Method and system for providing network access and services using access codes
First Claim
1. A method for providing access to a second network comprised in a network system, wherein the network system includes one or more access points coupled to a first network, the method comprising:
- generating one or more access codes, wherein one or more access codes is associated with one or more attributes;
receiving an access code of the one or more access codes from a portable computing device coupled to a first access point of the one or more access points;
determining a current geographic location of the portable computing device, wherein at least one attribute of the one or more attributes is associated with a geographic location of validity;
determining if the access code is valid, wherein said determining if the access code is valid includes using the current geographic location of the computing device and the at least one attribute associated with a geographic location, wherein if the geographic location of the portable computing device is within an area of the geographic location of validity, then the access code is valid; and
if the access code is valid, providing access to the second network for the portable computing device, wherein said providing is based on at least one attribute of the one or more attributes, and wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to an authorization and access control system for a venue or a geographic region comprising a plurality of venues. The authorization and access control system provides one or more computing devices selective access to one or more networks and/or services available in a network communications system by distributing a substantially unique string of characters (an “access code”) to each user of a computing device. The access code can then be entered via an input device, such as a keyboard or its equivalent, of the computing device. This enables the computing device to gain access to one or more networks and/or services at a venue or in geographic region with the network communications system. Various embodiments are useful and may have several advantages in several venues, such as coffee shops, hotels, train stations, law offices, marinas, truck stops, fueling stations, restaurants, and stores, among others. Additional embodiments may be advantageous in a geographic region which may comprise a plurality of possible venues.
104 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for providing access to a second network comprised in a network system, wherein the network system includes one or more access points coupled to a first network, the method comprising:
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generating one or more access codes, wherein one or more access codes is associated with one or more attributes; receiving an access code of the one or more access codes from a portable computing device coupled to a first access point of the one or more access points; determining a current geographic location of the portable computing device, wherein at least one attribute of the one or more attributes is associated with a geographic location of validity; determining if the access code is valid, wherein said determining if the access code is valid includes using the current geographic location of the computing device and the at least one attribute associated with a geographic location, wherein if the geographic location of the portable computing device is within an area of the geographic location of validity, then the access code is valid; and if the access code is valid, providing access to the second network for the portable computing device, wherein said providing is based on at least one attribute of the one or more attributes, and wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for providing access to a second network comprised in a network system, wherein the network system includes one or more access points coupled to a first network, the method comprising:
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generating one or more access codes; receiving an access code of the one or more access codes from a portable computing device coupled to a first access point of the one or more access points; determining if the access code is valid; if the access code is valid, providing access to the second network for the computing device, wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network, wherein the first access point and the computing device communicate using wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11); wherein the first access point is operable to concurrently utilize a plurality of IEEE 802.11 service set identifications (SSIDs); wherein the access code is associated with a first IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs); wherein the portable computing device uses an IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs) of the computing device; and wherein said determining includes determining if the first IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs) matches the IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs) of the computing device, wherein if the first IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs) does not match the IEEE 802.11 service set identification (SSIDs) of the portable computing device, then the access code is not valid. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer system for providing and controlling access to a second network from a first network, the computer system comprising:
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a first network interface coupled to the first network; a second network interface coupled to the second network; a CPU; a memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the memory stores program instructions which are executable by the CPU to; receive an access code from a portable computing device coupled to the first network; determine if the access code is valid; and provide access to the second network for the portable computing device if the access code is valid, wherein providing access to the second network includes controlling access between the first network interface and the second network interface; determine a geographic location of the portable computing device; wherein at least one attribute of the one or more attributes is associated with a geographic location of validity; wherein determining if the access code is valid includes using the geographic location of the portable computing device and the at least one attribute associated with a geographic location, wherein if the geographic location of the portable computing device is within an area of the geographic location of validity, then the access code is valid; and wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A network system, comprising:
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a first network; a second network; a computer system, wherein the computer system is coupled to the first network, wherein the computer system is coupled to the second network; one or more access points coupled to the first network, wherein each of the one or more access points is operable to communicate with a computing device; wherein the computing device communicates through a first access point of the one or more access points; wherein the computer system is operable to receive an access code from the computing device, determine if the access code is valid, and provide access to the second network for the computing device if the access code is valid; wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network; wherein the access code is associated with one or more attributes; wherein the computer system is further operable to provide access or services of the second network based on at least one of the one or more attributes; wherein each attribute of a subset of attributes of the one or more attributes is associated with a service of the network; wherein the computer system is further operable to determine a geographic location of the computing device; wherein at least one attribute of the one or more attributes associated with the access code is associated with a geographic location; and wherein the computer system is further operable to provide access or services of the second network based on the geographic location of the computing device and the at least one attribute of the one or more attributes associated with the access code is associated with the geographic location. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A carrier medium comprising program instructions for providing access to a second network to a computing device coupled to a first network, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
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generating one or more access codes; receiving an access code of the one or more access codes from the computing device coupled to the first network; determining if the access code is valid; and providing access to the second network for the computing device if the access code is valid, wherein said access to the second network includes access to one or more services of the second network; wherein the access code is associated with one or more attributes; wherein said providing is based on at least one attribute of the one or more attributes; determining a geographic location of the computing device; wherein at least one attribute of the one or more attributes is associated with a geographic location of validity; and wherein said determining if the access code is valid includes using the geographic location of the computing device and the at least one attribute associated with a geographic location, wherein if the geographic location of the computing device is within an area of the geographic location of validity, then the access code is valid. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification