Distributed wireless online access system

• US 9,088,964 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Modern Medium Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Modern Medium Services LLC
• Inventors: Boesjes, Eimar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall, Teisha D
• Application Number:
  US13/405,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52, 705/53, 705 77- 79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• 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: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method for providing wireless online access comprises: establishing a wireless access signal space wherein a wireless communications link is established between a secondary wireless unit and at least one primary wireless unit, thereby providing a corresponding secondary subscriber with online access by data packet transmission between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit; and receiving, from an online access provider, a credited revenue amount in return for providing online access for the secondary subscriber.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a primary subscriber, for providing wireless online access to one or more users, the method comprising:

(a) establishing, within one or more online access signal spaces, one or more wireless communications links between one or more primary wireless transceivers and one or more mobile secondary wireless transceivers, so as to enable an online access provider to provide one or more corresponding users of the mobile secondary wireless transceivers with online access by data packet transmission via the corresponding one or more wireless communications links; and

(b) crediting from the online access provider to the primary subscriber, or crediting from the primary subscriber to the online access provider, one or more revenue amounts, calculated automatically by a processor, in return for the one or more established wireless communications links or for the wireless online access provided for the one or more users,

(c) wherein the one or more revenue amounts are based at least in part on how many mobile secondary wireless transceivers are linked to the corresponding one or more primary wireless transceivers by the corresponding established wireless communications links.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein part (b) comprises receiving from the online access provider the one or more revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein part (b) comprises crediting to the online access provider the one or more revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, from one or more of the users, one or more corresponding revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating automatically, using the processor, the one or more revenue amounts.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising recruiting users to which to provide wireless online access through a wireless communications link to one of the one or more primary wireless transceivers, wherein the revenue amount is based at least in part on how many users are thus recruited.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the primary wireless transceivers are linked to an external communications network through one or more portal transceivers, wherein each one of the one or more portal transceivers includes (i) one or more corresponding communications links to the external communications network for receiving one or more data packets transmitted therefrom and transmitting one or more data packets thereto and (ii) one or more corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers for receiving one or more data packets transmitted therefrom and transmitting one or more data packets thereto.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the external communications network comprises the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein one or more of the corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers comprise wired links.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein one or more of the corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers comprise wireless links.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the corresponding communications link between one or more pairs of linked primary wireless and portal transceivers includes one or more additional corresponding primary wireless transceivers.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the additional primary wireless transceivers comprises a communications satellite.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one pair of linked primary wireless and portal transceivers together comprise a single unit.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is an unlicensed wireless transceiver in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at the location of that primary wireless transceiver.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is an unlicensed wireless transceiver in legal compliance with Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is a mobile primary wireless transceiver.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mobile primary wireless transceiver is mounted in a moving vehicle, and at least one of the wireless access signal spaces is located within the moving vehicle.

19. A method, performed by an online access provider, for providing wireless online access to one or more users, the method comprising:

(a) providing online access to one or more users of one or more corresponding mobile secondary wireless transceivers by data packet transmission via one or more corresponding wireless communications links established, within one or more online access signal spaces by a corresponding primary subscriber, between the secondary wireless transceivers and one or more primary wireless transceivers; and

(b) crediting from the primary subscriber to the online access provider, or crediting from the online access provider to the primary subscriber, one or more revenue amounts, calculated automatically by a processor, in return for the one or more established wireless communications links or for the online access provided for the one or more users,

(c) wherein the one or more revenue amounts are based at least in part on how many mobile secondary wireless transceivers are linked to the corresponding one or more primary wireless transceivers by the corresponding established wireless communications links.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein part (b) comprises receiving from the primary subscriber the one or more revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein part (b) comprises crediting to the primary subscriber the one or more revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving, from one or more of the users, one or more corresponding revenue amounts calculated automatically by the processor.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising calculating automatically, using the processor, the one or more revenue amounts.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising recruiting users to which to provide wireless online access through a wireless communications link to one of the one or more primary wireless transceivers, wherein the revenue amount is based at least in part on how many users are thus recruited.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein one or more of the primary wireless transceivers are linked to an external communications network through one or more portal transceivers, wherein each one of the one or more portal transceivers includes (i) one or more corresponding communications links to the external communications network for receiving one or more data packets transmitted therefrom and transmitting one or more data packets thereto and (ii) one or more corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers for receiving one or more data packets transmitted therefrom and transmitting one or more data packets thereto.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the external communications network comprises the Internet.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein one or more of the corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers comprise wired links.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein one or more of the corresponding communications links to one or more of the primary wireless transceivers comprise wireless links.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the corresponding communications link between one or more pairs of linked primary wireless and portal transceivers includes one or more additional corresponding primary wireless transceivers.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein at least one of the additional primary wireless transceivers comprises a communications satellite.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one pair of linked primary wireless and portal transceivers together comprise a single unit.

32. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is an unlicensed wireless transceiver in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at the location of that primary wireless transceiver.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is an unlicensed wireless transceiver in legal compliance with Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

35. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of the primary wireless transceivers is a mobile primary wireless unit.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the mobile primary wireless transceiver is mounted in a moving vehicle, and at least one of the wireless access signal spaces is located within the moving vehicle.