Communications network connection system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A client system for communicating with an electronic communication network via a server system, the client system comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU);
volatile working memory associated with said CPU;
a communications interface coupled to said CPU and volatile working memory; and
client software coupled to said CPU, volatile working memory, and communications interface, said client system being configured to;
if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully;
offer a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system;
receive from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and
determining whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication;
specify a billing preference, said billing preference chosen from a predefined set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment;
transmit said billing preference to the server system;
receive a billing approve/reject signal from the server system;
accessing the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said receiving; and
conduct two-way communications with the electronic communications network via the server system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for remotely connecting client computers to a communication network such as the Internet by way of a server system handling a plurality of client computers and having the capability of dynamically providing network connections to the client computers, separately billing usage time and tracking usage and preferably updating access software on the client computers.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A client system for communicating with an electronic communication network via a server system, the client system comprising:
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a central processing unit (CPU); volatile working memory associated with said CPU; a communications interface coupled to said CPU and volatile working memory; and client software coupled to said CPU, volatile working memory, and communications interface, said client system being configured to; if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully; offer a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receive from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determining whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; specify a billing preference, said billing preference chosen from a predefined set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; transmit said billing preference to the server system; receive a billing approve/reject signal from the server system; accessing the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said receiving; and conduct two-way communications with the electronic communications network via the server system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A server system for facilitating communications between a client system and an electronic communication network, said server system comprising:
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a processor; and software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system, said server system configured to; initiate communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; provide a set of billing options to the client system, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; receive a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; transmit a billing approve/reject signal to the client system; and grant the client system access to the electronic communications network if an approve signal is provided in said transmitting; and interface two-way communication between the electronic communications network and the client system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A server system for facilitating communications between a client system and an electronic communication network, said server system comprising:
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a processor; and software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system, said server system configured to; initiate communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; provide a set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; receive a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; send an approval inquiry to a remote approval system; send a temporary approval signal to the client system before an approval signal is received from the remote approval system and provide the client system with temporary access to the electronic communications network; and conduct two-way communications between the electronic communications network and the client system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing communication among a client system, server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system including a Central Processor Unit (CPU), volatile working memory associated with the CPU, and a communications interface, the client system further running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running server software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the electronic communications network, the method comprising:
if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully; offering a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receiving from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determining whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; specifying a billing preference, said billing preference chosen from a predefined set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; transmitting said billing preference to the server system; receiving a billing approve/reject signal from the server system; accessing the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said receiving; and conducting two-way communications with the electronic communications network via the server system.
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21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing communication among a client system, a server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system through an electronic communications network, the method comprising:
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initiating communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; providing a set of billing options to the client system, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; receiving a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; transmitting a billing approve/reject signal to the client system; providing the client system with access to the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said transmitting; and conducting two-way communication between the electronic communications network and the client system via the server system.
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22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing communication among a client system, a server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system through an electronic communications network, the method comprising:
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initiating communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; providing a set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; receiving a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; sending an approval inquiry to a remote approval system; sending a temporary approval signal from the server system to the client system before an approval signal is received by the server system from the remote approval system and granting the client system temporary access to the electronic communications network via the server system; and conducting two-way communications between the electronic communications network and the client system via the server system.
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23. An apparatus for providing communication among a client system, server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system including a Central Processor Unit (CPU), volatile working memory associated with the CPU, and a communications interface, the client system further running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running server software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the electronic communications network, the apparatus comprising:
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means for, if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully; offering a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receiving from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determining whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; means for specifying a billing preference, said billing preference chosen from a predefined set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; means for transmitting said billing preference to the server system; means for receiving a billing approve/reject signal from the server system; means for accessing the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said receiving; and means for conducting two-way communications with the electronic communications network via the server system.
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24. An apparatus for providing communication among a client system, a server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system through an electronic communications network, the apparatus comprising:
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means for initiating communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; means for providing a set of billing options to the client system, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; means for receiving a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; means for transmitting a billing approve/reject signal to the client system; means for providing the client system with access to the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said transmitting; and means for conducting two-way communication between the electronic communications network and the client system via the server system.
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25. An apparatus for providing communication among a client system, a server system, and an electronic communications network, the client system running client software for managing the communications between the client system and the electronic communications network, the server system running software for managing communications between a plurality of client systems and the server system through an electronic communications network, the apparatus comprising:
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means for initiating communication with said client system upon said client system completing initialization wherein if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully, said client system; offers a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receives from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determines whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; means for providing a set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; means for receiving a billing preference from the client system, said billing preference chosen from said billing options; means for sending an approval inquiry to a remote approval system; means for sending a temporary approval signal from the server system to the client system before an approval signal is received by the server system from the remote approval system and granting the client system temporary access to the electronic communications network via the server system; and means for conducting two-way communications between the electronic communications network and the client system via the server system.
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Specification