Abstract:
A process of creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. An access point is provided to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a publicly accessible location. Use of the access point for a portable device is authenticated by requesting submission of an account identifier to the service provider and billing data for a user of the portable device for use of the access point is generated. Use statistics are evaluated of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and an inducement is provided to the publicly accessible location based on the evaluated use statistics.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/976,585, filed on Oct. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,873,538, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/513,092, filed on Aug. 31, 2006, which issued on Oct. 7, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,433,650, which, in turn, is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/916,402, filed on Aug. 12, 2004, which issued on Oct. 10, 2006 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,420, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/315,145, filed on Dec. 10, 2002, which issued on Sep. 21, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,700, and which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/409,936, filed on Sep. 12, 2002. The subject matter of the earlier filed applications noted above are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to devices and networks that utilize wireless computer networks and methods of creating incentives for establishment and continued operation of wireless computer networks. The present invention further relates to methods and networks that allow users to access wireless services from wireless hotspots without requiring an account with each wireless hotspot location. Additionally, the present invention also provides incentives to rapidly expand the growth of wireless services to create an economic base of wireless services users and wireless hotspots locations. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The emergence of what are commonly called wireless hotspots has increased the mobility of wireless users and allowed mobile users to access network resources without requiring a physical connection to the large network. Many of these wireless hotspots have appeared in coffee shops and libraries, and allow users with wireless communication equipment to communicate with local area networks and wide area networks as they move about. The locations that provide the access do so to attract customers or because, in the case of libraries, they see such access as an extension of their governmental mandate. However, the equipment, monitoring and access services are not free, and the provider of the hotspot has to bear the burden of those expenses. As an example, a T-1 digital connection can cost approximately $1000 per month in 2002 rates to provide such a level of service. If the expansion of wireless hotspots is to continue so that they become ubiquitous, one possibility is for the persons using the hotspots to take up some portion of the costs. 
     In addition, there is also a “chicken or the egg” type problem with wireless access. Since the relative number of users of wireless devices in 2002 is not high, establishments do not generally have any incentive to provide wireless service for a small number of users. Similarly, while the number of establishments offering wireless services is small, users of the wireless devices do not generally have any incentive to sign up for those services if they are available in only a few places. One of the benefits of having consumers pay for the access services is that this would allow for the party receiving payments to create incentives to expand wireless access and thus increase the amount of payments received by the party receiving payments. 
     As such, there is a need for a method or mechanism that can create incentives for wireless devices and wireless hotspots to spread the use of wireless access. In addition, there is also a need for a system and a method that can monitor the use of existing services offered by wireless hotspot to wireless devices and provide incentives to expand the existing services based on use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to overcome the drawbacks of the above-described conventional network devices and methods. The present invention is directed to software applications and systems that allow for controls to be placed on the type and amount of data received and sent based on access criteria. Those controls are important in that they allow the end user or the device to control the amount of data received from or sent to the wireless network that the system will process and display. 
     According to one aspect of this invention, a process of creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. An access point is provided to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location. Use of the access point for a portable device is authenticated by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider and a user of the portable device is billed for use of the access point. Use statistics are evaluated of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and an inducement is provided to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics. 
     Alternatively, the use statistics may be the number of users of the access point of the wireless hotspot or the types of services utilized by users of the access point of the wireless hotspot. Also, the authentication of use of the access point for a portable device may be through requiring submission of an account identifier to one of a wireless telephone service provider and a landline telephone service provider. The inducements may include providing a proprietor of the wireless hotspot with a portion of revenue received by the service provider based on the step of billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point. The inducements may also include providing subsidized access to the access point of the wireless hotspot for certain users affiliated with the wireless hotspot. 
