Distributed network communication system to provide wireless access to a computing device at a reduced rate
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing access and/or roaming features on a network system. The network system includes a plurality of wireless and/or wired access points coupled to a network. Access points (APs) for the network may be widely distributed in various facilities, such as airports, mass-transit stations, and various businesses. The network may couple to a wide area network, such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a portable computing device (PCD) of a user may store identification information which uniquely indicates a network provider of a plurality of possible network providers. The identification information may also or instead indicate an access or privilege level of the user. Each of the access points are operable to “listen for” or detect identification information associated with numerous different providers. When the access point receives the identification information from a PCD of a user, the access point may determine the appropriate network provider for the portable computing device using the identification information. Network access may then be provided to the portable computing device through the determined network provider. Thus the network system is useable by subscribers of each of the plurality of possible network providers, thereby enabling subscribers to “roam” on various wireless networks, including networks maintained by other providers. The access information may also include an access level which indicates the user'"'"'s access or privilege level. Thus, the local network may provide various local resources which are available to users having a first access level, and users with a second access level may not be entitled to view or utilize these network resources on the network, but may be simply provided external Internet access.
130 Citations
82 Claims
-
1-65. -65. (canceled)
-
66. A method comprising:
- providing an end-user with access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity; and
the first entity including advertisements in an end-user view. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
- providing an end-user with access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity; and
-
79. A method comprising of:
- including an advertisement in a view of an end-user accessing a wireless access point; and
providing at least a portion of revenue from the advertisement to a provider of the wireless access point.
- including an advertisement in a view of an end-user accessing a wireless access point; and
-
80. A method comprising of:
- providing an end-user with Internet access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity, the first entity separate from a provider of the WAP;
providing the access in response to the end-user installing a client application corresponding to the first entity, the first entity including advertisements in an end-user view;
the first entity providing at least a portion of advertisement revenue to the provider of the WAP in response to the WAP provider providing the access to the end-user at a reduced rate;
the first entity providing the portion of advertisement revenue to the provider in response to the end-user selecting an advertisement included by the first entity; and
the first entity identifying an Internet protocol (IP) address of the WAP accessed by the end-user that has selected the advertisement provided by the first entity.
- providing an end-user with Internet access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity, the first entity separate from a provider of the WAP;
-
81. A machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed, perform a method comprising of:
- providing an end-user with access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity; and
the first entity including advertisements in an end-user view.
- providing an end-user with access to a wireless access point (WAP) at a rate subsidized by a first entity; and
-
82. A machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed, perform a method comprising of:
- including an advertisement in a view of an end-user accessing a wireless access point; and
crediting at least a portion of revenue from the advertisement to a provider of the wireless access point.
- including an advertisement in a view of an end-user accessing a wireless access point; and
Specification