Wireless end-user device with differentiated network access selectively applied to different applications
Patent No. US9154428 (titled "Wireless end-user device with differentiated network access selectively applied to different applications") on Apr 2, 2015. The application was issued on Oct 6, 2015.
What is this patent about?
’428 is related to the field of wireless network management and device-side traffic control. It specifically addresses the challenges of network congestion and capacity constraints in wireless wide-area networks (WWAN) and local-area networks (WLAN) caused by the increasing data demands of modern mobile applications and general-purpose Internet devices.
The underlying idea behind ’428 is to shift the intelligence of network traffic management from the core network to the end-user device itself by using an application program interface (API) that acts as a gatekeeper. By implementing granular, application-specific policies directly on the device, the system can selectively manage how different applications consume bandwidth based on the specific type of wireless modem currently in use.
The claims of ’428 focus on a wireless end-user device equipped with both WWAN and WLAN modems and a memory storing a differential traffic control policy set. This policy set contains specific instructions for different applications, and the device's processors use an API to either block or allow an application's Internet access depending on whether it is attempting to communicate via the WWAN or the WLAN interface.
In practice, the invention works by intercepting application-level requests for data services and applying a selective block that is sensitive to the network environment. For example, a high-bandwidth background update might be prevented from using a congested cellular network (WWAN) but permitted to proceed once the device connects to a Wi-Fi network (WLAN). This ensures that critical network resources are preserved for foreground tasks while less urgent data transfers are deferred to more efficient or higher-capacity connections.
This approach differs from prior solutions that rely on centralized network equipment, such as Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) gateways, which only manage traffic after it has already consumed over-the-air spectrum. By controlling demand at the source, the invention reduces signaling overhead and prevents unnecessary network resource consumption, while also allowing for a more responsive user interface that can inform the user why certain activities are being throttled or redirected.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2010s when ’428 was filed, mobile data networks were experiencing a significant capacity crunch at a time when network management was typically implemented using purely centralized, core-network-based approaches. While radio access technologies were evolving to support higher bandwidth, systems commonly relied on static capacity planning rather than dynamic, device-level traffic orchestration. During this era, hardware and software constraints made it non-trivial to differentiate between foreground user-initiated traffic and background automated signaling, often resulting in network resource flooding from persistent background synchronization and frequent modem power-state transitions that occurred without coordination with the access network's real-time congestion state.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a meaningful technical advancement through the integration of device-assisted service (DAS) techniques with dynamic network-busy-state monitoring to protect network capacity. By shifting the control logic from the core network to the device itself, the architecture enables the classification of service activities into differential priority tiers, such as background or network-capacity-controlled classes. This capability allows the system to overcome the technical constraint of signaling overhead by intercepting and modulating network access requests at the source—before they consume over-the-air spectrum. The resulting technical effect is a more granular management of radio access bearers and modem power states, ensuring that high-priority or real-time traffic is maintained while background data is deferred or throttled based on the actual congestion level of the local network edge.
Claims
The patent contains a total of 25 claims, with claim 1 serving as the sole independent claim. This independent claim focuses on a wireless end-user device equipped with multiple modems and a processor that implements an application program interface to enforce differential traffic control policies, which selectively block or allow Internet access for specific applications across different wireless networks. The dependent claims generally serve to elaborate on the criteria for these traffic controls, including device foreground status, power states, modem usage, user interface notifications, network roaming conditions, and specific methods for intercepting or emulating network requests to manage application behavior.
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US9154428
- Application Number
- US14677788A
- Filing Date
- Apr 2, 2015
- Publication Date
- Oct 6, 2015
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents