Patent ID: 8509071
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling public network access at a wireless hotspot of a retail store, the method comprising: receiving, at a network gateway device, network traffic associated with a customer computing device associated with a customer of the retail store, the network traffic comprising packet flows communicated between the customer computing device and an external network via the network gateway device; monitoring the network traffic of the customer computing device over time; identifying a plurality of network usage characteristics associated with the network traffic, the network usage characteristics including a usage time that corresponds to a total amount of time the customer computing device has been accessing the external network and a network application identifier that corresponds to a network application being used by the customer computing device that consumes network resources; determining that the network traffic for the customer violates a network usage policy for individual customers when the total amount of time that the customer has been accessing the external network exceeds a defined threshold; and decreasing, over a period of time, throughput of the network traffic that is determined to be violative of the network usage policy.