Patent ID: 8644255
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising: in a first user device, transferring a wireless beacon signal and responsively receiving a first wireless access request from a second user device indicating a user identifier, processing the user identifier in a first data structure to determine if the user identifier has usage credits, and if the user identifier has the usage credits, exchanging wireless signals, through the first user device, with the second user device and with a wireless communication network to provide a wireless communication service to the second user device, decrementing the usage credits in the first data structure for the user identifier, and wirelessly transferring first data structure updates; in a control server, receiving and processing the first data structure updates to update a master data structure; in a third user device, transferring the wireless beacon signal and responsively receiving a second wireless access request from the second user device indicating the user identifier, processing the user identifier in a second data structure to determine if the user identifier has the usage credits, and if the user identifier does not have the usage credits, transferring a usage request indicating the user identifier; in the control server, receiving and processing the usage request indicating the user identifier against the master data structure to generate and transfer an update message for the second data structure; in the third user device, receiving and processing the update message for the second data structure to update the second data structure, processing the user identifier against the second data structure to determine if the user identifier has the usage credits, and if the user identifier has the usage credits, exchanging the wireless signals, through the third user device, with the second user device and with the wireless communication network to provide the wireless communication service to the second user device, decrementing the usage credits in the second data structure for the user identifier, and wirelessly transferring second data structure updates.