Method and system for enabling data usage accounting through a relay

Abstract

A method and system for enabling data usage accounting is described herein. The method can be practiced on a computing device that has secure applications and unsecure applications installed thereon. Initially, a request for a data session that includes a final endpoint can be received through a secure application. The request for the data session can be intercepted and modified to cause the request to be re-directed back to the secure application. A connection with a relay server can be initiated instead of the final endpoint such that data usage accounting for the data session is to be conducted at a remote location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for enabling data usage accounting through a relay, comprising:
 on a computing device that has secure applications and unsecure applications installed thereon, receiving through a secure application a request for a data session that includes a final endpoint;   intercepting the request for the data session;   modifying the request for the data session to cause the request to be redirected back to the secure application; and   initiating a connection with a relay component instead of the final endpoint such that data usage accounting for the data session is to be conducted at a remote location.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing the final endpoint to the relay server to enable the relay component to establish a connection with the final endpoint. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection with the relay component is initiated transparently with respect to the secure application. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the connection with the relay component that is initiated is based on a protocol that is non-native to the secure application. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising buffering data from the secure application while the connection with the relay component or the final endpoint is being established. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein initiating the connection with the relay component comprises providing an internet protocol (IP) address of the computing device to the relay component. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection that is initiated with the relay component is configured to support the transport of both unencrypted data and encrypted data for the secure application. 
     
     
         8 . A method of enabling segregated data usage accounting on a computing device, comprising:
 launching a secure application that is installed on the device, wherein the device has unsecure applications installed thereon in addition to the secure application;   through the secure application, requesting content from a final destination;   redirecting the content request back to the secure application; and   initiating a connection with a relay server to enable retrieval of the requested content from the final destination and to enable an accounting of data of the retrieved content;   wherein the initiation of the connection with the relay server only occurs for the secure application and not for the unsecure applications.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising providing the final destination and an IP address of the computing device to the relay server. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the connection of the relay server is based on a protocol that is non-native to the secure application. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein redirecting the content request back to the secure application comprises natively redirecting the content request back to the secure application and initiating the connection with the relay server comprises transparently initiating the relay connection with the relay server. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising redirecting the content request back to the secure application for a plurality of predetermined networking calls from the secure application, wherein the connection with the relay server is predefined and able to accommodate each of the predetermined networking calls. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein initiating the connection with the relay server comprises authenticating the computing device with the relay server prior to permitting data exchange between the secure application and the relay server. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising buffering data from the secure application while the connection with the relay server is established. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining that the computing device is operating on a Wi-Fi communication network; and   in response to the determination, activating a setting that prevents the content request from being redirected back to the secure application and the initiation of the connection with the relay server.   
     
     
         16 . A computing device, comprising:
 a display that is configured to display both secure and unsecure applications that are installed on the computing device;   a processor that is communicatively coupled to the display, wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive a data access request through one of the secure applications, wherein the data access request includes a final destination; 
 cause a redirection of the data access request back to the secure application; and 
 cause a connection with a relay server to be initiated to enable an accounting of data associated with the data access request, wherein the relay server is configured to establish a connection with the final destination specified by the secure application; 
   wherein the processor is further configured to cause the redirection of the data access request and the connection with the relay server for the secure applications but not for the unsecure applications.   
     
     
         17 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a Wi-Fi communications stack that is communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a setting to be activated to prevent the redirection of the data access request and the connection with the relay server if the computing device is connected to a Wi-Fi network through the Wi-Fi communications stack. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , further comprising memory that is communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to cause data from the secure application to be buffered in the memory while the connection with the relay server is established. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the connection with the relay server is based on a protocol that is non-native to the requesting secure application. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the connection with the relay server to be initiated transparently with respect to the requesting secure application. 
     
     
         21 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the connection with the relay server is configured to support unencrypted traffic between the secure application and the final destination and is an unsecure connection. 
     
     
         22 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the connection with the relay server to be initiated by causing a listening socket on a loopback interface to be generated and a back-end socket to be generated.