Granted Patent B2

US 8,619,988 · App. 12/023,120 · Granted Dec 31, 2013

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method of providing virtual Wi-Fi service with accounting and authentication control via a virtual Wi-Fi access network, the method comprising:

connecting a subscriber to the virtual Wi-Fi access network, wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access network comprises a plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points in communication with at least one virtual Wi-Fi access server and the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points comprises a combination of enterprise owned access points and private owned access points, at least one individual Wi-Fi access point having at least one channel or resource to share with virtual Wi-Fi access network subscribers not having a direct relationship with the individual Wi-Fi access point;

prompting the subscriber for an account ID and password;

performing subscriber authentication at the virtual Wi-Fi access server;

where the subscriber has been authenticated, establishing a Wi-Fi session in the virtual Wi-Fi access network for the subscriber and applying an accounting function to the Wi-Fi session; and

notifying the virtual Wi-Fi access server when the subscriber exits from the virtual Wi-Fi network,

wherein each individual Wi-Fi access point is able to send an indication with a radio signal that indicates whether the Wi-Fi access point is able to share spare channels or resources.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account ID is mapped to a specific payment type, charging package, and subscriber account.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the account ID is associated with service type and charging category.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accounting function comprises calculating the subscriber's access minutes until the subscriber exits the Wi-Fi access point.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

including Wi-Fi access point data in all accounting data obtained via the accounting function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access server is in communication with a database for storing data related to virtual Wi-Fi access service.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the database stores data relating to individual access points, the data comprising: owner name data, MAC address data, owner email address data, available spare channels data, and spare channel available time period data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the database stores virtual Wi-Fi access subscriber data, the data comprising: subscriber name data, subscriber email address data, subscriber post address data, subscriber billing account type data, subscriber payment type data, free minutes bucket data, and service type data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points is associated with a plurality of service providers, and wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access server is operative to coordinate shared Wi-Fi service among the individual Wi-Fi access points.

10. An apparatus for providing virtual Wi-Fi service with accounting and authentication control via a virtual Wi-Fi access network, the apparatus comprising:

a virtual Wi-Fi access server operative to:

connect a subscriber to the virtual Wi-Fi access network, wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access network comprises a plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points in communication with the virtual Wi-Fi access server and the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points comprises a combination of enterprise owned access points and private owned access points, at least one individual Wi-Fi access point having at least one channel or resource to share with virtual Wi-Fi access network subscribers not having a direct relationship with the individual Wi-Fi access point, wherein the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points is associated with a plurality of service providers, and wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access server is operative to coordinate shared Wi-Fi service among the individual Wi-Fi access points;

prompt the subscriber for an account ID and password;

perform subscriber authentication;

establish a Wi-Fi session for the subscriber in the virtual Wi-Fi access network and apply an accounting function to the Wi-Fi session; and

receive an indication that the subscriber has exited from the virtual Wi-Fi network; and

a database for storing data related to virtual Wi-Fi access service in communication with the virtual Wi-Fi access service,

wherein each individual Wi-Fi access point is able to send an indication with a radio signal that indicates whether the Wi-Fi access point is able to share spare channels or resources.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the account ID is mapped to a specific payment type, charging package, and subscriber account.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the account ID is associated with service type and charging category.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the accounting function comprises calculating the subscriber's access minutes until the subscriber exits the Wi-Fi access point.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

including Wi-Fi access point data in all accounting data obtained via the accounting function.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the database stores data relating to individual access points, the data comprising: owner name data, MAC address data, owner email address data, available spare channels data, and spare channel available time period data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the database stores virtual Wi-Fi access subscriber data, the data comprising: subscriber name data, subscriber email address data, subscriber post address data, subscriber billing account type data, subscriber payment type data, free minutes bucket data, and service type data.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points is associated with a plurality of service providers, and wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access server is operative to coordinate shared Wi-Fi service among the individual Wi-Fi access points.

18. A method of providing virtual Wi-Fi service with accounting and authentication control via a virtual Wi-Fi access network, the method comprising:

receiving an indication from at least one individual Wi-Fi access point at a virtual Wi-Fi access server that the at least one Wi-Fi access point has at least one channel or resource to share with third party users not having a direct relationship with the individual Wi-Fi access point, wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access network comprises a plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points in communication with at least one virtual Wi-Fi access server and the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points comprises a combination of enterprise owned access points and private owned access points, wherein the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points is associated with a plurality of service providers, and wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access server is operative to coordinate shared Wi-Fi service among the individual Wi-Fi access points;

connecting a subscriber to the virtual Wi-Fi access network;

prompting the subscriber for an account ID and password;

authenticating the subscriber via the virtual Wi-Fi access server;

establishing a Wi-Fi session in the virtual Wi-Fi access network for the authenticated subscriber and applying an accounting function to the Wi-Fi session; and

ending the accounting function and notifying the virtual Wi-Fi access server after the subscriber exits from the virtual Wi-Fi network.

Assignments (15)