Intelligent auto-dialer

• US 8,312,153 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zebian, Marwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US12/710,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/228
• 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: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5691 Access to open networks; Ingress point selection, e.g. ISP selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The present invention describes an automatic dialer for determining relative rankings of network access numbers from within a group of available network access numbers known as an available NAN list, and for facilitating selection of a network access number to use for a connection from a client device to a data network. Various factors are considered in determining the rankings of the network access numbers. The factors include connection costs, quality of connection.

Claims

1. A method for maximizing qualities of a user network access number (NAN) list, the user NAN list comprising plural NANs, the NANs for use by a user'"'"'s client device in connecting to a data network under control of a server system, the method comprising

storing in the server system an available NAN list of NANs available for the client device to connect to the data network, wherein the user NAN list comprises a subset of the available NAN list

storing in the server system a quality of connection information for connecting from the NANs in the available NAN list to the data network, wherein the quality of connection information includes a capacity information and a load information for connecting from the NANs in the available NAN list to the data network

connecting the client device to the server system

updating the server system with a new quality of connection information of the client device, wherein the new quality of connection information is based on the client device using the NANs in the available NAN list to connect to the data network,

storing in the server system the new quality of connection information of the client device

setting an order for selecting the NANs in the user NAN list based upon the new quality of connection information, wherein the setting includes transmitting an identification of the NANs in the user NAN list from the client device to the server system, and further wherein the setting comprises using a primary rank, an alternate rank and a primary percentage associated with each NAN for selecting an order in the user NAN list, and

disconnecting the client device from the server system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the setting an order comprises providing a sequence list which identifies the order for using the NANs in the user NAN list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein

the NANs are for providing the client device with a connection to the data network through plural back end networks

each NAN is associated with a one of plural back end providers

each back end network is associated with one of the back end providers

a cost information is associated with one of the back end providers, and the cost information includes a cost from the back end provider for the client device to utilize

the back end network of the back end provider the back end providers permit a connection through their back end networks to the client device under the authorization of the server system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein there is a version code associated with the user NAN list for identifying a current version of the user NAN list, and the transmitting an identification comprises transmitting the version code from the client device to the server system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the transmitting an identification comprises transmitting the user NAN list from the client device to the server system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the setting an order is performed by the client device.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the setting an order is performed by the server system.

8. A system for maximizing qualities of a user network access (NAN) list, the user NAN list comprising plural NANs, the NANs for use by a user'"'"'s client device in connecting to a data network under control of a server device, the system comprising

the server device comprising

a processor

a memory

wherein the processor and the memory comprise circuits and software for

storing in the server device an available NAN list of NANs available for the client device to connect to the data network, wherein the user NAN list comprises a subset of the available NAN list

storing in the server device a quality of connection information for connecting from the NANs in the available NAN list to the data network, wherein the quality of connection information includes a capacity information and a load information for connecting from the NANs in the available NAN list to the data network

updating the server device with a new quality of connection information of the client device, wherein the new quality of connection information is based on the client device using the NANs in the available NAN list to connect to the data network,

storing in the server device the new quality of connection information of the client device

setting an order for selecting the NANs in the user NAN list based upon the new quality of connection information, wherein the setting includes transmitting an identification of the NANs in the user NAN list from the client device to the server device and further wherein the setting comprises using primary rank, an alternate rank and a primary percentage associated with each NAN for selecting an order in the user NAN list.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the setting an order comprises providing a sequence list which identifies the order for using the NANs in the user NAN list.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein

the NANs are for providing the client device with a connection to the data network through plural back end networks

each NAN is associated with a one of plural back end providers

each back end network is associated with one of the back end providers

a cost information is associated with one of the back end providers, and the cost information includes a cost from the back end provider for the client device to utilize the back end network of the back end provider

the back end providers permit a connection through their back end networks to the client device under the authorization of the server device.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein there is a version code associated with the user NAN list for identifying a current version of the user NAN list, and the transmitting an identification comprises transmitting the version code from the client device to the server device.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the transmitting an identification comprises transmitting the user NAN list from the client device to the server device.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the setting an order is performed by the client device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the setting an order is performed by the server device.