Power and telecommunications access vending machine
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vending machine for dispensing telecommunications access is disclosed. A customer interested in using the telecommunications access makes a payment into the payment processing unit which forwards the payment information to the central control unit. The central control unit reports the transaction information to a central computer system via its modem connected to a telecommunication channel. Access to the same telecommunication channel or another channel can be made available to the customer via a switchable telecommunications access circuit which is also controlled by the central control unit. The customer connects to the telecommunications channel via the telecommunications access connector. The central control unit provides information on the progress of the vending transaction to the customer via the user interface. The central control unit determines when the transaction is completed by sensing the cessation of usage via the usage detection circuit or via customer action at the user interface.
59 Citations
103 Claims
-
1-50. -50. (canceled)
-
51. A method for providing a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place with telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit;
connecting with the customer'"'"'s device through at least one telecommunications connector, the customer'"'"'s device being located in the public or semi-public place to the system; and
providing the customer'"'"'s device with high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service through the telecommunications channel. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
-
-
91. A method for vending to a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service on a transactional basis, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit on a vended transactional basis;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service on a vended transactional basis using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit;
connecting with the customer'"'"'s device through at least one telecommunications connector, the customer'"'"'s device being located in the public or semi-public place to the system; and
providing the customer'"'"'s device with high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service through the telecommunications channel.
-
-
92. A method for providing a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place with telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit;
connecting with the customer'"'"'s device through at least one telecommunications connector, the customer'"'"'s device being located in the public or semi-public place to the system; and
providing the customer'"'"'s device with high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service through the telecommunications channel;
wherein a Local Area Network connection provides the high speed access to the high speed data channel supplying the high speed direct Internet service; and
wherein the control unit monitors usage of the high speed data channel. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94, 95, 96)
-
-
97. A method for providing a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place with telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit;
connecting with the customer'"'"'s device through at least one telecommunications connector, the customer'"'"'s device being located in the public or semi-public place to the system; and
providing the customer'"'"'s device with the high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service through the telecommunications channel;
wherein a Local Area Network provides the high speed access to the high speed data channel supplying the high speed direct Internet service; and
wherein the computing unit monitors usage of the high speed data channel. - View Dependent Claims (98, 99, 100, 101)
-
-
102. A method for providing a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place with telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel in the form of a T1 line providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit;
connecting the system with the customer'"'"'s device through at least one telecommunications connector in the form of an RJ-45 port, the customer'"'"'s device being located in the public or semi-public place; and
providing the customer'"'"'s device with the high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service through the telecommunications channel.
-
-
103. A method for providing a customer'"'"'s portable device located in a public or semi-public place with telecommunications access in the form of high speed direct Internet service, the method comprising:
-
controlling high speed access to a telecommunications channel in the form of a T1 line providing the high speed direct Internet service, the high speed access being controlled by a control unit;
processing authorizations for high speed access by the customer'"'"'s device to the high speed direct Internet service using a computing unit;
communicating a status of the authorizations between the computing unit and the control unit;
enabling high speed access'"'"' to the telecommunications channel using a telecommunications access circuit; and
providing the customer'"'"'s portable device with an RJ-45-based connection to the RJ-45 port through a cable, the customer'"'"'s device obtaining high speed access to the high speed direct Internet service from the T1 line through the RJ-45 connection while located in the public or semi-public place.
-
Specification