System and method for informing that user is in or not in wireless LAN service

• US 7,957,353 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sashihara, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Jianye
• Application Number:
  US10/644,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,847 Days
• Field of Search: 370/332, 370/350, 370/432, 370/322, 370/236, 370/252, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.2, 455/432.1, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/79 Radio fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A preset data storing means 108 stores identification data of the user'"'"'s own subscribed hot spot data and identification data of a hot spot dealer in roaming contract relation to the own hot spot dealer. A wireless communication means 107 obtains the electric field intensity of a channel as a subject of survey and identification data of a dealer. A means functions, when the obtained identification data is identical with the identification data user'"'"'s own subscribed hot spot dealer as stored in the preset data storing means, to display on a display means 105 that the obtained identification data is the identification data of the user'"'"'s own subscribed hot spot dealer such that the user can understand the displayed content at a glance, and when the obtained data fails to be identical with the roaming contract relation hot spot dealer, to display on the display means 105 that the obtained electric field intensity is that of the roaming contract relation dealer such that the user can understand the displayed content at a glance.

Claims

1. A system for providing information of a hot spot dealer that provides service for a user in a wireless LAN service area, comprising:

a preset data storing means for storing identification data of the hot spot dealer, which is a first service provider to which the user is subscribed to, or a second service provider in roaming contract relation to the first service provider, the identification data of each of the first and second service providers includes a unique identification code which is the same for all users;

a wireless communication means for obtaining the electric field intensity and the identification code of the hot spot dealer,

and for checking whether the obtained identification code is identical with the identification code of the first service provider or the second service provider; and

a display means that includes;

a light-emitting means; and

a control means for causing the light-emitting means to emit informing light in a first color if the hot spot dealer is the first service provider and in a second color different from the first color if the hot spot dealer is the second service provider; and

wherein a network congestion degree is displayed on the display means by a flickering cycle of the light-emitting means.

2. The system according to claim 1, which further comprises a means for collecting data link layer level protocol data, obtaining the network congestion degree in the service area and outputting the obtained network congestion degree to the display means.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the

the network congestion degree is displayed by the control means controlling the flickering cycle of the light-emitting means according to the network congestion degree.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein wireless LAN ESS (extended service set) ID is used as the identification code of the hot spot dealer.

5. The system according to claim 1,

which further comprises an agent authentication means set by the first service provider and the second service provider;

and

in which;

at the user side terminal, data concerning the agent authentication means of the first service provider and the second service provider and data necessary for these authentications are preliminarily stored in the preset data storing means;

the agent authentication means carries out authentication by using data preset by the user; and

when the agent authentication means has carried out authentication successfully, data indicative of that the pertinent service area is that of the successfully authenticated service provider is outputted to the display means for display.

6. The system according to claim 1, which further comprises a means for deciding, when a check is made as to whether the obtained identification code is identical with the identification code of the first service provider as stored in the preset data storing means, that the obtained identification data and the identification data stored in the preset data storing means are identical when the two data are not perfectly identical but partly identical.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising authentication means for performing an authentication of the first service provider or the second service provider, the authentication being performed using data preset by the user, whereby the authentication means outputs an indication on the display of the display means as to whether or not the authentication was successful.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the network congestion degree is obtained by measuring reliability of reception of an acknowledged (ACK) frame that is transmitted by an access point, or by measuring frequency of reception of a Clear to Send (CTS) frame that is transmitted by the access point, and wherein the network congestion degree is displayed on the display means having one of a plurality of colors for providing an indication of a level of congestion among a plurality of levels of congestion.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system is a Carrier Sense Multiple Access System, and wherein the network congestion degree is obtained by periodically measuring a carrier sense function, and wherein the network congestion degree is displayed on the display means having one of a plurality of colors for providing an indication of a level of congestion among a plurality of levels of congestion.

8. A method of providing information of a hot spot dealer that provides service for a user in a wireless LAN service area, comprising:

a step of storing, in a preset data storing means, identification data of the hot spot dealer, which is a first service provider to which the user is subscribed to, or a second service provider in roaming contract relation to the first service provider;

a step executed by a wireless communication means to obtain the electric field intensity and a identification code of the hot spot dealer, and to check whether the obtained identification code is the identification code of the first service provider or the second service provider;

a step of displaying, on a light-emitting means of a display means, a network congestion degree by controlling a flickering cycle of the light-emitting means according to the network congestion degree,

wherein the identification data of each of the first and second service providers includes the unique identification code which is the same for all users,

wherein the light-emitting means of the display means is controlled to emit light in a first color if the hot spot dealer is the first service provider and in a second color different from the first color if the hot spot dealer is the second service provider.

9. The method according to claim 8, which comprises a step of collecting data link layer level protocol data, and obtaining the network congestion degree of the service area based on the data link layer level protocol data.

10. The method according to claim 8, which comprises a step of collecting data link layer level protocol data, and obtaining the network congestion degree of the service area based on the data link layer level protocol data.

11. The method for according to claim 8, wherein wireless LAN ESS (Extended Service Set) ID is used as the identification code of the hot spot dealer.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network congestion degree is obtained by measuring reliability of reception of an acknowledged (ACK) frame that is transmitted by an access point, or by measuring frequency of reception of a Clear to Send (CTS) frame that is transmitted by the access point, and wherein the network congestion degree is displayed on the display having one of a plurality of colors for providing an indication of a level of congestion among a plurality of levels of congestion.