Method and system for wireless LAN communication

• US 20040106433A1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yoshikazu, Ooki, Yasuomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/54 for revenue sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed are a wireless LAN communication method and system which allow different service providers to share equipments needed for the system to thereby suppress an investment in equipment and improve the convenience for users. The system and method gather the communication amount and communication time for each of users who have respectively contracted with a plurality of service providers when any of wireless LAN base stations is used by a wireless terminal of that user, and cause that service provider who has contracted with that user who has used that wireless LAN equipment to pay a charge to that service provider who owns the wireless LAN base station in accordance with the gathered communication amount and communication time.

Claims

1. A method of wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers to be connected to an Internet and a user terminal for each of users, wherein said wireless LAN equipment is managed by any one of the service providers and is shared by the service providers;

collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users, when said user terminal communicates with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with the collected data, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays the charge to the service provider for managing said wireless LAN equipment.

2. A method of wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers to be connected to an Internet and a user terminal for each of users, wherein said wireless LAN equipment is pre-sited in common space managed by a manager and is shared by the service providers;

collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users, when said user terminal communicates with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with the collected data, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays the charge to the manager.

3. A method of wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers to be connected to an Internet and a user terminal used for users, wherein said wireless LAN equipment is managed by any one of the service providers and is shared by the service providers;

enabling said user terminal to select the wireless LAN equipment with high communication speed;

exchanging user'"'"'s information among the service providers, when said user terminal selects said wireless LAN equipment and the selected wireless LAN equipment is managed by the service provider not to be contracted the user of said user terminal;

collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users, when said user terminal communicates with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with said collected data and said exchanged user information, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays said charge to the service provider for managing said wireless LAN equipment.

4. A system for wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising:

means for communicating data between a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers to be connected to an Internet and a user terminal for each of users, wherein said wireless LAN equipment is managed by any one of the services provider and is shared by the service providers;

means for collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users when said user terminal communicating with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

means for calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with the collected data, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays the charge to the service provider for managing said wireless LAN equipment.

5. A system for wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising:

means for communicating data between a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers to be connected to an Internet and a user terminal for each of users, wherein said wireless LAN equipment is pre-sited in common space managed by a manager and is shared by the service providers;

means for collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users when said user terminal communicates with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

means for calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with the collected data, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays the charge to the manager.

6. A system for wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, comprising:

a wireless LAN equipment for each of service providers connected to an Internet, said wireless LAN equipment being managed by any one of the services provider and being shared by the service providers;

a user terminal for said each of users to be communicated with said wireless LAN equipment using wireless LAN communication; and

an information exchange server for exchanging user'"'"'s information among the service providers, wherein

said user terminal comprises

selecting means for selecting said wireless LAN equipment with high communication speed, and

said wireless LAN equipment comprises

a service management server for managing user'"'"'s information of the each of users, and for transmitting said user information to said information exchange server, when said selecting means selects wireless LAN equipment managed by the service provider not to be contracted with the user of said user terminal,

means for collecting data of a communication amount and communication time of said user terminal of the each of users, when said user terminal communicates with said wireless LAN equipment, and

means for calculating data of a charge on usage of said wireless LAN equipment in accordance with the collected data, whereby the service provider to be contracted with the user of said user terminal pays the charge to the service provider for managing said wireless LAN equipment.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said user information is an ID and a password.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said user terminal informs a connected service provider of an MAC address via said service management server of the contracted service provider of said user terminal, and

said wireless LAN equipment of the connected service provider authenticates whether or not to permit connection based on the MAC address.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein

said information exchange server issues a one-time password and one-time ID valid for a given time, when said user terminal connects to said wireless LAN equipment of the non-contracted service provider, and converts the user'"'"'s information based on the one-time password and one-time ID.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said wireless LAN equipment is a wireless LAN base station.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said wireless LAN equipment further comprises:

means for setting a time band for using said wireless LAN equipment for the each of service providers; and

means for refusing connection of said user terminal when a time of usage thereof is out of the set time band for using said wireless LAN equipment.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said wireless LAN equipment further comprises:

means for ranking the each of service providers in accordance with charge plans on usage of said wireless LAN equipment; and

means for restricting connection in order from the service providers with a lower rank, in case that an average communication speed per user falls below a predetermined communication speed or in case that a number of connections to said wireless LAN equipment exceeds a preset number of connections of simultaneously connectable users.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein

said wireless LAN equipment further comprises:

means for ranking the each of users in accordance with charge plans on usage of said wireless LAN equipment; and

means for restricting connection in order from the users with a lower rank, in case that an average communication speed per user falls below a predetermined communication speed or in case that a number of connections to said wireless LAN equipment exceeds a preset number of connections of simultaneously connectable users.