Minimal effort network subscriber registration

• US 8,667,148 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: netblazr, Inc. (GiGstreem LLC)
• Original Assignee: netblazr, Inc. (GiGstreem LLC)
• Inventors: Turner, R. Brough
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOWA, TIMOTHY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US13/252,715
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2872 Termination of subscriber connections

Abstract

An alternate access mechanism provides reduced cost Internet access using a streamlined sign-on procedure. The alternate access mechanism employs a specialized access medium including an array of nodes interconnected back to a trunk line access point. The trunk line access point allows greatly reduced cost because of competitive access to the Internet backbone. The interconnected nodes include readily available components, such as wireless routers, microwave radios, and routers, and/or integrated versions thereof which leverage close proximity to adjacent nodes for establishing a path back to the trunk line access point. Subscriber access is facilitated by a “one click” or “minimal click” sign on sequence by startup logic encoded in the components and through a web service for identifying the nearest adjacent node, establishing communication with the adjacent node via an access token such as an SSID, automatically reconfiguring the subscriber'"'"'s newly connected node and reestablishing a traffic connection, all following user assent to the sign-on conditions.

Claims

1. A method of enrolling subscribers for a network service comprising:

identifying an available SSID for a wireless connection;

associating a user device with a remote server to initiate a session based on the identified SSID;

receiving, via the initiated session, a discovery script for identifying at least one network identifier corresponding to the associated user device and at least one intervening node operable as a relay node for downstream access points;

reporting, via the discovery script, the identified network identifiers corresponding to the association between the user device, the intervening node and the remote server;

probing each of the nodes corresponding to the reported network identifiers to determine compatibility with the remote server;

receiving a confirmation to affiliate the associated user device with a network service provided by the remote server;

based on the confirmation, receiving, via the initiated session, a login sequence for a login into the user device, and establishing an operational session to supersede the initiated session; and

executing, during the establishment of the operational session, a remote login from the remote server for reconfiguring the user device and the intervening node, via accepting the remote login, to provide the network service to the user device and for configuring the identified intervening node for operation as a relay node for relaying the service to downstream network nodes while maintaining the appearance of a continuous session on a user browsing device while the initiated session is disconnected and an operational SSID is invoked for association to the remote server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the discovery script from the remote server for maintaining an appearance of a continuous session during termination of the initiated session and reestablishing a connection via the operational session.

3. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a series of encoded instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of enrolling subscribers for a network service comprising:

scanning for an initialization token;

employing the initialization token to establish a first session and identify an operational token;

receiving, via the first session, a discovery script for identifying at least one node defining newly connected equipment and associated with the initialization token and transmitting the network identity of the identified node for enabling a remote login to establish a second session;

confirming, via the remote login to the identified node, compatibility with a remote server providing a network service;

presenting, based on the discovery script, an interface for receiving a selection to invoke the network service;

based on the received selection, accepting a login from the remote server for configuring the identified node for operation as a relay node for downstream nodes in the network service and for receiving the network service via the second session; and

employing the initialization token and the discovery script to maintain an appearance of a continuous session while disconnecting the subscriber from the established first session and accepting the remote login for reassigning the subscriber to the second session based on the operational token.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein scanning further comprises:

invoking startup logic for identifying the initialization token, the initialization token being an SSID for wireless communication according to an established protocol; and

identifying, via the SSID, a predetermined URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for receiving the discovery script, the discovery script further including an initialization script for providing a continuous display of preloaded screens.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second session is an operational session based on an authenticated SSID, the operational session being a secure session.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising identifying, based on the initialization script, a user device and corresponding nodes for receiving the network service, the corresponding nodes including intervening devices between the user device and the remote server employed in providing the network services from the remote server.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising performing initial startup behavior including:

connecting to a predetermined URL for receiving the discovery script;

invoking the discovery script; and

performing a traceroute for identifying a network address of the newly connected equipment.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the traceroute includes sending a series of traceroute messages with an increasing time to live for identifying network elements connected between the newly connected equipment and the predetermined URL.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a login request for the identified network address from the remote server to log into the user device;

displaying preloaded screens for maintaining the appearance of a continuous session;

