NETWORK ACCESS USING NETWORK IDENTIFICATION

• US 20100332656A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• 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, IIeana A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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;

identifying a foreign network based on the network identification;

obtaining foreign network information relating to the foreign network;

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

negotiating 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreign network information is obtained by retrieving the foreign network information from a network identification resolution database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification comprises a domain name of the foreign network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification comprises a subscriber account number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification comprises a subscriber name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification comprises a combination of a domain name of the foreign network, a subscriber account number, and a subscriber name.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting is performed in accordance with anticipated traffic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting is performed in accordance with a congestion condition.

9. 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;

identifying a foreign network based on the network identification;

obtaining foreign network information relating to the foreign network;

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

presenting an 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.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the foreign network information is obtained by retrieving the foreign network information from a network identification resolution database.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network identification includes a domain name of the foreign network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the network identification comprises a subscriber account number.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the network identification comprises a subscriber name.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the network identification comprises a combination of a domain name of the foreign network, a subscriber account number, and a subscriber name.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting is performed in accordance with anticipated traffic.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting is performed in accordance with a congestion condition.

17. 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;

attempting to identify a foreign network based on the network identification;

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

providing the network access service if the offering is accepted.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the foreign network information is obtained by retrieving the foreign network information from a network identification resolution database.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the network identification includes a domain name of the foreign network.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing is performed in accordance with anticipated traffic.