US-20260129425-A1 - Adapting Network Policies Based on Device Service Processor Configuration

Abstract

There is provided an end-user device for use with a network system configured to provide access to a network, the network system including an authentication system and one or more network elements. The end-user device includes a SIM having a service usage cap providing a limited amount of network service usage, and a processor to connect the end-user device to the network subject to the service usage cap providing the limited amount of network service usage that allows the end-user device to communicate with the authentication system, through the network, provide authentication information for the end-user device to facilitate execution of an end-user device authentication procedure by the authentication system using the authentication information, and upon successful completion of the procedure, communicate with the one or more network elements without the service usage cap limiting the amount of network service usage by the end-user device.

Inventors

• Gregory G. Raleigh
• James Lavine

Assignees

• HEADWATER RESEARCH LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251231

Claims (12)

1. 1 . An end-user device for use with a network system configured to provide access to a network, the network system including an authentication system and one or more network elements, the end-user device comprising: a subscriber identity module (SIM) having a service usage cap providing a limited amount of network service usage; one or more processors configured to: connect the end-user device to the network subject to the service usage cap providing the limited amount of network service usage, wherein the limited amount of networks service usage allows the end-user device to communicate with the authentication system, through the network, to authenticate the end-user device; provide, to the authentication system, authentication information for the end-user device to facilitate execution of an end-user device authentication procedure by the authentication system using the authentication information; and upon successful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, communicate with the one or more network elements without the service usage cap limiting the amount of network service usage by the end-user device.
2. 2 . The end-user device of claim 1 , wherein without the service usage cap limiting the amount of network service usage by the end-user device, the network service usage by the end-user device increases beyond the service usage cap.
3. 3 . The end-user device of claim 1 , wherein after successful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, the one or more processors are further configured to: provide flow of data usage records to the one or more network elements.
4. 4 . The end-user device of claim 3 , wherein the flow of data usage records indicate a classification of the network service usage that differentiates between background and foreground communications.
5. 5 . The end-user device of claim 3 , wherein the flow of data usage records indicate which of a plurality of device applications is responsible for which portions of the network service usage.
6. 6 . The network system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: upon unsuccessful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, disallow the network service usage by the end-user device.
7. 7 . A method for use by an end-user device in a network system configured to provide access to a network, the network system including an authentication system and one or more network elements, the end-user device having a subscriber identity module (SIM) having a service usage cap providing a limited amount of network service usage, the method comprising: connecting the end-user device to the network subject to the service usage cap providing the limited amount of network service usage, wherein the limited amount of networks service usage allows the end-user device to communicate with the authentication system, through the network, to authenticate the end-user device; providing, to the authentication system, authentication information for the end-user device to facilitate execution of an end-user device authentication procedure by the authentication system using the authentication information; and upon successful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, communicating with the one or more network elements without the service usage cap limiting the amount of network service usage by the end-user device.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein without the service usage cap limiting the amount of network service usage by the end-user device, the network service usage by the end-user device increases beyond the service usage cap.
9. 9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein after successful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, the method further comprising: providing flow of data usage records to the one or more network elements.
10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the flow of data usage records indicate a classification of the network service usage that differentiates between background and foreground communications.
11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the flow of data usage records indicate which of a plurality of device applications is responsible for which portions of the network service usage.
12. 12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising: upon unsuccessful completion of the end-user device authentication procedure, disallowing the network service usage by the end-user device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 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 are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates another wireless network architecture for providing device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates another wireless network architecture for providing device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates provisioning of a wireless network for providing device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates a network architecture for providing device assisted CDRs in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates another network architecture for providing device assisted CDRs in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 7 illustrates another network architecture for providing device assisted CDRs in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 8 illustrates another network architecture for providing device assisted CDRs in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 9 is a functional diagram illustrating a device based service processor and a service controller in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 10 provides a table summarizing various service processer functional elements in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 11 provides a table summarizing various service controller functional elements in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 12 illustrates a device stack providing various service usage measurement from various points in the networking stack for a service monitor agent, a billing agent, and an access control integrity agent to assist in verifying the service usage measures and billing reports in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment similar to FIG. 12 in which some of the service processor is implemented on the modem and some of the service processor is implemented on the device application processor in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 14A through 14E illustrate various embodiments of intermediate networking devices that include a service processor for the purpose of verifiable service usage measurement, reporting, and billing reports in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 15 illustrates a wireless network architecture for providing device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing including a proxy server in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 16 is a functional diagram illustrating the service control device link of the service processor and the service control service link of the service controller in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 17 is a functional diagram illustrating framing structure of a service processor communication frame and a service controller communication frame in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 18A through 18J provide tables summarizing various service processor heartbeat functions and parameters in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 19A through 19S provide tables summarizing various device based service policy implementation verification techniques in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 20A through 20E provide tables summarizing various techniques for protecting the device based service policy from compromise in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 21 illustrates an example embodiment of a process to start or stop a data session with SGSN notification. FIG. 22 illustrates an example embodiment of a process to start