disconnecting from the first session such that connectivity is temporarily lost;

reconfiguring the connected node using the identity of the identified at least one node as intervening nodes; and

reestablishing connectivity using the second token for providing the user with controlled access.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein reconfiguration of the user device further comprises:

using the discovered identity of the user device for updating firmware for the discovered node, further including updating other nodes identified by the discovery script; and

configuring the updated node for communication via the network service and for extending the network service to downstream nodes employing the network service.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) associated with the remote server for establishing the first session.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining, based on the scanning, if the initialization token is available for establishing the first session, and if not, receiving a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the remote server from a user interface.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising, in response to scanning for the initialization token, receiving a set of available initialization tokens visible to the user device;

selecting, from a list of the available initialization tokens, an initialization token corresponding to the newly connected equipment for receiving the network service; and

replacing a current wireless access point employed by the user device with the identity of the newly connected equipment for providing wireless access to the user device.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising establishing a physical connection between the user device and the newly added node for receiving the network service;

and overriding preferential treatment for wired external connections for simultaneously employing the newly connected cable and the existing wireless access point.

21. The method of claim 3 wherein the login is received from the server into the remote user/relay node for establishing the new node as an operational switching and access node responsive to downstream traffic, in addition to operating as an access point.

22. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

probing discovered intervening nodes for determining a network identifier of the probed intervening node; and

based on the determined network identifier, testing a factory default login sequence for identifying the intervening node.

23. The method of claim 3 further comprising sending, upon a successful login to the intervening node based on a preconfigured default login setting, the discovery script from the remote server for configuring the intervening node, the discovery script sent based upon a single button activation on the continuous session rendered to the user.

15. An access device for enrolling subscribers for a network service comprising:

an antenna for scanning for an initialization token;

a radio having startup logic for employing the initialization token to establish a first session and identify an operational token; and

a network interface coupled to the radio for receiving, via the first session, a discovery script for identifying at least one node associated with the initialization token and transmitting a network identity of the identified node for enabling a remote login to establish a second session, the startup logic further configured to;

confirm, via the remote login to the identified nodes, compatibility with a remote server providing a network service;

present, based on the discovery script, an interface for receiving a selection to invoke the network service;

based on the received selection, accept a login from the remote server for configuring the identified node for operation as a relay node for downstream nodes in the network service and for receiving the network service via the second session; and

employ the initialization token and the discovery script to maintain an appearance of a continuous session while disconnecting the subscriber from the established first session and reassigning the subscriber to the second session based on the operational token.

16. The access device of claim 15 further comprising a connection to a user device, the user device responsive to the discovery script to:

confirm, via the remote login to the identified nodes, compatibility with a remote server providing a network service;

present, based on the discovery script, an interface for receiving a selection to invoke the network service; and

based on the received selection, accept a login from the remote server for configuring the identified node for receiving the network service via the second session.

17. The access device of claim 16 wherein the startup logic is further configured to

identify the initialization token, the initialization token being an SSID for wireless communication according to an established protocol;

and

identify, via the SSID, a predetermined URL for receiving the discovery script, the discovery script further including an initialization script for providing a continuous display of preloaded screens.

18. The access device of claim 15 wherein the user device is responsive to the discovery script to identify, based on the initialization script, the user device and corresponding nodes for receiving the network service, the corresponding nodes including intervening nodes between the user device and the remote server employed in providing the network services from the remote server.

19. The access device of claim 18 wherein the user device is further configured to invoke the access device to performing initial startup behavior including:

connecting to a predetermined URL for receiving the discovery script;

invoking the discovery script; and

performing a traceroute for identifying a network address of the newly connected equipment, the traceroute including sending a series of traceroute messages with an increasing time to live for identifying network elements connected between the newly connected equipment and the predetermined URL.

20. The access device of claim 15 wherein the user device is further configured to

receive a login request for the identified network address from the remote server to log into the user device;

display preloaded screens for maintaining the appearance of a continuous session;

disconnect from the first session such that connectivity is temporarily lost;

reconfigure the connected node using the identity of the identified elements as intervening nodes; and

reestablish connectivity using the second token for providing the user with controlled access.