Devices, systems, and methods for sponsored tethered connectivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456090-B2
Application number	US-201514753089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 13, 2011
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed which relate to establishing a sponsored tethered connectivity (STC) connection by tethering a special purpose connected device (SPCD) through a tethering mobile device having network access. The SPCD accesses an application server on the network and is authenticated before service to the SPCD begins. Once authenticated, the service provider is billed for the STC connection instead of a user of the tethering mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tethering mobile device comprising:
a short-range wireless communication transceiver;
a long-range wireless communication transceiver;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
receiving, via the short-range wireless communication transceiver, a sponsored tethered connectivity request from a special purpose connectivity device, the sponsored tethered connectivity request comprising account information identifying an account belonging to a service provider,
in response to the sponsored tethered connectivity request, establishing, via the long-range wireless communication transceiver, a sponsored tethered connectivity connection between the special purpose connectivity device and an application server associated with the service provider, and
forwarding, via the sponsored tethered connectivity connection, data between the special purpose connectivity device and the application server associated with the service provider, wherein a cost of usage of the sponsored tethered connectivity connection is billed to the account belonging to the service provider instead of an account associated with the tethering mobile device and instead of an account associated with the special purpose connectivity device.

2. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the sponsored tethered connectivity request further comprises an identification of the special purpose connectivity device.

3. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the sponsored tethered connectivity request further comprises authentication information to validate the special purpose connectivity device for establishment of the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

4. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise editing a setting for allowing the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

5. The tethering mobile device of claim 4 , wherein the setting comprises an option to block all sponsored tethered connectivity requests and further comprises a white list, the white list comprising the special purpose connectivity device such that sponsored tethered connectivity requests received by the tethering mobile device from the special purpose connectivity device are allowed.

6. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the tethering mobile device is a gateway tethering mobile device which receives the sponsored tethered connectivity request from the special purpose connectivity device through a plurality of tethering mobile devices connected in series.

7. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise performing a preliminary verification of the sponsored tethered connectivity request.

8. The tethering mobile device of claim 7 , wherein performing the preliminary verification of the sponsored tethered connectivity request comprises determining whether tethering capabilities are allowed for the tethering mobile device, and wherein the operations further comprise providing, to the special purpose connectivity device, an acknowledgment that the tethering mobile device has accepted the sponsored tethered connectivity request.

9. The tethering mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising a display and wherein the operations further comprise causing a message to be displayed via the display, the message comprising information about the sponsored tethered connectivity connection and an option to proceed with the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

10. A memory device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a tethering mobile device comprising a short-range wireless communication transceiver and a long-range wireless communication transceiver, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, via the short-range wireless communication transceiver, a sponsored tethered connectivity request from a special purpose connectivity device, the sponsored tethered connectivity request comprising account information identifying an account belonging to a service provider;
in response to the sponsored tethered connectivity request, establishing, via the long-range wireless communication transceiver, a sponsored tethered connectivity connection between the special purpose connectivity device and an application server associated with the service provider; and
forwarding, via the sponsored tethered connectivity connection, data between the special purpose connectivity device and the application server associated with the service provider, wherein a cost of usage of the sponsored tethered connectivity connection is billed to the account belonging to the service provider instead of an account associated with the tethering mobile device and instead of an account associated with the special purpose connectivity device.

11. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the sponsored tethered connectivity request further comprises authentication information to validate the special purpose connectivity device for establishment of the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

12. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise editing a setting for allowing the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

13. The memory device of claim 12 , wherein the setting comprises an option to block all sponsored tethered connectivity requests and further comprises a white list, the white list comprising the special purpose connectivity device such that sponsored tethered connectivity requests received by the tethering mobile device from the special purpose connectivity device are allowed.

14. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the tethering mobile device is a gateway tethering mobile device which receives the sponsored tethered connectivity request from the special purpose connectivity device through a plurality of tethering mobile devices connected in series.

15. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise performing a preliminary verification of the sponsored tethered connectivity request.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein performing the preliminary verification of the sponsored tethered connectivity request comprises determining whether tethering capabilities are allowed for the tethering mobile device, and wherein the operations further comprise providing, to the special purpose connectivity device, an acknowledgment that the tethering mobile device has accepted the sponsored tethered connectivity request.

17. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the tethering mobile device further comprises a display and wherein the operations further comprise causing a message to be displayed via the display, the message comprising information about the sponsored tethered connectivity connection and an option to proceed with the sponsored tethered connectivity connection.

18. A server for establishing a sponsored tethered connectivity, the server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
receiving, via a tethering mobile device, a sponsored tethered connectivity request from a special purpose connectivity device, the sponsored tethered connectivity request comprising account information identifying an account belonging to a service provider, and
establishing, through the tethering mobile device, a sponsored tethered connectivity connection between the special purpose connectivity device and an application server associated with the service provider

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Shankaranarayanan Nemmara K

Classifications

• H04L12/1475 Primary

  the splitting involving a third party · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W4/24

  Accounting or billing · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title