Excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption data

摘要

Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption-based data billing counts. This is useful for excluding traffic from consumption totals where the application traffic has been accounted for using other means, such as through billing as a separate or technically distinct service. In practice, a tablet computer (or other end user device) can run a video application that uses a high-speed data network via a cable modem. This video application may be included as part of a core video package associated with a distinct cable television service. The system then provides accurate consumption billing of customer traffic that is outside of any other managed services by creating separate logical data service flows at a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) for excluding specific traffic counts.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
establishing a content distribution service including a first data service flow and a second data service flow over a shared communication link for distribution of content to a communication device operated by a subscriber, content transmitted over the first data service flow counted toward billable content delivery in accordance with a data delivery agreement with the subscriber, content transmitted over the second data service flow excluded from the billable content delivery; utilizing the first data service flow to forward first requested content to the communication device; receiving second requested content as a stream of data packets from a second content distribution resource; redirecting the second requested content over the second data service flow, instead of transmitting over the first data service flow, to the communication device in response to detecting that an alternate version of the second requested content is available from a first content distribution resource but that the second requested content is received from the second content distribution resource; wherein detecting that the second requested content is sourced from the second content distribution resource includes: processing the stream of data packets to obtain network address information from the stream of data packets, the network address information indicating that the second content distribution resource is a respective source from which the stream of data packets is transmitted to the communication device; wherein the first data service flow and the second data service flow extend between a cable modem termination system receiving the stream of data packets and a respective cable modem disposed in a subscriber premises in which the subscriber resides, the subscriber receiving the second requested content at the communication device through the cable modem; and wherein the alternate version of the second requested content is available to the subscriber over the shared communication link from the first content distribution resource on a communication path other than through the cable modem.