Methods and systems for providing variable rates of service for accessing networks, methods and systems for accessing the internet

• US 7,444,669 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Paramvir, Venkatachary, Srinivasan, Balachandran, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): HENEGHAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US09/566,168
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/452.2, 379/114.05, 705/37, 713/150, 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing network access, e.g. Internet access, are described. An architecture includes a host organization network through which network access is provided. The host organization network can be advantageously deployed in public areas such as airports and shopping malls. An authentication/negotiation component is provided for authenticating various users and negotiating for services with service providers on behalf of the system users. The authentication/negotiation component can include one or more specialized servers and a policy manager that contains policies that govern user access to the Internet. An authentication database is provided and authenticates various users of the system. An access module is provided through which individual client computing devices can access the Internet. In one embodiment, the access module comprises individual wireless access points that permit the client computing devices to wirelessly communicate data packets that are intended for the Internet. In one aspect, users are given a variety of choices of different service levels that they can use for accessing the Internet. The service levels can vary in such things as bandwidth allocation and security measures. The various service levels can be purchased by the users using their computing devices.

Claims

1. A system for accessing the Internet, the system comprising:

a host network configured to provide access to the Internet through an internet service provider;

at least one access module communicatively linked with the host network and configured to enable a user with a mobile computing device to access the host network; and

multiple different levels of service available for selection by various said users for use in accessing the Internet through the host network, wherein at least one service has a plurality of bandwidth service levels, at least one of which allocates bandwidth portions to one or more groups of said users, individual groups being responsible for arbitrating amongst its respective said users for the bandwidth portion allocated to the individual group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple different levels of service are available for selection each time a user desires to access the Internet through the host network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple different levels of services are available for purchase by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple different levels of service are available for selection each time a user desires to access the Internet through the host network and are available for purchase by the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each service level can have more than one service associated with it.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein one of the services comprises a security service.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the services further comprise a security service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein some of the service levels are associated with user groups into which various users are placed when they select an associated service level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein users in a user group can arbitrate for use of a particular service that is associated with a service level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one access module is located in a publicly accessible location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one access module is wirelessly accessible.

12. A system for accessing the Internet comprising:

a host network configured to provide access to the Internet through an internet service provider;

multiple wireless access points communicatively linked with the host network and configured to accommodate wireless communication with one or more client computing devices, the wireless access points being deployed in locations where each is wirelessly accessible from a public location; and

multiple different levels of service available for wireless selection and purchase by various users of the one or more client computing devices for use in accessing the Internet through the host network, a first of the services comprising a bandwidth service in which;

a first bandwidth service level guarantees respective said users of the one or more client computing devices a certain portion of bandwidth for data packet transmission; and

a second bandwidth service level allocates bandwidth portions to one or more groups of said users, individual groups being responsible for arbitrating amongst respective said users of the individual group for the bandwidth portion allocated to the individual group.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multiple different levels of service are available for selection and purchase each time a user desires access to the Internet through the host network.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each service level can have more than one service associated with it.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the services comprises a security service.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the services comprises:

a bandwidth service; and

a security service.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein some of the service levels are associated with user groups into which various users are placed when they select and purchase an associated service level.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein some of the service levels are associated with user groups into which various users are placed when they select and purchase an associated service level, the users of a group having to arbitrate for use of at least one service that is associated with a user group.

19. A method for providing access to the Internet comprising:

arranging a plurality of services into service levels that can be purchased by a user of a mobile device for accessing a host network configured to provide access to the Internet through an internet service provider, a first of the services comprising a bandwidth service in which a first bandwidth service level guarantees respective said users a certain portion of bandwidth for data packet transmission and a second bandwidth service level allocates bandwidth portions to one or more groups of said users, individual groups being responsible for arbitrating amongst its respective said users for the bandwidth portion allocated to the individual group; and

offering the service levels for purchase to at least one said user over a wireless network; and

responsive to the at least one said user selecting a particular said service level, providing the at least one said user with access to the Internet at the particular selected service level.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising charging the user a fee for the selected particular service level.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein one or more of the service levels have multiple different services associated therewith.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the multiple different services comprises a bandwidth service.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the multiple different services comprises a security service.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

defining one or more groups that are associated with different service levels; and

placing users in a group when the user selects a service level that is associated with the particular group.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein users within a group arbitrate for a particular service.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein two or more of the groups have security services that are associated with them, the security services varying between the groups.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein two or more of the groups have bandwidth services that are associated with them, the bandwidth services varying between the groups.

28. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the computers to:

arrange a plurality of services into service levels that can be purchased by a user for accessing a host network configured to provide access to the Internet through an internet service provider, a first of the services comprising a bandwidth service in which a first bandwidth service level guarantees individuals a certain portion of bandwidth for data packet transmission and a second bandwidth service level allocates bandwidth portions to one or more user groups of said users, individual groups being responsible for arbitrating amongst its respective said users for the bandwidth portion allocated to the individual group; and

offer the service levels for purchase to at least one said user over a wireless network; and

responsive to the at least one said user selecting a particular service level, provide the at least one said user with access to the Internet at the particular selected service level.

29. A system for accessing the Internet, the system comprising:

a host network configured to provide access to the Internet through an internet service provider;

at least one access module communicatively linked with the host network and configured to enable a user with a mobile computing device to access the host network; and

multiple different levels of service available for selection by various said users for use in accessing the Internet through the host network;

a first of the services comprising a bandwidth service in which;

a first bandwidth service level guarantees one or more said users a certain portion of bandwidth for data packet transmission; and

a second bandwidth service level allocates bandwidth portions to one or more groups of said users, individual groups being responsible for arbitrating amongst the users of the respective said group for the bandwidth portion allocated to the individual group.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each service level can have more than one service associated with it.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein one of the services comprises a security service.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the one access module is located in a publicly accessible location.

33. A system for accessing the Internet, the system comprising:

network means for providing access to the Internet through an internet service provider;

access means, associated with said network means, for enabling a user with a mobile computing device to access the network means; and

means for providing multiple different levels of service available for selection by various said users for use in accessing the Internet through the network means, said means for providing multiple different levels of service providing at least;

a first service comprising a bandwidth service in which;

a first bandwidth service level guarantees respective said users a certain portion of bandwidth for data packet transmission; and

a second bandwidth service level allocates bandwidth portions to one or more groups of said users;

a second service comprising a security service in which;

each said user can be issued a different key for encrypting data packets from the user;

said means for providing multiple different levels of service comprising means for arbitrating amongst the users of a group for the bandwidth portion allocated to the group.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said second security service provides different length keys.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said second security service provides different length keys that are user-selectable.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein said second security service provides varying degrees of encryption.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein said second security service provides different encryption algorithms that can be selected for encrypting user data packets.