US 9313101

Summary of U.S. Patent 9,313,101

Title: Method of controlling traffic by time-based policy

Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute

Inventors: Sang Wan KIM, Joon Kyung LEE, Dong Won KANG, Wang Bong Lee, Sang Kil Park, SangSik Yoon, Jong Dae Park

Filing Date: October 4, 2012

Issue Date: April 12, 2016

Abstract:
A method of controlling traffic, particularly, a method of setting and executing a traffic control policy in which a time condition is additionally combined is provided. At any specific step of a network that executes a time-based policy, an execution time point of the time-based policy can be determined. Further, a network service provider can provide various application services to a network user using a time-based policy.

---

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a policy server to decide when to implement a time-based traffic control rule. The server continuously checks if it's the right time to activate a specific policy. Once the execution time arrives, the server sends the policy to a policy management system (PMS), which is connected to the equipment that will actually enforce the rule. This policy is created by combining information from network data packets (like source and destination addresses) with a time-based condition that is independent of the network traffic itself.

Claim 3: This claim outlines a method for a policy management system (PMS) to handle time-based traffic control policies. The PMS, which is connected to the equipment that enforces the policy, downloads and stores the policy. It then determines if the specific time for the policy to be executed has been reached. If it is not yet time, the system keeps checking. The policy itself is based on both network packet information and a time condition separate from the traffic.

Claim 6: This claim focuses on the final step of the process: the policy execution equipment (PEE). This piece of network hardware downloads the traffic control policy and is responsible for determining if the execution time has come. It continuously checks the time, and once the specified time is reached, it begins to enforce the policy. Similar to the other claims, the policy is based on a combination of data packet information and a time condition not derived from the traffic.

---

Litigation and Post-Grant Proceedings:

A search of the dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 did not reveal any litigation related to US patent 9,313,101.

Information from the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) portal indicates that a post-grant proceeding, specifically an Inter Partes Review (IPR) designated as IPR2026-00272, involving this patent was pending as of March 30, 2026. However, further details about the status and substance of this proceeding are not available from the provided search results. Therefore, the existence of this proceeding is noted with uncertainty.