Techniques for fractional wireless broadband usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397899-B2
Application number	US-201213627343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Sep 26, 2012
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for fractional wireless broadband usage. In some examples, a portal managed by a usage manager may be accessed to enable a user of a wireless device to establish an agreement with the usage manager for the use of an application via a wireless wide area network (WWAN). The agreement may include policies associated with limits to data bandwidth utilized while the application is used via the WWAN. For these examples, access may be obtained to the WWAN through an operator of the WWAN. The access may be obtained via presentation of credentials to authenticate the wireless device to the operator of the WWAN. Also, other credentials may be presented to authenticate the wireless device or a user of the wireless device for use the application via the WWAN. The application may then be executed at the wireless device according to the agreement. Also, for these examples, the application may be provided by an application service provider having a service level agreement with the usage manager and/or the operator of the WWAN for providing the application for use via the WWAN. Other examples are described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
accessing, at a wireless device, a portal managed by a usage manager to establish an agreement with the usage manager for use of an application via a wireless wide area network (WWAN), the agreement to include policies associated with limits to data bandwidth utilized while the application is used via the WWAN, the application provided by an application service provider having an application service level agreement (SLA) with the usage manager for providing the application to the wireless device via the WWAN;
obtaining access to the WWAN through an operator of the WWAN to enable use of the application by presenting first credentials for authenticating the wireless device to the operator of the WWAN via a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) at the wireless device and presenting second credentials to the usage manager for authenticating the wireless device for use of the application, the second credentials comprising one or both of an X.509 certificate and a session initiation protocol (SIP) digest, the operator of the WWAN having an access SLA with the usage manager; and
executing the application according to the agreement.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving billing information for using the application according to the agreement; and
presenting payment information on the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving prepayment information for using the application according to the agreement; and
sending the prepayment information to the usage manager.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:
receiving an indication that the prepaid usage of the application has been exceeded; and
obtaining additional payment information to pay for additional use of the application according to the agreement.

5. The method of claim 1 , accessing the portal managed by the usage manager comprising accessing the portal through a browser application executed by the wireless device, the browser application arranged to enable viewing and/or modifying of the terms of the agreement to use the application.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising the browser application arranged to enable viewing and/or paying a bill associated with using the application via the WWAN.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising the application to include a social media application, an image sharing application, a video sharing application, a streaming audio application, a streaming video application, an electronic mail (e-mail) application, a financial information application, a stock market investor application, a sporting news application, a business news application, a general news application, a gaming application, a software as a service application or a cloud computing application.

8. A method comprising:
establishing an agreement to enable use of an application by a wireless device via a wireless wide area network (WWAN), the agreement to include policies associated with limits to data bandwidth utilized while the application is accessed via the WWAN by the wireless device, the wireless device authenticated for access to the WWAN based on first credentials presented by a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) of the wireless device;
authenticating the wireless device for use of the application based on second credentials comprising one or both of an X.509 certificate and a session initiation protocol (SIP) digest;
enforcing the policies included in the agreement while the application is used;
billing for use of the application via the WWAN;
maintaining an application service level agreement (SLA) with an application service provider that provides the application for use via the WWAN; and
maintaining an access SLA with an operator of the WWAN.

9. The method of claim 8 , enforcing the policies comprising filtering data traffic associated with usage of the application such that data traffic not covered by the agreement is blocked or not allowed to be transmitted over at least a portion of the WWAN.

10. The method of claim 9 , filtering data traffic comprising at least one of causing data traffic associated with usage of the application to be filtered at the wireless device or to be filtered by the operator of the WWAN.

11. The method of claim 9 , filtering data traffic associated with usage of the application comprising filtering based on examination of a data packet header associated with usage of the application or filtering based on deep packet inspection of a data packet associated with usage of the application.

12. The method of claim 8 , billing for use of the application via the WWAN comprising requiring a user of the wireless device to prepay for a given amount of usage of the application or indicating to the user an amount of tracked usage of the application and a charge for the amount of tracked usage of the application.

13. The method of claim 8 , the application SLA comprising sharing revenue with the application service provider for revenue generated by the wireless device's usage of the application.

14. The method of claim 8 , comprising the application to include a social media application, an image sharing application, a video sharing application, a streaming audio application, a streaming video application, an electronic mail (e-mail) application, a financial information application, a stock market investor application, a sporting news application, a business news application, a general news application, a gaming application, a software as a service application or a cloud computing application.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a processor circuit for a wireless device;
an agreement component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to access a portal managed by a usage manager to establish an agreement to use an application via a wireless wide area network (WWAN) coupled to the wireless device, the agreement to include policies associated with limits to data bandwidth utilized while the application is used via the WWAN, the application provided by an application service provider having an application service level agreement (SLA) with the usage manager for providing the application to the wireless device via the WWAN;
a credential component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to obtain access to the WWAN by presenting first credentials for authenticating the wireless device to an operator of the WWAN via a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) and present second credentials to the usage manager for authenticating the wireless device for use of the application via the WWAN, the second credentials comprising one or both of an X.509 certificate and a session initiation protocol (SIP) digest, the operator of the WWAN having an access SLA with the usage manager; and
an application component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to execute at least portions of the application on the wireless device according to the agreement.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising:
a filter component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to enforce the policies included in the agreement while the application is being used, enforcement to include allowing data traffic associated with usage of the application to be transmitted from the wireless device based on the policies included in the agreement.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising:
a payment component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to receive billing information for using the application according to the agreement and presenting the billing information to a user of the wireless device, the payment component

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Venkatachalam Muthaiah

Classifications

• H04L12/1453

  Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network · CPC title

• H04L41/5006 Primary

  Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties · CPC title

• H04L41/5029

  Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less · CPC title

• H04L41/5003 Primary

  Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS · CPC title