WIRELESS NETWORK MANAGEMENT AND ONLINE SIGNUP OF SERVICES

• US 20170111783A1
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhang, Qiang, Manroa, Arun
• Granted Patent: US 10,091,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless access point receives configuration information assigned to a particular service provider. The configuration information includes information indicating a wireless network identifier (such as a network name or SSID value) assigned to the service provider. The wireless network identifier is available for use by communication devices to establish a wireless connection with the wireless access point and perform multiple different functions. For example, the configuration information can include multiple resource links assigned to the particular service provider. Via use of the wireless network identifier, a communication device can establish a wireless communication link with the wireless access point. The communication device communicates a selected one of the multiple links to the wireless access point to indicate which of multiple functions (such as online sign-up or actual use of wireless network services) can is being requested.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

via computer processor hardware in a wireless access point;

receiving configuration information assigned to a particular service provider, the configuration information including;

i) a wireless network identifier in which to establish a wireless connection with the wireless access point, and ii) multiple resource links assigned to the particular service provider for use over a wireless link established using the wireless network identifier; and

from the wireless access point, transmitting a wireless notification to a communication device, the wireless notification indicating;

i) the wireless network identifier, and ii) the multiple corresponding resource links.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the multiple corresponding resource links includes:

a first link selectable to subscribe to wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point; and

a second link selectable by existing subscribers of the particular service provider to utilize the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point, the wireless network services including access to a remote network.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein selection of the first link in a request to establish a wireless communication link using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is attempting to subscribe to the wireless network services.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein selection of the second link in a request to associate the communication device with the wireless access point using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is a pre-existing subscriber attempting to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

5. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request from the communication device to establish a wireless communication link between the communication device and the wireless access point based on the wireless network identifier, the request including selection of the first link indicating that a user of the communication device requests to subscribe to the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider; and

in response to receiving the request, initiating communications with an authentication server to provide the user of the communication device access to a remote server resource as specified by the first link to sign up for the wireless network services.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein initiating communications with the authentication server includes:

providing notification to the authentication server that the user of the communication device is not yet a subscriber of the particular service provider; and

receiving authorization from the authentication server to temporarily provide the communication device access over the wireless communication link to the remote server resource as specified by the first link, the remote server resource accessible by the user to sign up for wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

subsequent to the user communicating with the remote server resource to sign up to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider, receiving a message from the user to communicate with a second server resource as specified by the second link; and

in response to receiving the message, authorizing the user to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the wireless network identifier is an SSID assigned to the particular service provider.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the wireless notification to include service provider information associated with the wireless access point, the service provider information indicating identities of multiple service providers including the particular service provider that support communications through the wireless access point.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein the wireless network identifier enables the communication device to establish a connection with the wireless access point and:

i) register with the multiple service providers and ii) subsequent to registering, use subscription services supported by the multiple service providers.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the wireless network identifier is an SSID.

12. A method comprising:

via computer processor hardware in a user-operated communication device;

receiving a wireless notification from a wireless access point in a wireless network environment, the wireless notification indicating;

i) a wireless network identifier in which to establish a wireless connection with the wireless access point, and ii) multiple corresponding selectable connection options associated with the wireless network identifier;

initiating association and establishment of a wireless communication link with the wireless access point using the wireless network identifier; and

communicating selection of an option amongst the multiple corresponding selectable connection options to the wireless access point.

13. The method as in claim 12 further comprising:

communicating the selected option to the wireless access point during association of the user-operated communication device with the wireless access point.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the multiple corresponding selectable connection options are multiple resource links including:

a first link selectable to subscribe to wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point; and

a second link selectable by existing subscribers of the particular service provider to utilize wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point, the wireless network services including access to a remote network.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein selection of the first link in association with a request to establish a wireless communication link using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is attempting to communicate with an on-line sign server resource to subscribe to the wireless network services.

16. The method as in claim 14, wherein selection of the second link in association with a request to establish a wireless communication link using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is a pre-existing subscriber attempting to use the wireless network services provided by the service provider.

