SYSTEM, METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DELIVERY OF DIGITAL CONTENT OFFERINGS AT A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT

• US 20080095180A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Vucina, Gregory Williams, James Keeler, Scott Martin, Todd Mathis
• Original Assignee: David Vucina, Gregory Williams, James Keeler, Scott Martin, Todd Mathis
• Inventors: Martin, Scott, Keeler, James, Williams, Gregory, Mathis, Todd, Vucina, David
• Application Number:
  US11/959,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and system for providing distributed network access point installation and management. A network provider installs and/or operates a plurality of access points at locations of a retail entity. Each access point may provide services such as Internet access, and/or content such as audio, video, text, and/or graphics, among other types of services. A carrier, such as a telephone or cable company, may compensate the network service provider for installation and operation of the access points. The carrier may in turn charge its subscribers for network access at the retail entity locations. A plurality of different carriers may provide compensation and allow respective subscriber access. The network access points may be configured to allow each carrier to present a point of presence to its subscribers at the retail entity locations. The installed network may also provide service for retail entity back office functions.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of network management devices installed at a plurality of locations of at least one retail entity, wherein the plurality of network management devices are coupled to a network, and wherein the plurality of locations are within the same geographic region;

a concentrator coupled to each network management device of the plurality of network management devices via a secure communication link over the network; and

a gateway device associated with the retail entity coupled to the concentrator by a secure communication link, wherein the secure communication link coupled to the concentrator is coupled to each secure communication link of each network management device to permit separate communication between the gateway device and each network management device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway device is a virtual private network device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each secure communication link is a virtual private network link.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the virtual private network operates using at least one of IPSec, GRE, PPTP, IP, and Voice over IP to achieve desired connectivity and routing of data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the concentrator includes one or more routers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure communication link coupling the gateway with the concentrator operates using at least one of IPSec, GRE, PPTP, IP, and Voice over IP to achieve desired connectivity and routing of data.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more back office devices located in one or more of the plurality of locations communicating over a secure communication link with a network management device of the plurality of network management devices.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein two or more of the back office devices communicate with each other over a secure communication link on a second network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each back office device is associated with a private address used for communication with the associated back office device.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless access points at the plurality of locations of the at least one retail entity, wherein the plurality of wireless access points are coupled to one or more network management devices of the plurality of network management devices over a second network.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an additional concentrator coupled to the gateway device by a secure communication link over the first network.

12. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of network management devices at a plurality of locations of at least one retail entity, wherein the plurality of locations are within the same geographic region;

providing a concentrator, wherein the concentrator is coupled to each network management device of the plurality of network management devices over a separate secure communications link on a first network, wherein the concentrator couples each secure communication link to a gateway device associated with the retail entity over a secure communication link on a second network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the gateway device is a virtual private network device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each secure communication link is a virtual private network link.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising operating the virtual private network using at least one of IPSec, GRE, PPTP, IP, and Voice over IP to achieve desired connectivity and routing of data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the concentrator operates to router data transmitting over one or more of the secure communications links.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein two or more of the back office devices communicate with each other over a secure communication link on a second network coupled to the first network, and wherein each back office device is associated with a private address used for communication with the associated back office device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling an additional concentrator to the gateway device by a secure communication link over the first network.