System and method for providing toll-free application data access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016150094-A1
Application number	US-201414901350-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Toll-free application data network access is disclosed. In one aspect, there is a device for providing data connectivity. The device includes a connection detector configured to receive a data connectivity request from an application installed on the device. The device further includes an authorization transceiver. The authorization transceiver is configured to transmit an authorization request to a service provider associated with the application via a telecommunication connection, the authorization request including an application identifier for the application and an operator identifier for the service provider. The authorization transceiver is further configured to receive an authorization response indicative of operator specific billing for the application from the service provider. The device also includes a connection manager configured to establish data connectivity via the telecommunication connection based on the authorization response.

First claim

1 . A device for providing data connectivity, the device comprising:
a connection detector configured to:
receive a data connectivity request from an application installed on the device; and
retrieve operator specific billing for the application;
an authorization transceiver configured to:
transmit an authorization request for operator specific billing to a service provider associated with the application via a telecommunication connection, the authorization request including an application identifier for the application, an indication for the operator specific billing, and an operator identifier for the service provider; and
receive an authorization response indicative of operator specific billing for the application from the service provider; and
a connection manager configured to establish data connectivity via the telecommunication connection based on the authorization response.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the data connectivity request includes a packet data network destination address.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the authorization request further includes one or more of a location identifier indicating a geospatial location of the device, a device identifier uniquely identifying the device, and a user identifier indicative of a user of the application causing the data connectivity request.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication network is operated by the service provider.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication network is operated by a partner service provider.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the authorization response includes at least one of an authorization token and data connectivity policy information.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the connection manager is configured to include the authorization token in data transmitted via the telecommunication connection.

8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the data connectivity policy information includes at least one of a data transmission amount, a received data amount, a data connection duration, and a policy expiration time.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the connection manager is configured to establish a toll-free data connection.

10 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a connection monitor configured to collect information for an authorized data connection.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the information collected for the authorized data connection includes a data transmission amount, a received data amount, a data connection duration, a destination of data transmitted, a source of data received, one or more data request messages, one or more data response messages, and a time at which the authorized data connection was established.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the connection manager is further configured to:
obtain information collected for the authorized data connection; and maintain the authorized data connection based on a comparison of the information collected and the authorization response message.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein maintaining the authorized data connection comprises terminating the authorized data connection when the collected information indicates the authorized data connection has exceeded an authorized limit included in the authorization response message.

14 . The device of claim 11 , further comprising a report transmitter configured to transmit at least a portion of the collected information to the service provider.

15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the report transmitter is configured to transmit based on at least one of power or network bandwidth available to the device.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the report transmitter is configured to store the portion of the collected information when the at least one of power or network bandwidth available is below a threshold value.

17 . The device of claim 11 , further comprising a status transmitter configured to transmit a status message for the authorized data connection to at least one of the application or the device, the transmitting based on a comparison of the information collected and the authorization response message.

18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the status message includes an amount of data connectivity remaining for the application.

19 . A method of providing data connectivity, the method comprising the following acts performed by a device:
receiving a data connectivity request from an application installed on the device; retrieving operator specific billing for the application; transmitting an authorization request for operator specific billing to a service provider associated with the application via a telecommunication connection, the authorization request including an application identifier for the application, an indication of the operator specific billing and an operator identifier for the service provider; receiving an authorization response indicative of operator specific billing for the application from the service provider; and establishing data connectivity via the telecommunication connection based on the authorization response.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the data connectivity request includes a packet data network destination address.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the authorization request further includes one or more of a location identifier indicating a geospatial location of the device, a device identifier uniquely identifying the device, and a user identifier indicative of a user of the application causing the data connectivity request.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the authorization response includes at least one of an authorization token and data connectivity policy information.

23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising including the authorization token in data transmitted to or from the application via the telecommunication connection.

24 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising collecting information for an authorized data connection.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the information collected for the authorized data connection includes a data transmission amount, a received data amount, a data connection duration, a destination of data transmitted, a source of data received, one or more data request messages, one or more data response messages, and a time at which the authorized data connection was established.

26 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor of device, the instructions causing the device to:
receive a data connectivity request from an application installed on a-the device; retrieving operator specific billing for the application; transmit an authorization request for operator specific billing to a service provider associated with the application via a telecommunication connection, the authorization request including an application identifier for the application, an indication of the operator specific billing and an operator identifier for the service provider; receive an authorization response indicative of operator specific billing for the application from the service provider; and establish data connectivity via the telecommunication connection based on the authorization response.

Assignees

• Orange

Inventors

• Mandanapu Subash

Classifications

• H04L12/1492

  negotiation of tariff · CPC title

• H04L41/5025

  by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade · CPC title

• H04L67/141

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04L12/1435

  volume-based · CPC title

• H04M15/59 Primary

  based on real time · CPC title