Method and system to customize and update a network connection application for distribution to multiple end-users

• US 7,191,239 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Channel IP BV
• Original Assignee: Ipass Incorporated (Pareteum Corp.)
• Inventors: Sunder, Singam, Rozenfeld, Alla, Bui, Tuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, ASHOKKUMAR B
• Application Number:
  US09/921,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/250, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method to manage a customized network connection application includes generating plurality of input interfaces to receive customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application. The customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application is received via the plurality of input interfaces. The customization information is then stored as a profile associated with the customized network connection application. The customized network connection application is automatically generated utilizing the profile, and distributed to at least one recipient.

Claims

1. A method to manage a customized network connection application, the method comprising:

receiving, at a customization system, customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application, where the customization information is received from a customer of the customization system via a plurality of input interfaces;

storing the customization information as a profile associated with the customized network connection application;

generating, utilizing the profile, the customized network connection application;

distributing the customized network connection application to end-users associated with the customer, wherein the customer is configured to provide Internet access to the end-users using the customized network connection application;

subsequent to the distribution of the customized network connection application, receiving further customization information indicating a modification to the profile associated with the customized network connection application;

updating the customized network application in accordance with the modification to the profile; and

distributing the updated customized network connection application to the end-users associated with the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized network connection application is distributed as a self-installing executable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input interfaces include a plurality of markup language documents, the method further comprising,

communicating the plurality of markup language documents to a computer system accessed by the customer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes pricing information indicating whether the customized network connection application displays a connection price associated with at least one network connection point accessible utilizing the customized network connection application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pricing information specifies a currency in which the connection price is displayed by the customized network connection application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pricing information specifies a conversion rate to be applied when the connection price is displayed in the specified currency.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the connection price is based on a basic connection price specified in a pricing plan associated with the customer and negotiated between the customer and a network access provider.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes network access point information identifying a plurality of network access points to which the customized network connection application is authorized to establish a network connection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the network access point information includes Point of Presence (POP) information identifying at least one Point of Presence.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the Point of Presence information includes any one of a group of information items including a country identifier, a region identifier, a city identifier, an area identifier, a telephone number, a maximum connection speed, and price information indicating a price for accessing the at least one Point of Presence.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized network connection application is authorized to use any one of a collection of network access points to establish a network connection, and wherein the customization information includes update information indicating whether the customized network connection application is to update the collection of network access points.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the collection of network access points includes a collection of Points of Presence (POPs).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes session limit information indicating a limited amount of time for which a network connection may be established utilizing the customized network connection application.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes connection mode information indicating a mode by which the customized network connection application establishes a network connection.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the connection mode information indicates any one of a group of connection modes including a modem connection, an ISDN connection, a wireless broadband connection, and a wired broadband connection.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes a logo to be displayed by an interface of the customized network connection application.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes post-connect action information identifying at least one action to be performed subsequent to establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes pre-connect action information identifying at least one action to be performed prior to establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes error action information identifying at least one action to be performed upon occurrence of an error in an establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes disconnect action information identifying at least one action to be performed upon disconnect of a network connection established by the customized network connection application.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes phonebook information identifying at least one phonebook providing a markup on a basic connection price charged by a network access provider, and to be included in a total connection price to be charged to an end-user of the customized network connection application.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the markup is expressed as a percentage of the basic connection price.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the total connection price includes a sum of the basic connection price, and wherein and the markup is displayed to the end-user via an interface of the customized network connection application.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes network access point filter information providing criteria to filter network access points that are accessible utilizing the customized network connection application.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the criteria include any one of a group of criteria including a country, a state, a city, a phone number, a connection speed, an access type and a price.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization information includes pricing rule information specifying a pricing rule to be applied to network connection points within at least one country.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the pricing rule specifies a markup percentage to a connection price charged by a network access provider for access in the at least one country.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the pricing rule specifies a range price rule that utilizes a basic connection price charged by a network access provider for access in the at least one country.

