SYSTEM FOR ON-DEMAND ACCESS TO LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

• US 20110044310A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Durham Logistics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Uhlik, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A roaming company makes payments to an aggregator of independent WLAN operators in exchange for providing Internet access services to subscribers of the roaming company. Independent WLAN operator accounts are maintained at the aggregation company.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving service metrics associated with network access services provided by one or more of a plurality of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) operators,

wherein the WLAN operators are associated with an aggregator;

wherein the aggregator is associated with a roaming services provider;

displaying the service metrics at a user terminal; and

indicating a selection of a Wireless Area Network operator for accessing the network responsive to the service metrics.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a service request to the aggregator to initiate access service from the selected WLAN operator, wherein the service request comprises subscriber data identifying a subscriber corresponding to a valid account with the roaming services provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the service metrics at the user terminal comprises displaying the service metrics corresponding to WLAN operators currently out-of-range of the user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service metrics correspond to one or more services provided by at least one of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) associated with the aggregator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service metrics comprise at least one of:

WLAN access point location information, WLAN quality of service statistics, WLAN characteristics of service testimonials, or marketing information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the service metrics at the user terminal comprises displaying a location map of one or more access points each associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of WLAN operators.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the selection of a Wireless Area Network operator is responsive to receiving user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the selection of a Wireless Area Network operator is automated.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising authorizing payment by the subscriber for access service to be provided.