Methods and devices for network access control

• US 20050282496A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wizzwifi Limited
• Original Assignee: Wizzwifi Limited
• Inventors: Halsall, Martyn Carl
• Application Number:
  US11/146,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20050282496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method of controlling access to a wide area network is provided. The method may be used for wireless internet access. A server for providing wide area network communication, communicates with a terminal and only allows access to the wide area network by the terminal if a predetermined program is running on the terminal. The predetermined program causes information to be displayed on the screen of the terminal during network access. Devices for implementing the method are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A network access device comprising a communication interface to a network, a computer processor, computer memory and a user interface having a display, the computer memory storing instructions readable and executable by the computer processor to cause the network access device to:

a) display on the display predetermined information communicated from the network to the network access device through the communication interface independently of actions by a user of the network access device;

b) allow user access to the network using any application running on the network access device adapted for that purpose when said information is being displayed on the display and not otherwise.

2. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to communicate identification information specific to at least one of the network access device and user of the network access device to at least one address in the network.

3. The network access device of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to receive from a user through the user interface and communicate configuration information to at least one address in the network, the configuration information specifying at least one characteristic that can be used to determine the predetermined information communicated from the network to the network access device.

4. The network access device of claim 3, wherein the at least one address is the same as the address to which the identification information is sent.

5. The network access device of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processing means to require a user to use the user interface to enter configuration information before allowing access to the network by one of the network access device generally and by a particular user of that device for the first time, and communicate the configuration information to an address in the network after it has been entered.

6. The network access device of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processing means to allow the user to use the user interface to change the configuration information, wherein if the configuration information is changed, the changed configuration information is communicated to the network.

7. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the configuration information comprises interest areas of a user of the network access device.

8. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the configuration information identifies what the user may be interested in purchasing or consuming.

9. The network access device of claim 8, wherein the configuration information comprises a status indicator of the user, the status indicating a type of product or service that the user may be interested in purchasing or consuming due to their status.

10. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the configuration information comprises identification of what loyalty schemes the user subscribes to.

11. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer processing means to

c) communicate with a network access point, receive data from the network access point and dependent on one of the data received and whether or not any data of a predetermined type was received, perform one of

i) require the information to be displayed on the display in order to access the network through that network access point and

ii) allow access to the network through that network access point irrespective of whether or not the information is displayed on the display.

12. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computer processing means to perform step a) and one of steps i) and ii) every time a connection between the network access device and the network is established.

13. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processing means to communicate with a network access point, receive data from the network access point and communicate that data to a particular network address.

14. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the data received by the network access point comprises geographical location data.

15. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface.

16. A computer server having a communication interface for communicating data with a computer network, the computer server operable to receive from the network identification information, configuration information that has associated with it a network address, and geographical information indicating the source of the identification information and configuration information, and send data addressed to the network address, the data defining information to be displayed on a display and selected from a plurality of different options dependent on the geographical information and configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of:

a) the interest areas of a user;

b) what the user may be interested in purchasing or consuming; and

c) identification of what loyalty schemes the user subscribes to.

17. A network access node comprising a first data communication interface to a network, a second data communication interface for communicating with at least one network access device that comprises one or more applications allowing a user to receive and send information to and from network, and computer processing means operable to cooperate with the user access device to send to the network information addressed to at least one predetermined address in the network, the information identifying at least one of the network access device and a user of the network access device and the geographical location of the apparatus.

18. A computer network comprising the network access node of claim 17 and at least one network access device in communication with the second data communication interface, wherein the network access device and the network access node cooperate to one of

only allow the network access device to send and receive information using the network access node that through the first data communication interface if predetermined information is sent by the network access node to the network access device and displayed on a display of the network access device, and

only allow the network access device to send and receive second predetermined information using the network access node that through the first data communication interface if predetermined information is sent by the network access node to the network access device and displayed on a display of the network access device.

19. The computer network of claim 18, wherein the second predetermined information comprises data defining instructions to allow the network access device to receive and display on its display the predetermined information.

20. A method of controlling access to a wide area network at specific access points using a terminal, the method comprising:

providing at each access point a server for providing wide area network communication, the server operable to communicate to a terminal that the access point is one of said specific access points;

only allowing access to the wide area network by said terminal using one of said specific access points if a predetermined program is running on the terminal;

wherein the predetermined program causes information to be displayed on the screen of the terminal during network access.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising authenticating a user of the access program before providing network access.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of only allowing access to the wide area network comprises allowing access to the wide area network using a plurality of application programs.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising identifying the location of connection to the wide area network, and displaying information on the terminal that is dependent on the location information.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising identifying one of the user of the terminal and the terminal itself and displaying information on the terminal dependent on the step of identifying.