     The process may include advertising services available from the wireless hotspot to users of the access point of the wireless hotspot, where the advertisement may be made through the access point to users of the access point of the wireless hotspot or through a wireless telephone network. Additionally, the inducement may include upgrading equipment utilized by the access point, where enhanced equipment may be provided to the wireless hotspot to provide greater bandwidth access to portable devices accessing the access point. Also, the inducement may include providing specialized content to the wireless hotspot. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, a system for monitoring of wireless hotspots and creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. The system includes first providing means for providing an access point to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location and authenticating means for authenticating use of the access point for a portable device by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider. The system further includes billing means for billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point, evaluating means for evaluating the use statistics of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portable devices and second providing means for providing an inducement to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics. 
     In another embodiment, a system for monitoring of wireless hotspots and creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. The system includes a first provider for providing an access point to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location and an authenticator for authenticating use of the access point for a portable device by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider. The system also includes an accounting system for billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point, an evaluator for evaluating the use statistics of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and a second provider for providing an inducement to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will be described in or be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the present invention to be easily understood and readily practiced, preferred embodiments will now be described, for purposes of illustration and not limitation, in conjunction with the following figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a wireless telephone system having multiple cells, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic representation of a wireless hotspot with an access point and several wireless devices, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic of a wireless hotspot with connections to different network entities, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  provides a schematic representation of the good and services exchanged to provide incentives for wireless access; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart of the process of providing incentives for wireless access, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart of the process of providing incentives for wireless access, according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a flowchart of the process of providing incentives for wireless access, according to one embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention provides a system and a method for creating incentives to establish hotspot locations. Part of the incentive system allows users of the wireless hotspot to provide identifying information and be billed later for their usage. In one embodiment, the user could supply a wireless or landline telephone number and the user&#39;s account with the wireless telephone service provider would be billed. The present invention allows for wireless or landline telephone service providers or third party service providers to provide wireless hotspot equipment and service to locations to increase the use of their services and increase their profits through billing of users. 
     The process of creating incentives for wireless access may be carried out by different candidates that seek to benefit from the expansion of wireless services. One candidate for offering these services is landline telephone and wireless telephone providers, where those providers already provide landline, cellular and other wireless telephone data services to their users. Following a similar model as that used for mobile telephones, access to wireless hotspots can be coordinated through wireless telephone service providers, with the wireless telephone service providers assisting in authentication of users, monitoring of usage, and billing of users for usage. 
     Another candidate for offering wireless hotspot services would be a third party that supplies services to the wireless hotspot locations, provides authentication of users and processes and forwards billing information to the billing party. Thus, the third party would provide the interface between the hotspots and an entity with which the user of the hotspot has an account. The third party could be a telephone company or a wireless telephone company or another service provider. 
     A general cellular telephone network is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Multiple cells  111   b ,  112   b  and  113   b  are established through the use of antennas  111   a ,  112   a  and  113   a . Devices  101 - 104  having access to the cellular telephone network are able to move from cell to cell and maintain access with the network. Each antenna  111   a - 113   a  can be connected through link  120  with a service provider  130 . The service provider  130  controls access to the network and coordinates the handing-off of access as the devices pass between the cells. The service provider identifies each device and routes communication to the proper location of the particular device. The devices  101 - 104  may be cellular telephones, computers with wireless modems, or other devices that exchange information with the service provider. 
     A general wireless hotspot installation is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The hotspot is controlled through an access point  200 , with the access point having an antenna  201   a  to establish a wireless access zone  201   b . The wireless access may be made through an IEEE 802.11 standard local area network (LAN) or other type of wireless network. Devices  210 - 212  within the hotspot are able to communicate with the larger network  230  through communication with the access point  200 . The access point  200  has a communication link  220  with the larger network  230  and the access point acts to enable communication between the devices  210 - 212  and the larger network and between the devices. As examples, the devices  210 - 212  may be computers equipped with 802.11 access cards, personal data assistants enabled for wireless access, cellular telephones having multiple means for wireless access or comparable devices. The larger network may be the Internet or some private wide area network. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of the present invention. A wireless hotspot is illustrated, with the coverage of the hotspot set by the access point  300  through an antenna  301   a . The range of the hotspot is illustrated by the range  301   b . Devices  310  and  311  within the range  301   b  may potentially establish a connection with the hotspot. The access to the access point is controlled through the access controller  305  that may be hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof. A communication connection  315  is established between the access point  300  and the larger network  330  where that connection is modulated by a router  308 . 
