System and method for providing aggregated wireless communications services

• US 20080175188A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kozisek, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for enabling users of wireless devices to increase wireless communication bandwidth may include a server in communication with multiple wireless access points. The server may execute software configured to enable a wireless device to communicate with multiple wireless access points of a network during a communications session. The software, in response to determining that the wireless device attempts to communicate with a wireless access point of the network, determines whether the user of the wireless device has a subscription to communicate with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth from the wireless access points, and enables the wireless device to access the network and communicate with the wireless access points if the user has the subscription agreement.

Claims

1. A system for enabling users of wireless devices to increase wireless communication bandwidth, said system comprising:

a server in communication with a plurality of wireless access points, said server executing software configured to enable a wireless device to communicate with multiple wireless access points of a network during a communications session, the software, in response to determining that the wireless device attempts to communicate with a wireless access point of the network determines whether the user of the wireless device has a subscription agreement to communicate with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth from the wireless access points, and enables the wireless device to access the network and communicate with the wireless access points if the user has the subscription agreement.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless access points are wireless routers.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless routers are configured to be utilized as residential properties of consumers.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the software, in determining whether the user of the wireless device has a subscription to communicate with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth, queries the wireless device to determine the user name and password of the user.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the query by the software to the wireless device causes the wireless device to prompt a user for the user name and password.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a personal computer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device has priority when communicating with a home wireless access point of the user over other wireless devices communicating with the home wireless access point of the user.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless access points are configured with a private communications interface and a public communications interface, the wireless device communicating with the public communications interface of at least one of the wireless access points.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the software is further configured to determine that the user is not a subscriber and query the wireless device to determine whether the user is willing to pay an access fee for communicating with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the software is further configured to authorize an access fee payment by the user prior to enabling the wireless device to communicate with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth.

11. A method for enabling users of wireless devices to increase wireless communications bandwidth, said method comprising:

determining that a wireless device attempts to communicate with a wireless access point of a network;

determining whether the user of the wireless device has a subscription agreement to communicate with multiple wireless access points of the network to aggregate bandwidth from the wireless access points; and

enable the wireless device to communicate with the wireless access points if the user has the subscription agreement.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving a signal from a wireless access point indicative of a wireless device attempting to access the network, the wireless access point being located at a residential property.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving a signal from a wireless access point includes receiving a wireless signal from a wireless router.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising querying the wireless device to determine a user name and password of the user.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein querying the wireless device causes the wireless device to prompt the user for the user name and password.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining that a wireless device attempts to communicate with a wireless access point includes determining that a personal computer s attempts to communicate with a wireless access point.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising prioritizing communications of the wireless device when communicating with a home wireless access point of the user over other wireless devices communicating with the home wireless access point of the user.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving communications from the wireless device from a public communications interface of at least one of the wireless access points having a private communications interface and a public communications interface.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the user is not a subscriber, and querying the wireless device to determine whether the user is willing to pay an access fee for communicating with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising authorizing an access fee payment by the user prior to enabling the wireless device to communicate with the wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth.