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

• US 7,548,976 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• 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): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benoit; Esther
• Application Number:
  US10/834,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/249, 709/223, 370/230, 370/468, 370/229, 370/259, 370/270, 370/338, 370/431, 370/447, 370/464
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 method for providing access to the Internet comprising:

monitoring data packet traffic, at a PANS server configured to provide access to the Internet, from a plurality of client computing devices that are wirelessly transmitting data packets that are intended to be transmitted to the Internet, wherein the plurality of client computing devices are aggregated into one or more groups, and wherein each group is assigned a portion of available bandwidth; and

generating, at the PANS server, a signal that indicates when one of the groups is permitted to wirelessly transmit data packets, wherein the group is responsible for arbitrating among the plurality of computing devices in the group for the portion of available bandwidth.

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

receiving a generated signal from a PANS server configured to monitor data packet traffic and configured to provide access to the Internet, at a group of client computing devices, that indicates when one or more of the client computing devices in the group is permitted to wirelessly transmit data packets, wherein the group is assigned a portion of available bandwidth that may be shared by the client computing devices in the group; and

responsive to receiving the generated signal arbitrating by the group of client computing devices for the portion of available bandwidth and wirelessly transmitting at least one data packet, by at least one computing device in the group, to a wireless access point that is configured to receive wireless communication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless access point is located in a publicly accessible location.

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

receiving a generated signal, at a group of client computing devices, that indicates when one or more of the client computing devices in the group may wirelessly transmit data packets, wherein the signal is generated at a PANS server configured to provide access to the Internet, and wherein the signal is based on monitoring data packet traffic from one or more client computing devices that are wirelessly transmitting data packets that are intended to be transmitted to the Internet, and wherein the group is guaranteed a portion of available bandwidth for transmitting data packets; and

responsive to receiving the generated signal, arbitrating by one or more of the computing devices in the group for the available bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising responsive to receiving the generated signal, wirelessly transmitting at least one data packet to a wireless access point that is configured to receive wireless communication.