Patent · US Expired

Network usage monitoring device and associated method

US7020082B2 · kind B2 · utility

308Cited by
4References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 4, 2001
Grant dateMar 28, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L43/16
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A network usage monitoring module is provided for monitoring network usage at a network access point, i.e. network traffic aggregation point, typically at a gateway device or a similar network interface device. As such, the network usage monitoring module can monitor the usage of a number of network users who are attempting to access various network services provided via the gateway device. Thus, the usage information collected by the usage monitoring module is considerably more robust than that offered by conventional monitoring techniques. As such, the information is considerably more valuable to network service providers, network users, network beneficiaries and the like. In addition, the usage monitoring method and apparatus offers a number of particular features to improve the monitoring process as well as the value of the usage information that is collected.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.