NETWORK ACCESS USING NETWORK IDENTIFICATION

• US 20090291684A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Bryan L., Leuca, Ileana A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A network system that identifies a home network of a user by a network identification in an access request. When the access request is received in a network, the accessed network extracts a network identification from the access request and determines whether the access request is received from a subscriber or non-subscriber. If a non-subscriber, then a foreign network is identified and a network identification database is consulted to retrieve contact information for the foreign network. If the contact information is successfully retrieved, then the user may be routed to the foreign network (home network of the user). Otherwise (if the contact information is not in the network identification database), the user may be denied any access, and a purchase agreement for connect services may be offered.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an access request from a device, comprising:

receiving the access request from the device;

extracting a network identification from the access request; and

responding to the access request based on the network identification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a foreign network based on the network identification;

obtaining foreign network information relating to the foreign network; and

connecting the device to the foreign network based on the foreign network information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining routing information if the foreign network information indicates that an agreement is established with the foreign network; and

routing the device to the foreign network based on the routing information to connect the device to the foreign network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining a profile from the foreign network information; and

displaying a screen to the device based on the profile.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a profile from the foreign network information if the foreign network information indicates that an agreement is not established with the foreign network;

obtaining from the profile whether to negotiate with the foreign network for connecting the device to the foreign network; and

connecting the device to the foreign network if a successful negotiation is achieved.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a profile from the foreign network information if the foreign network information indicates that an agreement is not established with the foreign network;

obtaining from the profile whether to offer connecting the device to the foreign network for a fee; and

connecting the device to the foreign network if the device accepts the offer.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

offering network access services if a foreign network cannot be identified based on the network identification; and

providing network access services if the offer is accepted.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the foreign network information is obtained by retrieving the foreign network information from a network identification resolution database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification include a domain name of a foreign network.

10. A method for connecting a device to a foreign network, comprising:

receiving an access request from the device;

extracting a domain name of the foreign network from the access request; and

connecting the device to the foreign network based on the domain name.

11. A network identification resolution communication system, comprising:

at least one network;

a network identification resolution device coupled to the network, the network receiving an access request from a communication device, extracting a network identification from the access request, and responding to the access request based on the network identification.