     Also illustrated in  FIG. 3  is a wireless or landline telephone service provider  340 . The service provider  340  contains a database  342  of users of the telephone network. The wireless or landline telephone service provider provides services through an antenna  321   a , through a connection  320 , to provide a coverage area  321   b . The coverage area  321   b  for the wireless telephone service may also include some or all of the wireless hotspot range  301   b.    
       FIG. 4  provides a schematic view of the goods, services and information exchanged between parties in order to create incentives. The wireless hotspot provider provides services to the portable device user, such as network access to a larger network, be it the Internet or a private intranet. The hotspot provider acts as a conduit for the portable device user to the larger network, and can also provide content that is specific to the hotspot. The latter type of content data may be menu items if the hotspot proprietor provides food or drink or may be information about access to a color printer if the hotspot provides access to such a color printer. The hotspot provider also can provide advertising for available services, advertising ads for sponsors of the hotspot, or advertising of other entities that have contracted to advertising served to users. In terms of goods, services and information provided by the portable device provides payments to the hotspot. That payment can be direct payment for services, a portion of payments received through revue sharing, and increased sales revenue because of additional customers brought in through the offering of wireless services. Additionally, the portable device user may provide feedback to the hotspot provider. Such feedback may assist the hotspot provider and other entities to tailor their services to specific types of users that are desired. 
     Also, in  FIG. 4 , the hotspot provider also interacts with either a wireless telephone provider or a landline telephone provider. In the case of either entity, the hotspot provider provides feedback about the amount and types of services that are being used by portable device user. Such feedback is important because it allows the telephone provider to determine if services to the hotspot provider should be expanded, decreased or maintained at a present level. The hotspot provider also provides information about new users that may sign up for services through the hotspot. In addition, the hotspot provider also provides advertising data to the wireless or landline telephone provider, so that updated information about the capabilities of the hotspot can be advertised to the portable device users, as discussed below. 
       FIG. 4  also shows the goods, services and information provided to the hotspot provider from the wireless or landline telephone provider. A first incentive that may be provided to the hotspots would be equipment. Such equipment may be provided to the hotspot with, for example, the proviso that services be provided through the telephone provider. In that case, the hotspot provider would be able to offer services and not required to front the expenses for the wireless access equipment. As part of that arrangement, the telephone provider may also provide network services to the hotspot and can also provide content to the hotspot. Such content may be specific to the hotspot, such that only certain types of hotspots may carry specific content, e.g. a network gaming environment may only be provided to a specific coffee shop locations to provide an extra incentive to visit those locations. 
     Additionally, subsidies may also be provided to the hotspot provider. These subsidies may be in the form of reduced cost access to network services for the hotspot proprietor and their employees. The subsidies could also be in the form of a rebate for extra equipment installed in a hotspot provider. The telephone provider may also provide upgrades to the services and/or equipment of the hotspot based on the usage of the hotspot or other criteria. Also, the telephone provider and the hotspot provider may engage in a revenue sharing agreement between them so that the hotspot provider receives a portion or a set amount for the amount of revenue that is provided to the telephone provider because of the access provided by the hotspot. Lastly, the telephone provider may also provide incentives for users that may be passed along to the user. Such incentives could be, for example, coupons to be found in the hotspot location for reduced costs for access or incentives to be passed along to the user through the advertising by the hotspot, as discussed above. 
     Also illustrated in  FIG. 4  are examples of goods, services and data that are exchanged between the portable device user and either the wireless or landline telephone provider. Included among those may be user incentives, where the incentives could be directly sent to the user offering reduced costs or other inducements. For example, a user may receive such a message as a part of the user&#39;s download of data through their wireless telephone. Also, the telephone provider may also advertise the services for the hotspot location, providing locations of and services provided by the hotspot locations. As part of receiving access, the portable device user provides payment to the telephone provider, where the monitoring and billing of the access may be handled by the telephone provider. The telephone provider may also provide services directly, such as wireless telephone services and the telephone provider may also receive feedback about the user&#39;s experience with gaining and maintaining access to the larger network through the hotspot location. 
