Method and system to provide internet access to users via non-home service providers
First Claim
1. A method for connecting a user to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), said method comprising the steps of:
- establishing a phone connection between the user and a server of the non-home ISP;
sending over the phone connection first login information from the user to the server of the non-home ISP;
launching, by the non-home ISP'"'"'s server, a Remote Access Control (RAC) task exclusively if the first login information is valid;
sending over the phone connection from the server to the user a request by the RAC task for second login information;
sending over the phone connection from the user to the server the second login information so that the RAC task causes the non-home ISP to send a validation request including the second login information to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP;
determining by the Coordinator whether the second login data is valid and sending from the Coordinator to the non-home ISP a validation acknowledgement indicating whether the second login information is valid; and
if the validation acknowledgement received by the non-home ISP indicates the second login information is valid, granting the user access by the RAC task to the Internet via the non-home ISP, otherwise, terminating the phone connection between the non-home ISP'"'"'s server and the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system capable of granting Internet access to users when direct connection to their usual home Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is impossible, impractical or prohibitively expensive. The system offers users a unified method of login to other independent ISPs to provide easy and inexpensive access to the Internet and its various services. The system validates user logins, generates billing data, provides usage time and monitors communication links. The system also isolates the shells of the servers of the ISPs from the user until such time as the user has been determined to be valid, thereby providing security to the ISPs against unauthorized access to their servers. The system performs these tasks while requiring only a small amount of communication bandwidth for communication monitoring and billing.
164 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for connecting a user to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), said method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a phone connection between the user and a server of the non-home ISP; sending over the phone connection first login information from the user to the server of the non-home ISP; launching, by the non-home ISP'"'"'s server, a Remote Access Control (RAC) task exclusively if the first login information is valid; sending over the phone connection from the server to the user a request by the RAC task for second login information; sending over the phone connection from the user to the server the second login information so that the RAC task causes the non-home ISP to send a validation request including the second login information to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP; determining by the Coordinator whether the second login data is valid and sending from the Coordinator to the non-home ISP a validation acknowledgement indicating whether the second login information is valid; and if the validation acknowledgement received by the non-home ISP indicates the second login information is valid, granting the user access by the RAC task to the Internet via the non-home ISP, otherwise, terminating the phone connection between the non-home ISP'"'"'s server and the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for connecting a user to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), said method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a phone connection between the user and a server of the non-home ISP; sending over the phone connection login information from the user to the server of the non-home ISP; launching, by the non-home ISP'"'"'s server, of a Remote Access Controller (RAC) task exclusively if the login information is valid, the RAC task causing the non-home ISP'"'"'s server to send a validation request including the login information to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP; determining by the Coordinator whether the login data is valid and sending from the Coordinator to the non-home ISP a validation acknowledgement indicating whether the login information is valid; if the validation acknowledgement received by the non-home ISP indicates the login information is valid, granting the user access by the RAC task to the Internet via the non-home ISP, otherwise, terminating the phone connection between the non-home ISP'"'"'s server and the user. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A system for providing a user access to the Internet, comprising:
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a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), each ISP being capable of a phone connection to the user and having a server for (1) receiving first login information from the user over the phone connection, (2) launching an RAC task exclusively if the first login information is valid, (3) sending over the phone connection to the user a request by the RAC task for second login information, (4) receiving over the phone connection from the user the second login information and (5) sending a validation request including the second login information; and a Coordinator, capable of being communicatively connected to each ISP, for (1) receiving the validation request from the server sending the validation request, (2) determining whether the second login information is valid and (3) sending to the sending server a validation acknowledgement indicating whether the second login information is valid, wherein if the validation acknowledgement indicates the second login information is valid, the RAC task of the sending server grants the user access to the Internet via the corresponding ISP, and if not valid, the sending server terminates the phone connection to the user.
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21. A system for providing a user access to the Internet, comprising:
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a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), each ISP being capable of a phone connection to the user and having a server for (1) receiving login information from the user over the phone connection, (2) launching an RAC task exclusively if the login information is valid, (3) sending a validation request including the login information; and a Coordinator, capable of being communicatively connected to each ISP, for (1) receiving the validation request from the server sending the validation request, (2) determining whether the login information is valid and (3) sending to the sending server a validation acknowledgement indicating whether the login information is valid, wherein if the validation acknowledgement indicates the login information is valid, the RAC task of the sending server grants the user access to the Internet via the corresponding ISP, and if not valid, the sending server terminates the phone connection to the user.
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22. A storage medium storing a computer readable program which when executed causes a user'"'"'s computer to perform a method of connecting the user'"'"'s computer to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), said method comprising the step of:
sending over a phone connection, established between the user'"'"'s computer and a server of the non-home ISP, login information to the server of the non-home ISP, thereby causing the non-home ISP'"'"'s server to launch a Remote Access Control (RAC) task exclusively if the login information is valid, and further causing the RAC task of the non-home ISP to send a validation request, including the login information, to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP, the Coordinator then determining whether the login data is valid and sending to the RAC task of the non-home ISP a validation acknowledgement confirming the validity of the login information, in turn causing the RAC task to grant the user'"'"'s computer access to the Internet via the non-home ISP.
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23. A storage medium storing a computer readable program which when executed causes a user'"'"'s computer to perform a method of connecting the user'"'"'s computer to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), said method comprising the steps of:
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sending over a phone connection, established between the user'"'"'s computer and a server of the non-home ISP, first login information to the server of the non-home ISP, thereby causing the non-home ISP'"'"'s server to launch a Remote Access Control (RAC) task exclusively if the first login information is valid; receiving over the phone connection from the server a request by the RAC task for second login information; and sending over the phone connection to the server the second login information, thereby causing the RAC task of the non-home ISP to send a validation request, including the second login information, to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP, the Coordinator then determining whether the second login data is valid and sending to the RAC task of the non-home ISP a validation acknowledgement confirming the validity of the second login information, in turn causing the RAC task to grant the user'"'"'s computer access to the Internet via the non-home ISP.
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24. A storage medium storing a computer readable program which when executed causes a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP)'"'"'s server to perform a method of connecting a user'"'"'s computer to the Internet via the non-home ISP, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving over a phone connection, established between the user'"'"'s computer and the server of the non-home ISP, login information from the user'"'"'s computer; launching a Remote Access Control (RAC) task exclusively if the login information is valid; causing the RAC task to send a validation request, including the login information, to a Coordinator communicatively connected to the non-home ISP, the Coordinator then determining whether the login data is valid; receiving from the Coordinator a validation acknowledgement confirming the validity of the login information; and causing the RAC task to grant the user'"'"'s computer access to the Internet via the non-home ISP.
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25. A storage medium storing a computer readable program which when executed causes a Coordinator'"'"'s computer to perform a method of validating login information used for connecting a user'"'"'s computer to the Internet via a non-home Internet Service Provider (ISP), the Coordinator being communicatively connected to the non-home ISP, and the login information being sent to a server of the non-home ISP from the user'"'"'s computer over a phone connection established therebetween, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a validation request, including the login information, from a Remote Access Control (RAC) task launched by the server of the non-home ISP, the RAC task having been launched exclusively by the non-home ISP if the login information is valid; determining whether the login data is valid in response to the validation request; and sending to the RAC task a validation acknowledgement confirming the validity of the login information, thereby causing the RAC task to grant the user'"'"'s computer access to the Internet via the non-home ISP.
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Specification