Connectivity to public domain services of wireless local area networks

• US 20040192264A1
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Azizi, Shahrnaz, Liu, Jiewen
• Granted Patent: US 7,177,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and/or apparatus to permit non-authorized wireless mobile devices access to public domain services of a local area network. One embodiment of the invention provides a wireless access point device, with a wireless port and a wired network port, with at least two modes of operation to permit authorized mobile devices access to network services and non-authorized mobile devices access to a particular set of network services. A list of free and/or pay-per-use network services is provided to non-authorized mobile devices to select the desired service(s). For pay-per-use services, a mobile device user can provide a form of payment for validation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

broadcasting a synchronization signal from a wireless access point device indicating a mode of operation and available network services; and

establishing a connection between a non-authorized mobile device and the access point device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a synchronization signal to indicate a mode of operation and available network services;

receiving a request for connection establishment from the non-authorized mobile device;

receiving a request for access to a selected network service, from among the available network services, from the non-authorized mobile device; and

allowing the non-authorized mobile device access to the selected network service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the available network services includes free public network services.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the available network services includes pay-per-use public network services.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

providing a form of payment for a pay-per-use network service.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the form of payment is a credit card number.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the form of payment is a prepaid payment number.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

providing a secure transmission of information between the non-authorized mobile device and the access point device.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

sending payment information from the non-authorized mobile device to the access point device wirelessly.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

validating the payment information provided by the non-authorized mobile device; and

providing the validation results to the non-authorized mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing a connection between the non-authorized mobile device to a selected network service only if payment validation successful.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

disconnecting the non-authorized mobile device from a selected network service, from among the available network services, if payment expires.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing data exchanges between the non-authorized mobile device and a selected network service, from among the available network services, through the access point.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disconnecting the non-authorized mobile device from the access point device to terminate access to the available network services.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein connection establishment uses any authentication procedure performed in accordance with the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 802.11 Specification or its supplements.

16. A machine-readable medium having one or more instructions for enabling a non-authorized user to wirelessly access a number of network services, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a synchronization signal indicating a mode of operation and available network services;

receiving a request for connection establishment from a non-authorized user;

establishing a connection with the non-authorized user;

receiving a request for access to a selected network service, from among the available network services, by the non-authorized user; and

providing the non-authorized user access to the selected network service.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

requesting a form of payment from the non-authorized user for access to pay-per-use network services.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

validating the payment information provided by the non-authorized user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

disconnecting the non-authorized mobile device from the selected network service if payment expires.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing data exchanges between the non-authorized user and the selected network service.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver port for wirelessly communicating with mobile devices;

a network communications port communicatively coupled to the transceiver port, the network communications port for coupling to a network; and

a control unit coupled to the transceiver port and the network communications port, the control unit configured to control access from the transceiver port to the network communications port and provide at least two modes of operation, a first mode of operation to provide authorized mobile devices access to the network communications port, and a second mode of operation to provide non-authorized mobile devices access to the network communications port.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein any one of the operation modes can be dynamically enabled or disabled.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein in the first mode of operation a specific authentication process is requested from the mobile devices to obtain full network access over the network communications port and in the second mode of operation no specific authentication process is requested from the mobile devices to obtain certain network access over the network communications port.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second mode of operation allows the non-authorized mobile devices to obtain public network access through the network communication port.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the control unit is configured to provide secure services to both authorized and non-authorized mobile devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the control unit is configured to provide data exchange to both authorized and non-authorized mobile devices in accordance with the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11 Standard.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the control unit is ha configured to provide a third mode of operation, the third mode of operation provides authorized mobile devices access to the network communications port and non-authorized mobile devices limited access to the network communications port simultaneously.