System And Method For Network Assisted Control And Monetization Of Tethering To Mobile Wireless Devices

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for managing use of a mobile wireless device in a tethering configuration, the computer executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

• receiving a message packet issued from a device tethered to the mobile wireless device
• determining, in response to the receiving step, whether the mobile wireless device is permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices by referencing a profile with which the mobile device is associated;
• and
• discarding the message packet in response to determining from the profile that the mobile wireless device is not permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices.

A mobile wireless system for managing use of mobile wireless devices in a tethering configuration, the system comprising:

• a mobile wireless device configured to support networking a set of tethered devices by routing messages between the set of devices and the mobile wireless system;
• and
• an access gateway configured to carry out the steps of:
• receiving a message packet from the mobile wireless device, the message packet having been issued from one of the set of tethered devices;
• determining, in response to the receiving step, whether the mobile wireless device is permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices by referencing a profile with which the mobile device is associated;
• and
• discarding the message packet in response to determining from the profile that the mobile wireless device is not permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices.

A mobile wireless system for managing use of mobile wireless devices in a tethering configuration, the system comprising:

• a mobile wireless device configured to:
• support networking a set of tethered devices by routing messages between the set of devices and the mobile wireless system, and wherein
• the mobile wireless device is further configured to perform the steps of:
• receiving a message packet, the message packet having been issued from one of the set of tethered devices, and
• coloring the message packet to indicate that the message packet issued from one of the set of tethered devices;
• and
• an access gateway configured to perform the steps of:
• receiving the message packet from the mobile wireless device,
• determining, in response to receiving the message packet from the mobile wireless device, whether the mobile wireless device is permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices by referencing a profile with which the mobile device is associated, and
• discarding the message packet in response to determining from the profile that the mobile wireless device is not permitted to pass messages on behalf of tethered devices.