information about a service plan.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the information indicates that the service plan has expired and provides an offer for the service plan.
20. 20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first network usage control blocks or restricts the first data traffic.

Description

BACKGROUND With the advent of mass market digital communications and content distribution, many access networks such as wireless networks, cable networks and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) networks are pressed for user capacity, with, for example, EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimized), HSPA (High Speed Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) wireless networks increasingly becoming user capacity constrained. Although wireless network capacity will increase with new higher capacity wireless radio access technologies, such as MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), and with more frequency spectrum being deployed in the future, these capacity gains are likely to be less than what is required to meet growing digital networking demand. Similarly, although wire line access networks, such as cable and DSL, can have higher average capacity per user, wire line user service consumption habits are trending toward very high bandwidth applications that can quickly consume the available capacity and degrade overall network service experience. Because some components of service provider costs go up with increasing bandwidth, this trend will also negatively impact service provider profits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified (e.g., “flattened”) network architecture in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device-assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device-assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing including two service provider networks in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device-assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing including two service provider networks in accordance with some embodiments, involving one or more of service controllers and/or service processors. FIG. 5 illustrates a functional diagram of a network architecture for quality of service (QoS) for device-assisted services (DAS) in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates another simplified (e.g., “flattened”) network architecture including an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) relationship in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 7 illustrates another simplified (e.g., “flattened”) network architecture including two central providers in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 8 illustrates a network architecture including a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) overlay configuration in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 9 illustrates a network architecture including an Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) overlay configuration in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 10 illustrates a network architecture including a 4G LTE and Wi-Fi overlay configuration in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 11 illustrates a network architecture including a WiMAX and Wi-Fi overlay configuration in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 12 illustrates another simplified (e.g., “flattened”) network architecture including multiple wireless access networks (e.g., 3G and 4G Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs)) and multiple wire line networks (e.g., Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) and Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) wire line networks) in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 13 illustrates a hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 14 illustrates another hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 15 illustrates another hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 16 illustrates another hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 17 illustrates another hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor implemented in external memory of a System On Chip (SOC) in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 18 illustrates another hardware diagram of a device that includes a service processor implemented in external memory of a System On Chip (SOC) in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 19A through 19F illustrate hardware diagrams of a device that include a service processor and a bus structure extension using intermediate modem or networking device combinations in accordance with various embodiments. FIG. 20 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device-assisted services (DAS) install techniques in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 21 illustrates a functional diagram of another network architecture for quality of service (QoS) f