Toll-Free Agent for Application Data Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunication systems often restrict data network access based on subscription plans, leading to limitations in data usage and additional costs for users, especially when devices consume more data than their plans allow, and devices without data plans cannot access cellular/LTE/3G networks.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a toll-free agent on devices to detect data connectivity requests from applications, retrieve configuration files defining conditions for operator-specific billing, and tag requests accordingly, allowing applications to access data networks without charging users if the conditions are met, enabling toll-free or discounted data access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If network operators introduce limited data plans to control network usage, then network impact is reduced, but users face cutoff or additional costs when exceeding plan limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data access into application-specific categories by introducing configuration files that define conditions for each application. This allows different billing treatments (toll-free, discounted, or standard) for different applications, enabling users to exceed general data limits for specific approved applications while maintaining overall network usage control through the structured configuration approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the billing parameter from a fixed per-application basis to a conditional basis defined by configuration files. These files contain parameters such as application identifiers, condition rules, and billing indicators that dynamically determine whether an application qualifies for toll-free or discounted access, allowing flexible parameter adjustment without changing the core network infrastructure.
2Reliability
If devices without data plans are restricted from cellular/LTE/3G access, then network operator control is maintained, but devices cannot access data-rich applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces configuration files as an intermediary mechanism between network operators and devices without traditional data plans. These files act as a mediator that provides conditional access authorization, allowing devices to access specific applications through cellular networks based on pre-defined conditions and billing arrangements, without requiring full traditional data plan subscriptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the configuration file system universal by designing it to work across different device types and network conditions. The same configuration file mechanism can serve both devices with traditional data plans (providing toll-free app access) and devices without data plans (enabling conditional cellular access), making the system applicable to diverse scenarios without requiring separate infrastructure.
3Ease of operation
If applications are modified to enable toll-free access, then selective billing control is achieved, but application complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by not modifying applications to request toll-free access, but instead having configuration files on the device automatically identify and tag data requests from specific applications. The toll-free agent intercepts and processes these tagged requests, reversing the control flow from application-initiated modification to system-initiated configuration-based routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration files contain self-contained information including application identifiers, condition rules, and billing indicators that enable the toll-free agent to automatically process requests without external intervention. The system serves itself by using the configuration data to autonomously determine which applications qualify for toll-free access based on pre-defined conditions, eliminating the need for manual application modification or complex external authorization processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Toll-free application data network access is disclosed. In one innovative 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, a configuration manager for retrieving a configuration file for the application identified from the data connectivity request, the configuration file defining conditions to allow connectivity for the application under operator specific billing, an authorization module configured to access the configuration file, tag the data connectivity request with a first tag if the data connectivity request matches the conditions of the configuration file, the tag being indicative of operator specific billing for the application, and leave the data connectivity request unchanged otherwise.