Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating access to aggregator services for mobile communication devices via wireless communication networks
A mobile device performs a scanning operation for identifying a wireless network and receives from the wireless network a hotspot aggregator service identifier which identifies a hotspot aggregator service made available via the wireless network. The mobile device compares the received hotspot aggregator service identifier with one or more hotspot aggregator service identifiers stored in memory. When there is a match between the received and the stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers, the mobile device initiates a connection with the wireless network for receiving the hotspot aggregator service.
1. A method in a mobile device, the method comprising:
storing, in a memory of the mobile device, hotspot aggregator service information associated with each of a plurality of hotspot aggregator services, the hotspot aggregator service information including a respective hotspot aggregator service identifier that uniquely identifies the hotspot aggregator service and respective data which indicates whether a service subscription already exists for the respective hotspot aggregator service;
performing, at the mobile device, a scanning operation to scan for wireless networks;
receiving, at the mobile device during the scanning operation, a hotspot aggregator service identifier broadcast by one of the wireless networks which identifies a hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network;
comparing, at the mobile device, the received hotspot aggregator service identifier with the hotspot aggregator service identifiers stored in the memory; and
in response to determining that the received hotspot aggregator service identifier matches one of the hotspot aggregator service identifiers stored in the memory:
analyzing, at the mobile device, the hotspot information associated with the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to determine whether the data indicates that a service subscription already exist for the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network, and,
when the data indicates that a service subscription already exist for the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network, initiating, at the mobile device, a connection to the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, at the mobile device, a service name which identifies the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to be displayed in a display of the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each hotspot aggregator service is provided in a plurality of different hotspot locations via different wireless networks.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, at the mobile device, credentials to be sent to a server of the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to obtain authorization for receiving the hotspot aggregator service.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hotspot aggregator service information further includes a respective address of a server for subscribing to the respective hotspot aggregator service, the method further comprising:
in response to determining, at the mobile device, that the received hotspot identifier matches one of the hotspot aggregator service identifier stored in the memory, causing, at the mobile device, a request to be sent to the address of the server for subscribing to the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hotspot aggregator service information further includes a respective address of a server for subscribing to the respective hotspot aggregator service, the method further comprising:
in response to determining, at the mobile device, that the received hotspot identifier matches one of the hotspot aggregator service identifier stored in the memory:
causing, at the mobile device, a request to be sent to the address of the server for subscribing to the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network; and
receiving, at the mobile device, information for accessing the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the wireless networks comprise a wireless local area network (WLAN) operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11.
8. The method of claim 1 , which is performed by computer instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer instructions being executable by a controller of the mobile device.
9. A mobile communication device, comprising:
a processor;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor;
a memory coupled to the processor;
the memory storing hotspot aggregator service information associated with each of a plurality of hotspot aggregator services, the hotspot aggregator service information including a respective hotspot aggregator service identifier that uniquely identifies the hotspot aggregator service and respective data which indicates whether a service subscription already exists for the respective hotspot aggregator service;
the processor configured to:
scan, with use of the RF transceiver, for wireless networks;
receive, during the scan, a hotspot aggregator service identifier broadcast by one of the wireless networks which identifies a hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network;
compare the received hotspot aggregator service identifier with the more stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers; and
in response to determining that the received hotspot aggregator service identifier matches one of the stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers:
analyze the hotspot information associated with the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to determine whether the data indicates that a service subscription already exist for the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network, and,
when the data indicates that a service subscription already exist for the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network, initiate a connection with the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
10. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to determining that the received hotspot aggregator service identifier matches one of the stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers, cause a service name which identifies the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to be displayed on a display of the mobile device.
11. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein each hotspot aggregator service is provided in a plurality of different hotspot locations via different wireless networks.
12. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
cause credentials to be sent to a server of the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network to obtain authorization for receiving the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
13. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to determining that the received hotspot aggregator service identifier matches one of and the stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers, cause a request to be sent to a server for subscribing to the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
14. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to determining that the received hotspot aggregator service identifier matches one of the stored hotspot aggregator service identifiers:
cause a request to be sent to a server for subscribing to the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network; and
receive information for accessing the hotspot aggregator service made available via the one wireless network.
15. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the wireless networks comprise a wireless local area network (WLAN) operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11.