Network Traffic Hub Active Usage Classification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tracking application usage on mobile devices overestimate active usage by including passive traffic, leading to inaccurate measurements.
Innovation Solution
A network traffic hub aggregates and classifies network traffic into active and passive usage by setting data thresholds, allowing for precise tracking of active application usage and enabling actions such as blocking or notification based on exceeded thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods track total network traffic of an application, then the tracking is simple and comprehensive, but the measurement precision is poor because it overestimates active usage by including passive traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network traffic into distinct categories: active traffic (generated during user interaction) and passive traffic (generated when application is in background or device is sleeping). This segmentation allows precise measurement of active usage by analyzing traffic characteristics, timing patterns, and application states separately, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a parental control device as an intermediary that monitors and analyzes network traffic between the mobile device and the network. This intermediary captures traffic data, distinguishes between active and passive usage through analysis of traffic patterns and application states, and provides accurate measurements without requiring complex modifications to the mobile device itself.
2Loss of information
If conventional methods include all network traffic in usage tracking, then the tracking coverage is complete, but the loss of information occurs because passive usage is incorrectly counted as active usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the parental control device continuously monitors network traffic, compares it against defined criteria for active versus passive usage, and adjusts its classification accordingly. The system uses feedback from traffic patterns, timing information, and application state data to accurately distinguish active from passive usage, preventing information loss while maintaining automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters for traffic classification by considering multiple factors: traffic timing (whether device is in sleep mode), application state (foreground vs background), and traffic patterns (interactive vs non-interactive). By dynamically adjusting classification based on these parameter changes, the system accurately distinguishes active from passive usage without requiring manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A network traffic hub receives network traffic from a user device running an application. The network traffic hub aggregates the network traffic into augmented netflows. Based on netflow parameters extracted by the network traffic hub, one or more augmented netflows are associated with the application. The network traffic hub determines whether an augmented netflow is a result of the application being in an active state or a passive state based on, for example, the quantity of data within the netflow. If the quantity of data within the augmented netflow is larger than a data threshold, the augmented netflow can be classified as an active usage, and if the data is less than the data threshold, the augmented netflow can be classified as a passive usage. Thus, by classifying network traffic of an application as active or passive, a record of a user's active usage of the application can be recorded.