Wireless access using preexisting data connection
First Claim
1. A method implemented on at least one computing device each of which has one or more processors, storage, and communication platform connected to a network for providing network access to a customer at a place of business operated by a merchant, comprising:
- setting up a data communication link between the merchant and a wide area network to provide a service having a subscribed data transport capacity dedicated to the merchant at the place of business;
facilitating a customer of the merchant present at the place of business to utilize the dedicated service for the merchant to access, via a network access point installed at the place of business, the Internet via the data communication link;
integrating, by a router coupled to the merchant and the network access point, a first data traffic, received from the merchant, and a second data traffic, received from the customer via the network access point, to generate an integrated outgoing data traffic;
receiving, at the router, the first data traffic from the merchant;
receiving, at the router via the network access point, the second data traffic from the customer, where the first data traffic is independent of the second data traffic and the second data traffic includes data from the customer for desired content from the Internet;
assigning the first data traffic and the second data traffic with a corresponding priority based on whether data traffic is from the merchant or the customer;
combining, by the router, both the first and second data traffic to generate the integrated outgoing data traffic that is in compliant with the subscribed data transport capacity;
transmitting the integrated outgoing data traffic to the wide area network through the data communication link;
receiving, by the router, from the wide area network via the data communication link, incoming data traffic;
forwarding, by the router, a third data traffic, if present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the merchant, to the merchant; and
forwarding, by the router, a fourth data traffic, is present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the customer, to the customer via the network access point and the fourth data traffic includes the desired content for the customer, whereinthe customer and the merchant share the subscribed data transport capacity of the data communication link initially intended for the dedicated use of the merchant.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless data access is provided for customers using a preexisting merchant data connection. An access point is used to communicate wirelessly with customer-owned or merchant-provided computing devices. The preexisting data communication link includes merchant-generated traffic, such as credit card authorization transactions or corporate electronic mail. A router is configured to combine customer-generated wireless traffic with the merchant-generated traffic and to transport the combined data over the preexisting data communication link. Further features, such as protocol conversion, are also provided.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method implemented on at least one computing device each of which has one or more processors, storage, and communication platform connected to a network for providing network access to a customer at a place of business operated by a merchant, comprising:
-
setting up a data communication link between the merchant and a wide area network to provide a service having a subscribed data transport capacity dedicated to the merchant at the place of business; facilitating a customer of the merchant present at the place of business to utilize the dedicated service for the merchant to access, via a network access point installed at the place of business, the Internet via the data communication link; integrating, by a router coupled to the merchant and the network access point, a first data traffic, received from the merchant, and a second data traffic, received from the customer via the network access point, to generate an integrated outgoing data traffic; receiving, at the router, the first data traffic from the merchant; receiving, at the router via the network access point, the second data traffic from the customer, where the first data traffic is independent of the second data traffic and the second data traffic includes data from the customer for desired content from the Internet; assigning the first data traffic and the second data traffic with a corresponding priority based on whether data traffic is from the merchant or the customer; combining, by the router, both the first and second data traffic to generate the integrated outgoing data traffic that is in compliant with the subscribed data transport capacity; transmitting the integrated outgoing data traffic to the wide area network through the data communication link; receiving, by the router, from the wide area network via the data communication link, incoming data traffic; forwarding, by the router, a third data traffic, if present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the merchant, to the merchant; and forwarding, by the router, a fourth data traffic, is present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the customer, to the customer via the network access point and the fourth data traffic includes the desired content for the customer, wherein the customer and the merchant share the subscribed data transport capacity of the data communication link initially intended for the dedicated use of the merchant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 23, 25)
-
-
13. A system for providing network access to a customer at a place of business, operated by a merchant having dedicated service via a wide area network, the system comprising:
-
a data communication link configured between a merchant and the wide area network to provide the dedicated service, having a subscribed data transport capacity, to the merchant at a place of business operated by the merchant; a network access point installed at the place of business configured to facilitate a customer of the merchant present at the place of business to utilize the dedicated service for the merchant to access the Internet via the data communication link; a router, coupled to the merchant and the network access point, configured to integrate a first data traffic received from the merchant and a second data traffic received from the customer to generate an integrated outgoing data traffic wherein the router is programmed to; receive the first data traffic from the merchant, receive, via the network access point, the second data traffic from the customer, where the first data traffic is independent of the second data traffic and the second data traffic includes data from the customer for desired content from the Internet, assign the first data traffic and the second data traffic with a corresponding priority based on whether data traffic is from the merchant or the customer, combine the first and second data traffic to generate the integrated outgoing data traffic that is in compliant with the subscribed data transport capacity, transmit the integrated outgoing data traffic to the wide area network through the data communication link, receive, via the data communication link, an incoming data traffic, forward a third data traffic, if present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the merchant, to the merchant, forward a fourth data traffic, if present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the customer, to the customer via the network access point, where the fourth data traffic includes the desired content for the customer, wherein the customer and the merchant share the subscribed data transport capacity of the data communication link initially intended for the dedicated use of the merchant. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24)
-
-
26. A method implemented on at least one computing device each of which has one or more processors, storage, and communication platform connected to a network for providing network access to a customer at a place of business operated by a merchant, comprising:
-
setting up a data communication link between the merchant and a wide area network to provide a service having a subscribed data transport capacity dedicated to the merchant at the place of business; facilitating a customer of the merchant present at the place of business to utilize the dedicated service for the merchant by providing a network access point that is separate from a router and installed at the place of business to allow the customer to access the Internet via the data communication link, wherein the network access point is accessible only by the customer; integrating, by a router coupled to the merchant and the network access point, a first data traffic, received from the merchant, and a second data traffic, received from the customer via the network access point, to generate an integrated outgoing data traffic; receiving, at the router, the first data traffic from the merchant; receiving, at the router from the network access point, the second data traffic from the customer, where the first data traffic is independent of the second data traffic and the second data traffic includes data from the customer for desired content from the Internet; assigning, by the router, the first data traffic and the second data traffic with a corresponding priority based on whether data traffic is from the merchant or the customer; combining, by the router, both the first and second data traffic to generate the integrated outgoing data traffic that is in compliant with the subscribed data transport capacity; transmitting the integrated outgoing data traffic to the wide area network through the data communication link; receiving, by the router, from the wide area network via the data communication link, incoming data traffic; forwarding, by the router, a third data traffic, if present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the merchant, to the merchant; and forwarding, by the router, a fourth data traffic, is present in the incoming data traffic and intended for the customer, to the customer via the network access point and the fourth data traffic includes the desired content for the customer, wherein the customer and the merchant share the subscribed data transport capacity of the data communication link initially intended for the dedicated use of the merchant.
-
Specification