System and method for registering network information strings

• US 8,335,174 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radius Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Radius Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Bradish, Stillman, Smith, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Divecha, Nishant B
• Application Number:
  US13/296,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20120294234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/310.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system and method for registering network information strings. An information string server device receives a request to register a network information string from a computing device. The network information string may be included in a message broadcast by a string broadcast station. The information string server device determines whether the network information string has been previously registered with the information string server device. The information string server device stores the network information string in a record of an information string datastore when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device. A registration acceptance message may be sent by the information string server device to the computing device when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device.

Claims

1. A method for registering a network information string comprising:

receiving at an information string server device a request to register a network information string from a computing device, wherein the network information string is selected from the group consisting of at least a portion of a network name identifier and at least a portion of a media access control (MAC) address and wherein the request comprises owner identifying information;

determining by the information string server device whether the network information string has been previously registered with the information string server device;

registering by the information string server device the network information string in association with the owner identifying information when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device;

granting by the information string server device owner rights, the owner rights limited to content stored in association with the registered network information string and wherein the owner rights comprise, a right to delete content stored in a second record associated with the registered network information string but not associated with the owner identifying information;

receiving at the information string server device a request to associate content with the network information string;

storing by the information string server device content in association with the network information string in a first record of an information string datastore when the request to associate content includes the owner identifying information associated with the registered network information string;

storing by the information string server device the content in association with the network information string in the second record of an information string datastore when the request to associate content does not include the owner identifying information associated with the registered network information string;

receiving by the information string server device a request to delete content from the second record; and

deleting by the information string server device the content from the second record in response to the request to delete content in accordance with the granted owner rights.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending by the information string server device a registration acceptance message to the computing device when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the granted owner rights further comprise a right to associate content with the registered network information string and the owner identifying information and to store the content in the first record and a right to delete content from the first record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of text, a coupon, an announcement, a menu, a news alert, a photo, directions, a command executable by the wireless station and a link to additional content on another server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network name identifier is a service set identifier (SSID).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information string comprises at least a portion of the network name identifier broadcast by a first string broadcast station, wherein the first string broadcast station comprises a MAC address and wherein the method further comprises registering the network information string in association with the MAC address of the first string broadcast station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network information string is broadcast by a second string broadcast station having a second MAC address and wherein the method further comprises registering the network information string in association with the second MAC address of the second string broadcast station.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the network name identifier is a service set identifier (SSID).

8. A system for registering a network information string comprising:

an information string server device comprising a processor configured with software instructions to cause the information string server device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to register a network information string from a computing device, wherein the network information string is selected from the group consisting of at least a portion of a network name identifier and at least a portion of a media access control (MAC) address and wherein the request comprises owner identifying;

determining whether the network information string has been previously registered with the information string server device;

registering the network information string in association with the owner identifying information when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device; and

granting owner rights, the owner rights limited to over content stored in association with the registered network information string and wherein the owner rights-comprise a right to delete content stored in a second record associated with the registered network information string but not associated with the owner identifying information;

receiving a request to associate content with the network information string;

storing by the information string server device content in association with the network information string in a first record of an information string datastore when the request to associate content includes the owner identifying information associated with the registered network information string;

storing the content in association with the network information string in the second record of an information string datastore when the request to associate content does not include the owner identifying information associated with the registered network information string;

receiving a request to delete content from the second record; and

deleting by the information string server device the content from the second record in response to the request to delete content in accordance with the granted owner rights.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured with software instructions to cause the information string server device to perform operations comprising sending a registration acceptance message to the computing device when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the granted owner rights further comprise a right to associate content with the registered network information string and the owner identifying information and to store the content in the first record and a right to delete content from the first record.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of a coupon, an announcement, a menu, a news alert, a photo, directions, a command executable by the wireless station and a link to additional content on another server.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the network information string comprises at least a portion of the network name identifier broadcast by a first string broadcast station, wherein the first string broadcast station comprises a MAC address and wherein the processor is further configured with software instructions to cause the information string server device to perform operations comprising registering the network information string in association with the MAC address of the first string broadcast station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network information string is broadcast by a second string broadcast station having a second MAC address and wherein the processor is further configured with software instructions to cause the information string server device to perform operations comprising registering the network information string in association with the second MAC address of the second string broadcast station.