17. The method as in claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting a request from the user-operated communication device to the wireless access point to establish a wireless communication link between the communication device and the wireless access point based on the wireless network identifier, the request including selection of the selected option indicating that the user of the communication device would like to sign up for use of the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

18. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving temporary authorization to communicate with a sign-up server resource as specified by the first link; and

receiving credentials from the sign-up server resource enabling subsequent use of the second link to access a remote network via a wireless communication link established via the wireless network identifier.

19. A method comprising:

via computer processor hardware in a wireless access point operating in a wireless network;

transmitting a first notification indicating a wireless network identifier assigned to a particular service provider the wireless access point;

transmitting a second notification, the second notification;

i) indicating wireless network identities of multiple service providers providing access through the wireless access point, and ii) notifying the communication device to use the wireless network identifier assigned to the wireless access point to sign up for use of a services provided by the particular service provider.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a query from a communication device requesting service provider information indicating the identities of the multiple service providers that provide access through the wireless access point; and

transmitting the second notification in response to receiving the query.

21. The method as in claim 19, wherein the first notification indicates to the communication device that the wireless access point supports use of the wireless access point by subscribers of the multiple different service providers.

22. A system comprising:

computer processor hardware; and

a hardware storage resource coupled to communicate with the computer processor hardware, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to perform operations of;

receiving configuration information assigned to a particular service provider, the configuration information including;

i) a wireless network identifier in which to establish a wireless connection with the wireless access point, and ii) multiple resource links assigned to the particular service provider for use over a wireless link established using the wireless network identifier; and

from the wireless access point, transmitting a wireless notification to a communication device, the wireless notification indicating;

i) the wireless network identifier, and ii) the multiple corresponding resource links.

23. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein the multiple corresponding resource links includes:

a first link selectable to subscribe to wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point; and

a second link selectable by existing subscribers of the particular service provider to utilize the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider through the wireless access point, the wireless network services including access to a remote network.

24. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein selection of the first link in a request to establish a wireless communication link using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is attempting to subscribe to the wireless network services.

25. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein selection of the second link in a request to associate the communication device with the wireless access point using the wireless network identifier indicates that a user of the communication device is a pre-existing subscriber attempting to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

26. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

receiving a request from the communication device to establish a wireless communication link between the communication device and the wireless access point based on the wireless network identifier, the request including selection of the first link indicating that a user of the communication device requests to subscribe to the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider; and

in response to receiving the request, initiating communications with an authentication server to provide the user of the communication device access to a remote server resource as specified by the first link to sign up for the wireless network services.

27. The computer system as in claim 26, wherein initiating communications with the authentication server includes:

providing notification to the authentication server that the user of the communication device is not yet a subscriber of the particular service provider; and

receiving authorization from the authentication server to temporarily provide the communication device access over the wireless communication link to the remote server resource as specified by the first link, the remote server resource accessible by the user to sign up for wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

28. The computer system as in claim 27, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

subsequent to the user communicating with the remote server resource to sign up to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider, receiving a message from the user to communicate with a second server resource as specified by the second link; and

in response to receiving the message, authorizing the user to use the wireless network services provided by the particular service provider.

29. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein the wireless network identifier is an SSID assigned to the particular service provider.

30. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

transmitting the wireless notification to include service provider information associated with the wireless access point, the service provider information indicating identities of multiple service providers including the particular service provider that support communications through the wireless access point.

31. The computer system as in claim 30, wherein the wireless network identifier enables the communication device to perform association with the wireless access point and:

i) register with the multiple service providers and ii) subsequent to registering, use subscription services supported by the multiple service providers.

32. Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causing the computer processor hardware to perform operations of:

receiving configuration information assigned to a particular service provider, the configuration information including;

i) a wireless network identifier in which to establish a wireless connection with a wireless access point, and ii) multiple resource links assigned to the particular service provider for use over a wireless link established using the wireless network identifier; and

from the wireless access point, transmitting a wireless notification to a communication device, the wireless notification indicating;

i) the wireless network identifier, and ii) the multiple corresponding resource links.