Differentiated connectivity in a pay-per-use public data access system
First Claim
1. A method for employing at least one standard protocol for a device coupled to a network to access a particular group of application services, the method comprising:
- creating at least one plurality of groups of application services accessible to said device dynamically from a list of possible application services;
providing the at least one plurality of groups of application services to said device;
allowing said device to select said at least one plurality of groups of application services; and
automatically configuring said network dynamically based on said selected groups of application services to permit access by said device to said selected groups of application services via said network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Provides methods and apparatus for offering tiered application services for access to network services on a pay-per-use basis in public access networks. Using personal devices, the user can access different tiers of application services on demand, without the need of any preexisting association, e.g., subscription, with the service provider of the wireless access system. Such on-demand access is obtained by providing a variety of personal identifiers, such as a credit card number or frequent flier identification. Moreover, the service offering allows a user through a personal device to modify, enhance or degrade the currently established tier of application services during the lifetime of the user'"'"'s association with the access network. A network-level enforcement mechanism at access points within the access network ensures user access only to application services within the application service tier that they have paid for, and deny service accesses not within that tier.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A method for employing at least one standard protocol for a device coupled to a network to access a particular group of application services, the method comprising:
-
creating at least one plurality of groups of application services accessible to said device dynamically from a list of possible application services;
providing the at least one plurality of groups of application services to said device;
allowing said device to select said at least one plurality of groups of application services; and
automatically configuring said network dynamically based on said selected groups of application services to permit access by said device to said selected groups of application services via said network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 35)
-
-
24. A method comprising:
-
enabling a user device coupled to a network, said user device employing a set of standard protocols, said network including;
at least one network configuration service;
at least one services management application service;
at least one network traffic control element, and at least two groups of application services accessible to said user device, said at least one network configuration service configuring said user device, said at least one services management application service providing said user device with a listing of said at least two groups of application services, wherein said at least one services management application creating at least one of said at least two groups of application services dynamically from a list of possible application services;
allowing a user of said user device to select at least one group from said at least two groups of application services; and
automatically configuring said at least one network traffic control element dynamically to enable access only to said at least one group. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
-
25. A method comprising:
-
providing a listing of a plurality of groups of application services, wherein at least one of said plurality of groups of application services is created dynamically from a list of possible application services, to a user device in response to said device connecting to a network;
sending to said device a set of identifiers representing a selection of a particular group of application services from said plurality of groups of application services; and
employing said identifiers to instruct at least one network traffic control element to automatically and dynamically configure said network in order to enable communication between said device and said particular group of application services over said network. - View Dependent Claims (37)
-
-
26. A method comprising:
-
setting access permission for a device;
allowing said device to select access to selected application services from a plurality of groups of available application services, said device employing a set of standard protocols and being coupled to a network;
associating said access permission for said device with at least one identifier in order for said device to access said selected application services from at least one of said plurality of groups of application services; and
using said at least one identifier to enable said device to roam and have access to said selected application services employing said established access permission. - View Dependent Claims (27, 38)
-
-
28. An apparatus comprising:
-
a server to allow a user to employ a set of standard communication protocols on a device coupled to a network to access a particular group of application services, said server including;
a listing module for providing a listing of a plurality of groups of application services accessible to said device, at least one of said application services in each of said groups being useable by said device, wherein at least one of said plurality of groups is created dynamically from a list of possible services;
an enabling module to enable said user to select said particular group of application services from said plurality of groups; and
a configuration module to automatically configure said network dynamically based on said particular group of application services to permit said access by said device to said particular group of application services via said network. - View Dependent Claims (29)
-
-
30. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing automatic and dynamic configuration, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:
-
creating at least one plurality of groups of application services accessible to said article of manufacture dynamically from a list of possible application services;
providing the at least one plurality of groups of application services to said article of manufacture;
allowing said article of manufacture to select said at least one plurality of groups of application services; and
automatically configuring said network dynamically based on said selected groups of application-services to permit access by said article of manufacture to said selected groups of application services via said network.
-
-
31. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing automatic and dynamic configuration, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:
-
enabling a user device coupled to a network, said user device employing a set of standard protocols, said network including;
at least one network configuration service;
at least one services management application service;
at least one network traffic control element, and at least two groups of application services accessible to said user device, said at least one network configuration service configuring said user device, said at least one services management application service providing said user device with a listing of said at least two groups of application services, wherein said at least one services management application creating at least one of said at least two groups of application services dynamically from a list of possible application services;
allowing a user of said user device to select at least one group from said at least two groups of application services; and
automatically configuring said at least one network traffic control element dynamically to enable access only to said at least one group.
-
-
32. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing automatic and dynamic configuration, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:
-
providing a listing of a plurality of groups of application services, wherein at least one of said plurality of groups of application services is created dynamically from a list of possible application services, to a user device in response to said device connecting to a network;
sending to said device a set of identifiers representing a selection of a particular group of application services from said plurality of groups of application services; and
employing said identifiers to instruct at least one network traffic control element to automatically and dynamically configure said network in order to enable communication between said device and said particular group of application services over said network.
-
-
33. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing application service access, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:
-
setting access permission for a device;
allowing said device to select access to selected application services from a plurality of groups of available application services, said device employing a set of standard protocols and being coupled to a network;
associating said access permission for said device with at least one identifier in order for said device to access said selected application services from at least one of said plurality of groups of application services; and
using said at least one identifier to enable said device to roam and have access to said selected application services employing said established access permission.
-
-
34. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing automatic and dynamic configuration, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of:
-
a server to allow a user to employ a set of standard communication protocols on a device coupled to a network to access a particular group of application services, said server including;
a listing module for providing a listing of a plurality of groups of application services accessible to said device, at least one of said application services in each of said groups being useable by said device, wherein at least one of said plurality of groups is created dynamically from a list of possible services;
an enabling module to enable said user to select said particular group of application services from said plurality of groups; and
a configuration module to automatically configure said network dynamically based on said particular group of application services to permit said access by said device to said particular group of application services via said network.
-
Specification