     The process of creating incentives for establishment of wireless hotspots, according to one embodiment, is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The first step  401  calls for providing an access point for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location. It is noted that other embodiments of the present invention can provide an access point in a private location, but the incentives would be different since all of the users would need to have access to the private location to use the private location. After the access point is provided, users seeking to access services of the access point are required to submit an account identifier from a service provider, in step  402 , such as a wireless telephone service provider. If the account identifier is authenticated, then the user is allowed access. It is noted that the account identifier may be a single datum, such as a telephone number, or may be a series of data, such as a telephone number, password, etc. or may be a series of responses to queries from an authenticating entity. 
     The use of the access point is monitored and the user is billed by the service provider for that usage, in step  403 . This billing may be made on the basis of how much time the user spent logged on to the access point, may be based on the bandwidth used by the user, or may be billed based on another agreement between the user and the service provider. Additionally, incentives can be provided to the non-private location based on use of the access point, in step  404 . The incentives could include discounted services for the proprietor of the non-private location or some form of payment back to the proprietor. Such incentives would depend on the use of the access point by the users so that the proprietor would have an incentive to advertise the services provided by the access point. This advertising can alert the users of special attributes of the hotspot that may match certain requirements of the user. Such attributes could include voice over IP, video streaming, or detail the expected bandwidth that a user of the hotspot should be able to use. As an example, a hotspot location could provide for rapid picture uploading and that specific service may be advertised to interested users. Additionally, the services offered by the hotspot locations may be bundled, so that users may select the type or service that they want to be authorized for. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a third party would act as an agent for the service provider and would create the incentive for establishing the hotspot locations. In this embodiment, the service provider, such as a wireless telephone provider  350  would have account information for the user in its database  352 . The third party company  340  would act as a go-between and would maintain its own records of users in its own database  342 . The benefit of the third party company in this embodiment of the present invention is that the company would provide the interface between the wireless hotspot and the service provider and would not require any direct interaction between the service provider and the wireless hotspot. Another benefit of the third party company embodiment is that users could supply account data for accounts they have with entities other than the wireless telephone service provider, such as a television cable company or an Internet service provider. 
     The process of creating incentives for establishment of wireless hotspots, according to the latter embodiment, is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The first step  501  calls for providing an access point for wireless devices to wireless connect to a larger network in a non-private location. After the access point is provided, users seeking to access services of the access point are required to submit an account identifier from an appropriate entity, in step  502 , such as a wireless telephone service provider or other service provider. If the account identifier is authenticated, then the user is allowed access. The use of the access point by the user is logged until the use of the access point is terminated, in step  503 . After that, the information about the user&#39;s activities is provided to the service provider in a format that the service provider can use to bill the user. 
     The present invention is also directed to monitoring and augmenting the services provided by the hotspots based on use. An example of the process is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Data are collected on the use of the access point by the users of the wireless devices, in step  601  and that data is used to make allocation decisions, in step  602 . Based on the allocation decision, greater services can be provided to the hotspot location when the decision is made favorably, in step  603 . Thus, if an access point has a high usage and users are not fully able to use the services of the hotspot, then the access point can be provided with greater capacity. Such incentives would be in the interest of the service provider or third party company because it may allow for greater use and greater profitability of the hotspot location. 
     It is noted that the present application is directed, at least in part, to wireless hotspots. The use of the term wireless hotspot or hotspot is applicable to any wireless access point. The term wireless hotspot or hotspot, as used in the specification and claims, should not be construed to be limited to a single type of locale or be construed as providing access according to only a particular wireless access format, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard. It would also be within the scope of the invention to implement the disclosed elements of the invention in discrete electronic components, thereby taking advantage of the functional aspects of the invention. Additionally, the present invention can be implemented totally or partially through software. 
     Although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. In order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention, therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims.