Patent ID: 6553218
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
A distributed wireless-online access system, comprising:a plurality of primary wireless units; a plurality of secondary wireless units; and a billing unit operated by an online access provider, wherein: each primary wireless unit comprises a wireless receiver for receiving a data packet transmitted from at least one other of the plurality of primary wireless units, a wireless transmitter for transmitting a data packet to at least one other of the plurality of primary wireless units, and a processing unit programmed for routing a received in-transit data packet for transmission to another of the plurality of primary wireless units; at least one primary wireless unit further comprises a wireless receiver for receiving a data packet transmitted from at least one of the plurality of secondary wireless units, a wireless transmitter for transmitting a data packet to at least one of the plurality of secondary wireless units, and a processing unit programmed for routing a received in-transit data packet for transmission to one of the plurality of secondary wireless units; each secondary wireless unit comprises a wireless receiver for receiving a data packet transmitted from at least one of the plurality of primary wireless units, a wireless transmitter for transmitting a data packet to at least one of the plurality of primary wireless units, and a processing unit programmed for processing the data packet received by the secondary wireless unit and for generating the data packet transmitted by the secondary wireless unit; and the billing unit comprises a programmed processor for calculating at least one of i) an access fee amount to be charged, by the online access provider, to a respective primary subscriber for each of the plurality of primary wireless units, ii) an access fee amount to be charged, by the online access provider, to a respective secondary subscriber for each of the plurality of secondary wireless units, and iii) an access provider revenue amount to be credited, by the online access provider, to the respective primary subscriber for each of the plurality of primary wireless units.