Distributed wireless online access system

• US 7,657,249 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eimar M. Boesjes
• Original Assignee: Eimar M. Boesjes
• Inventors: Boesjes, Eimar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US11/298,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 455406-408, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 370/351, 370/352, 37911403-11405, 37912428-12429, 379/115.01
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method for providing wireless online access comprises: establishing a wireless access signal space wherein a wireless communications link is established between a secondary wireless unit and at least one primary wireless unit, thereby providing a corresponding secondary subscriber with online access by data packet transmission between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit; and receiving, from an online access provider, a credited revenue amount in return for providing online access for the secondary subscriber.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a primary subscriber, for providing wireless online access to a secondary subscriber, comprising:

establishing a wireless access signal space wherein a wireless communications link is established between a secondary wireless unit and at least one primary wireless unit, thereby providing a corresponding secondary subscriber with online access by data packet transmission between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit; and

receiving, from an online access provider, a credited revenue amount, which revenue amount is credited to the primary subscriber in return for providing the secondary subscriber with online access in the wireless access signal space on behalf of the online access provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising paying, to the online access provider, an access fee amount for the primary wireless unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting network data from the primary wireless unit, the credited revenue amount being based at least in part on the reported network data.

4. The method of claim 3, the credited revenue amount being based at least in part on volume of in-transit data packets received by and re-transmitted by the primary wireless unit, the volume being included in the reported network data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recruiting primary subscribers to provide online access through other primary wireless units;

or

recruiting secondary subscribers to which to provide online access through a primary wireless unit,

the credited revenue amount being based at least in part on the number of primary subscribers recruited or the number of secondary subscribers recruited.

6. The method of claim 1, the primary wireless unit also being a secondary wireless unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communications link between at least one primary wireless unit and an external communications network through a portal unit, the portal unit including:

a link to the external communications system for receiving a data packet transmitted therefrom and transmitting a data packet thereto; and

a link to at least one primary wireless unit for receiving a data packet transmitted therefrom and transmitting a data packet thereto.

8. The method of claim 7, the external communications system comprising the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7, the link to the external communications system including a wired link.

10. The method of claim 7, the link to the external communications system including a wireless link.

11. The method of claim 10, the link to the external communications network including at least one other primary wireless unit.

12. The method of claim 7, the link to the primary wireless unit comprising a wired link.

13. The method of claim 7, the link to the primary wireless unit comprising a wireless link.

14. The method of claim 13, the link to the primary unit including at least one other primary wireless unit.

15. The method of claim 1, at least one primary wireless unit being an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at the location of the primary wireless unit.

16. The method of claim 15, at least one primary wireless unit being an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

17. The method of claim 15, at least one primary wireless unit conforming to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

18. The method of claim 17, at least one secondary wireless unit conforming to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

19. The method of claim 15, at least one primary wireless unit including a directional transmitter.

20. The method of claim 15, at least one secondary wireless unit being an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at the location of the secondary wireless unit.

21. The method of claim 1, at least one primary wireless unit being a mobile wireless unit.

22. The method of claim 1, at least one secondary wireless unit being a mobile wireless unit.

23. The method of claim 3, the credited revenue amount being based at least in part on a number of other primary wireless units within the maximum transmission range of the primary wireless unit and for which the primary wireless unit is within the maximum transmission range thereof, the number of such other primary wireless units being included in the reported network data.

24. The method of claim 3, the credited revenue amount being based at least in part on a number of secondary wireless units within the maximum transmission range of the primary wireless unit and for which the primary wireless unit is within the maximum transmission range thereof, the number of such secondary units being included in the reported network data.