Linking existing Wi-Fi access points into unified network

• US 9,125,170 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fon Wireless Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fon Wireless Ltd.
• Inventors: Varsavsky Waisman-Diamond, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): O CONNOR, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US14/513,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20150030014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0066 Details of access arrangements to the networks where the access arrangement is a PSTN/ISDN access H04M7/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A plurality of users are associated with a system having at least one information processor coupled to a communication network. Multiple wireless access points to the communication network are provided; and multiple of the users associated with the system are provided access to the communication network via the access points.

Claims

1. A method, operable in a system comprising at least one information processor coupled to a communication network, the method comprising:

(A) at least one network service provider providing multiple gateway devices to corresponding users associated with said network service provider, each gateway device of said multiple gateway devices providing corresponding shared bandwidth within a corresponding transmission range, each of the devices configured to provide wireless access to the communication network via said at least one network service provider;

(B) associating a plurality of users with the system, wherein a first user of said plurality of users is associated with a first gateway device of the multiple gateway devices provided by said at least one network service provider;

(C) providing a device of the first user with wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of a second gateway device of the multiple gateway devices, the second gateway device being distinct from the first gateway device, and wherein the second gateway device is not associated with the first user; and

(D) for an access fee, providing a device of a third user with wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of at least one of the multiple gateway devices, wherein said third user was not provided with one of said multiple gateway devices by said at least one network service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the multiple gateway devices provides shared network bandwidth access to the communication network to registered users of the system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each gateway device of at least some of the multiple gateway devices is associated with a user of the plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second gateway device is associated with a second user distinct from the first user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless device of the first user is provided with wireless access in (C) to the communication network via said shared bandwidth of the second gateway device for no additional fee.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein associating a particular user with the system in (B) entitles that particular user to wireless access of the communications network via shared bandwidth of a plurality of the multiple gateway devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the particular user is not associated with any of the multiple gateway devices.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each user associated with the system has user credentials associated therewith, the method further comprising:

determining whether to provide wireless access to the device of the first user in (C) based on the user credentials associated with the first user.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user credentials for each particular user associated with the system comprise a user name and password unique to that particular user within the system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(E) providing the first user with wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of a third gateway device of the multiple gateway devices, the third gateway device being distinct from the first gateway device and from the second gateway device, and wherein the third gateway device is not associated with the first user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said access fee allows said third user wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of said at least one of the multiple gateway devices for a period of time, said period of time being based upon said access fee.

13. A method comprising:

(A) associating a plurality of users with a system comprising at least one information processor coupled to a communication network;

(B) at least one network service provider providing multiple wireless access points to the communication network, said multiple wireless access points providing wireless access to the communication network via said at least one network service provider; and

(C) said at least one network service provider selectively allowing multiple of the users associated with the system to access the communication network via shared bandwidth of the wireless access points, wherein at least some of said users associated with the system do not have wireless access points provided by said at least one network service provider, and wherein at least one user not provided with a wireless access point by said at least one network service provider is allowed wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of the wireless access points for a corresponding access fee, wherein said corresponding access fee allows said at least one user wireless access to the communication network for a period of time based upon said access fee.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each of the wireless access points is provided by a corresponding gateway device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the associating in (A) comprises:

registering each of the plurality of users with the system; and

providing each particular user of the plurality of users with corresponding particular user credentials.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user credentials for each particular registered user comprise a user name and password unique to that particular registered user within the system.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the allowing in (C) is based on user credentials associated with each of the multiple users.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said period of time provided by said access fee is one of:

an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year.

20. A method, in a system comprising at least one information processor coupled to a communication network, the method comprising:

(A) associating a plurality of users with the system, wherein the users associated with the system comprise a community of users; and

(B) providing multiple wireless access devices, each the wireless access device configured to access the communication network, wherein the wireless access devices comprise a distributed wireless network;

(C) selectively providing wireless access to the communication network via the distributed wireless network, wherein said wireless access to the communication network is provided to users in the community of users, and wherein each user in the community of users can selectively wirelessly access the communication network via shared bandwidth of multiple of the wireless access devices, and wherein the community of users comprises (i) first users having corresponding wireless access devices of the multiple wireless access devices associated therewith, and (ii) second users not having wireless access devices of the multiple wireless access devices associated therewith, and wherein wireless access to the communication network is selectively provided to at least some of said second users for an access fee.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the associating in (A) comprises registering the plurality of users with the system.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein each user of the first users is associated with at least one wireless access device of the multiple wireless access devices.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein each of the multiple wireless access devices is associated with one of the first users of the plurality of users.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the first users of the plurality of users are associated with at least one network service provider.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first users of the plurality of users are associated with more than one network service provider.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein at least some of the multiple wireless access device are provided in non-residential locations.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the selectively providing in (C) comprises:

providing VoIP service via the distributed wireless network.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein a first some of the multiple wireless access devices are provided to said first users by at least one network service provider, and wherein said selectively providing in (C) is by said at least one network service provider.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein said access fee allows said at least some of said second users wireless access to the communication network for a period of time, said period of time being based upon said access fee.

30. A method comprising:

(A) at least one network service provider providing multiple wireless access devices, wherein each said wireless access device is configured to provide wireless access to a communication network, and wherein the wireless access devices comprise a distributed wireless network associated with said at least one network service provider,

each said wireless access device being configured to provide wireless access to the communication network within a corresponding transmission range;

(B) selectively providing users in a community of users with wireless access to the communication network via shared bandwidth of the distributed wireless network, wherein the community of users comprises;

(i) first users having corresponding wireless access devices of the multiple wireless access devices associated therewith, at least some of said multiple wireless access devices having been provided to said first users in (A) by said at least one network service provider, and (ii) second users not having wireless access devices of the multiple wireless access devices associated therewith, and

wherein wireless access to the communication network is selectively provided to at least some of said second users for an access fee;

(C)(1) providing one or more devices associated with a particular user of said second users with wireless access to said communication network via said shared bandwidth of said distributed wireless network when said one or more devices are within a first transmission range of a first particular wireless access device of said multiple wireless access devices; and

(C)(2) providing said one or more devices with wireless access to said communication network via said shared bandwidth of said distributed wireless network when said one or more devices are within a second transmission range of a second particular wireless access device of said multiple wireless access devices, said first at least one particular wireless access device being distinct from said second at least one particular wireless access device.