Abstract:
Allowing a service vendor to establish a set of Internet access accounts with an Internet service provider and to have the capability of activating or deactivating an Internet access account by directly interacting with the Internet service provider system via a digital link. In addition, the service vendor can determine the amount of access time that has been spent on each of the Internet access accounts owned by the service vendor. The service vendor can also rent to a user an Internet terminal that can only be utilized to access the Internet access account rented to that user. In the Internet terminal, the Internet access account number is encrypted and cannot be modified by the user. In addition, the service provider has the capability of disabling the rented Internet terminal by transmission of a message via the Internet service provider system.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to the Internet. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The information on the Internet has increased not only in volume but in quality to the point where many people rely on these informational databases for many aspects of their life. Particularly, when people are traveling the information databases available through the Internet are important. For example, airline and hotel reservations and schedules can be easily accessed via the Internet. Another example is that detailed maps plus instructions on how to get to different locations are available on the Internet. Also, up-to-date weather information is available on the Internet. A number of services are offered via the Internet such as the ability to receive and send email thus freeing people from receiving email only on their dedicated systems. Unfortunately, when an individual is traveling it becomes difficult if not impossible to access the Internet and have the same Internet access capability that is available to the individual while at home. This may be because the individual can only access the Internet from their place of business or that their Internet service provider (ISP) only provides local service. However, even an ISP that has national coverage such as AT&amp;T or America On Line, a problem is encountered when an individual travels outside of the United States. A business trip or vacation trip can leave an individual without access to the Internet service when the individual needs such access the greatest. It is difficult for the Internet service providers to provide service for individuals for short periods of time such as a few days. The reason for this is that the typical Internet service provider has a fairly cumbersome manner in which accounts are set up and terminated. 
     What is needed is a mechanism whereby service vendors such as tour services, hotels, car rental companies, etc. could offer to their customers Internet access for short periods of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The preceding problem is solved and a technical advance is achieved by an apparatus and method that allows a service vendor to establish a set of Internet access accounts with an Internet service provider and to have the capability of activating or deactivating an Internet access account by directly interacting with the Internet service provider system via a digital link. In addition, the service vendor can determine the amount of access time that has been spent on each of the Internet access accounts owned by the service vendor. Advantageously, the service vendor also rents to a user an Internet terminal which can only be utilized to access the Internet access account rented to that user. The Internet access account is encrypted and cannot be modified by the user. In addition, the service provider has the capability of disabling the rented Internet terminal by transmission of a message via the Internet service provider system. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention considered together with the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a system embodying the invention; 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate, in flow chart form, steps performed by the Internet service provider in implementing the invention; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates, in flow chart form, steps performed by an Internet access terminal; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates, in block diagram form, a first embodiment of an Internet access terminal; and 
     FIG. 6 illustrates, in block diagram form, a software structure in a personal computer of a user. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a system for implementing the invention. Internet service provider  102  provides Internet access to Internet access terminals  104 - 106 . In addition, Internet service provider system  102  provides Internet access to terminals other than terminals  104 - 106 . Internet access terminals  104 - 106  are provided access accounts on Internet service provider system  102  by a service vendor. The service vendor utilizes data terminal  103  to directly administer these access accounts. The service vendor may own an Internet access terminal and also provide the Internet access account; or the service vendor provides software that allows the user to utilize their own terminal and an access account from the service provider to access Internet service provider system  102 . 
     FIG. 1 illustrates that Internet access terminals  104 - 106  access Internet service provider system  102  via public telephone network  101 . One skilled in the art would readily envision other methods for the Internet access terminals to access Internet service provider system  102 . The service vendor utilizes data terminal  103  to access Internet service provider system  102  to activate and deactivate access accounts which have been purchased by the service vendor on Internet service provider system  102 . The administrator of Internet service provider system  102  is not directly involved with the activation and deactivation of access accounts owned by the service vendor. In addition, the service vendor can utilize data terminal  103  to obtain the service record for each of the access accounts. The service record defines the amount of usage that the access account has been used for. To perform these operations, the service vendor must identify themselves via data terminal  103  by a personal identification number (PIN) which may be a simple number, voice print, or some other mechanism of personal identification. 