29. A customization system to manage a customized network connection application, the system including:

a customization tool to receive customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application, the customization tool to receive the customization information via a plurality of input interfaces, the customization tool to receive the customization information from a customer of the customization system, the customization tool to receive further customization information indicating a modification to the profile associated with the customized network connection application from a plurality of end-users associated with the customer;

a database to store the customization information as a profile associated with the customized network connection application; and

a build server to generate, utilizing the profile, the customized network connection application and to distribute the customized network connection application to the plurality of end-users associated with the customer wherein the customer is configured to provide Internet access to the end-users using the customized network connection application, the build server to generate an updated customized network application in accordance with the modification to the profile, and to distribute the updated customized network connection application to the end-users.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the customized network connection application is to be distributed as a self-installing executable.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the plurality of input interfaces include a plurality of markup language documents, and wherein the customization tool is further to communicate the plurality of markup language documents to a computer system accessed by the customer.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes pricing information indicating whether the customized network connection application displays a connection price associated with at least one network connection point accessible utilizing the customized network connection application.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the pricing information specifies a currency in which the connection price is displayed by the customized network connection application.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the pricing information specifies a conversion rate to be applied when the connection price is displayed in the specified currency.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the connection price is based on a basic connection price specified in a pricing plan associated with the customer and negotiated between the customer and a network access provider.

36. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes network access point information identifying a plurality of network access points to which the customized network connection application is authorized to establish a network connection.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the network access point information includes Point of Presence (POP) information identifying at least one Point of Presence.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the Point of Presence information includes any one of a group of information items including a country identifier, a region identifier, a city identifier, an area identifier, a telephone number, a maximum connection speed, and price information indicating a price for accessing the at least one Point of Presence.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein the build server is to generate the network connection application as authorized to use any one of a collection of network access points to establish a network connection, and wherein the customization information includes update information indicating whether the customized network connection application is automatically to update the collection of network access points.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the collection of network access points includes a collection of Points of Presence (POPs).

41. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes session limit information indicating a limited amount of time for which a network connection may be established utilizing the customized network connection application.

42. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes connection mode information indicating a mode by which the customized network connection application establishes a network connection.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the connection mode information indicates any one of a group of connection modes including a modem connection, an ISDN connection, a wireless broadband connection, and a wired broadband connection.

44. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes a logo to be displayed by an interface of the customized network connection application.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes post-connect action information identifying at least one action to be performed subsequent to establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

46. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes pre-connect action information identifying at least one action to be performed prior to establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

47. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes error action information identifying at least one action to be performed upon occurrence of an error in an establishment of a network connection by the customized network connection application.

48. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes disconnect action information identifying at least one action to be performed upon disconnect of a network connection established by the customized network connection application.

49. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes phonebook information identifying at least one phonebook providing a markup on a basic connection price charged by a network access provider, and to be included in a total connection price to be charged to an end-user of the customized network connection application.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the markup is expressed as a percentage of the basic connection price.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein the total connection price comprising a sum of the basic connection price and the markup is displayed to the end-user via an interface of the customized network connection application.

52. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes network access point filter information providing criteria to filter network access points that are accessible utilizing the customized network connection application.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the criteria include any one of a group of criteria including a country, a state, a city, a phone number, a connection speed, an access type and a price.

54. The system of claim 29 wherein the customization information includes pricing rule information specifying a pricing rule to be applied to network connection points within at least one country.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the pricing rule specifies a markup percentage to a connection price charged by a network access provider for access in the at least one country.

56. The system of claim 54 wherein the pricing rule specifies a range price rule that utilizes a basic connection price charged by a network access provider for access in the at least one country.

57. A system to manage a customized network connection application, he system including:

means for receiving, at a customization system, customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application, the customization information originating from a customer of the customization system and arriving via a plurality of input interfaces;

means for storing the customization information as a profile associated with the customized network connection application;

means for generating utilizing the profile, the customized network connection application;

means for distributing the customized network connection application to end-users associated with the customer wherein the customer is configured to provide Internet access to the end-users using the customized network connection application;

means for, subsequent to the distribution of the customized network connection application, receiving further customization information indicating a modification to the profile associated with the customized network connection application;

means is for generating an updated customized network application in accordance with the modification to the profile; and

means is for distributing the updated customized network connection application to the end-users.

58. A machine-readable storage medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method to manage a customized network connection application, the method comprising:

receiving, at a customization system, customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application, the customization information received from a customer of the customization system via the plurality of input interfaces;

storing the customization information as a profile associated with the customized network connection application;

generating, utilizing the profile, the customized network connection application;

distributing the customized network connection application to end-users associated with the customer, wherein the customer is configured to provide Internet access to the end-users using the customized network connection application;

receiving, subsequent to the distribution of the customized network connection application, further customization information indicating a modification to the profile associated with the customized network connection application;

generating an updated customized network application in accordance with the modification to the profile; and

distributing the updated customized network connection application to the end-users.