WIRELESS INTERNET SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100296441A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barkan Wireless Access Technologies, L.P. (Barkan GP, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elad Barkan
• Inventors: Barkan, Elad
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for providing a wireless Internet connection to WiFi-enabled devices (STAs) comprising: wirelessly connecting a first STA to the Internet through a first AP with a first SSID; remaining connected to the first Access Point (AP), the first STA creates a software-based wireless AP with a second SSID for wirelessly connecting other STAs to the Internet through the first STA. A software module running on the first STA allows a second STA a wide access to the Internet only if the second STA has a copy of the software module running installed and active therein. A method for configuring STAs to connect to a wireless network, comprising: a customer first connects a STA by wire to its network; a software on the STA copies to the STA the security information gained through the wired connection, thus setting the security parameters for the STA.

Claims

1. A method for providing a wireless Internet connection to WiFi-enabled devices (STAs) comprising:

a. wirelessly connecting a first STA to the Internet through a first AP with a first SSID;

b. remaining connected to the first Access Point (AP), the first STA creates a software-based wireless AP with a second SSID for wirelessly connecting other STAs to the Internet through the first STA.

2. The method for providing a wireless Internet connections to STAs according to claim 1, further including the step of:

c. a software module running on the first STA allows a second STA a wide access to the Internet only if the second STA has a copy of the software module running installed and active therein.

3. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein each STA can be a laptop computer, PDA, wireless camera, wireless phone or a wireless device.

4. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein the first STA includes means for simultaneously connecting to the first AP and for opening the second AP, and means for transferring Internet packets between the first and second APs, while decrypting and encrypting the packets as needed based on the security parameters of the first and second AP, in addition to any communications with the Internet as required by a user of that STA.

5. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein activating, in the first STA, a single wireless card so as to operate in two modes at the same time, a STA mode and an AP mode.

6. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein the first AP does not provide wide, unconditional access to all.

7. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 6, wherein a remote database may be accessed to determine if a STA without the software module should be allowed access, and how wide that access should be.

8. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein the software module, upon detecting that the other STA does not have the software module therein, allows to install and activate the software module in the other STA and then provides wide access to the other STA.

9. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 6, wherein the software module, upon detecting that the other STA does not have the software module therein:

c1. presents to the user of the other STA a message indicating that wide Internet access is possible upon loading a copy of the software module;

c2. waiting for that user'"'"'s permission;

c3. after receiving that user'"'"'s permission, the other STA. STA downloads, installs and activates a copy of the software module to gain a wide Internet access to the other STA.

10. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein the step of connecting another STA comprises:

c1. the first STA connects the other STA, while limiting the set of Internet addresses and/or Internet sites the other STA can access, and wherein the accessible sites include a special web site from which the other STA can download the software module;

c2. the other STA downloads, installs and activates the software module therein;

c3. the first STA, upon detecting the installed and active software module in the other STA, then removes the limitations on the set of Internet addresses and/or Internet sites the other STA can access.

11. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 1, wherein the step of connecting another STA comprises:

c1. the first STA connects the other STA to the Internet, while limiting the set of Internet addresses and/or Internet sites the other STA can access, and wherein the accessible sites include a special web site from which the other STA can download the software module;

c2. if so instructed by the user of the other STA, the other STA downloads, installs and activates the software module therein;

c3. the first STA, upon detecting the installed and active software module in the other STA, then removes the limitations on the set of Internet addresses and/or Internet sites the other STA can access.

12. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 10 wherein the first STA, upon detecting the installed and active software module in the other STA, then removes part of the limitations on the set of Internet addresses and/or Internet sites the other STA can access, so as to keep some sites and/or addresses private to the first STA.

13. A method for providing a wireless Internet connection to WiFi-enabled devices (STAs) comprising:

a. activate in a first STA a software module for connecting with other STAs and to the Internet;

b. when required by the user to connect to the Internet and upon connecting with another STA which is already connected to the Internet and has a copy of the software module active therein, signal to the other STA that the first STA has a copy of the software module, and request to connect to the Internet through the other STA;

c. connect the first STA to the Internet through the second STA;

d. the software module in the first STA opens a second, software-based wireless Access Point (AP) at the first STA for connecting other STAs to the Internet through the first STA, and wherein the software module only provides wide Internet access to other STAs which each has a copy of the software module installed and active therein.

15. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein each STA may include a Portable computer, a Laptop, a PDA or a wireless phone.

18. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein a STA connects to the Internet through two or more STAs simultaneously.

21. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein the first STA prevents other STAs from accessing its inner network by limiting the access rights of the other STAs.

22. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein the other STA prevents the first STA from eavesdropping on its communications by tunneling its sensitive traffic to a trusted network site, and accesses the Internet through its tunnel to the trusted network site which acts as a proxy for it.

23. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein preventing STAs from using other STAs for their primary network connection for a long period of time, by detecting that a STA is connected to the Internet through the same STA for a long period of time, and disconnecting that STA.

24. The method for providing a wireless Internet connection to STAs according to claim 13, wherein preventing STAs from using other STAs for their primary network connection for a long period of time, by detecting that a STA is connected to the Internet through the same STA for a long period of time, and disconnecting that STA if it refuses to pay for the continued use of that connection.

14. A method for providing a wireless Internet connection to WiFi-enabled devices (STAs), comprising:

a. activate in a first STA a software module for connecting with other STAs and to the Internet;

b. connect the first STA to the Internet and open a second, software-based wireless AP for connecting other STAs to the Internet through the first STA;

c. when another STA connects with the first STA through the second AP and requests access to the Internet;

1) check whether the other STA has a copy of the software module installed and active therein;

2) if the answer is positive, then connect the other STA to the Internet;

3) if the answer is negative, then support the other STA in loading, installing and activating a copy of the software module therein and, after the software module is active in the second STA, provide wide Internet access to the other STA.

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