     In addition to providing access accounts to users, the service vendor also provides Internet access terminals that may be rented. Such a terminal is illustrated in FIG.  5 . In addition, the service vendor provides a special software package for users who have their own personal computers (PC). Both the service provider terminals and software contain the access number as an encrypted piece of data. The service vendor has the capability via Internet service provider system  102  to inhibit the user&#39;s use of the Internet service provider system  102  by inhibiting access to this encrypted access number. In addition, the service provider further has the capability of removing all software from Internet access terminals provided by the service vendor upon transmission of a message to Internet service provider system  102 . Upon receipt of this message, Internet service provider system  102  sends an encrypted message to the Internet access terminal which causes the terminal to destroy all software present on the terminal. This is done so that the service vendor can render the Internet access terminal inoperable in case the user attempts to steal it. In addition, software provided by the service vendor is responsive to such an encrypted message to totally remove the software of the service vendor from the PC of the user. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate, in flow chart form, the steps performed by Internet service provider system  102  in responding to messages from the service vendor. Decision block  201  is responsive to a message or instigation of a task to determine if it is a message from the service vendor. If the answer is no, block  202  performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block  201 . If the answer is yes, block  203  receives the service request and the PIN from the service vendor before transferring control to decision block  204 . Decision block  204  determines if the request is to activate an access account. If the answer is yes, block  206  obtains the access account ID from the service vendor, and block  207  activates the access account before returning control back to decision block  201 . 
     Returning to decision block  204 , if the answer is no, decision block  208  determines if it is a request to deactivate an access account. If the answer is yes, block  209  obtains the access account ID, and block  211  deactivates the access account. Block  212  then requests and obtains from the service vendor the encryption key that allows access into the Internet access terminal. Block  213  then transmits a message to the terminal requesting that the terminal destroy the encrypted access account number. Note, that if the Internet access terminal is not active on Internet service provider system  102  at this time, the system will have to wait until the terminal becomes active to actually execute the action of block  213 . After execution of block  213 , control is transferred back to decision block  201 . Internet access software provided by the service vendor running on a PC of a user will perform the same operations. 
     Returning to decision block  208 , if the message from the service vendor is not requesting the deactivation of an access account, control is transferred to decision block  301  of FIG.  3 . Decision block  301  determines if the message is requesting the service record for a particular access account. If the answer is yes, block  302  obtains the access account ID; and block  303  transmits the service record for that access account to the service vendor before transferring control back to decision block  201  of FIG.  2 . 
     Returning to decision block  301 , if the answer is no, control is transferred to decision block  304  which determines if the service vendor is requesting that the Internet access terminal be totally disabled with respect to accessing Internet service provider system  102 . If the answer is no, block  307  performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block  201  of FIG.  2 . If the answer is yes, block  306  obtains the encryption key from the service vendor, and block  308  transmits an encrypted message to the terminal to totally remove all service vendor software from the terminal before returning control back to decision block  201  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates, in flow chart form, the steps performed by a terminal. Decision block  401  determines if a message has been received from Internet service provider system  102  requesting that the encrypted account number be destroyed. Decision block  401  utilizes the encryption key in the message to make certain that the message is truly from Internet service provider system  102 . If the answer is yes, block  402  destroys the encrypted account number by gaining access to that number utilizing the encryption key; and block  403  disconnects from Internet service provider system  102  before transferring control back to decision block  401 . 
     If the answer in decision block  401  is no, decision block  404  determines if there is a message from Internet service provider system  102  to destroy all service vendor supplied software on a PC of a user or all software on an Internet access terminal. If the answer is no, block  409  performs normal processing before transferring control back to decision block  401 . If the answer is yes, decision block  406  determines if the terminal is one supplied by the service vendor. If the answer is yes, block  407  removes all software from the terminal before transferring control back to decision block  401 . If the answer in decision block  406  is no, block  408  destroys only the software supplied by the service vendor within the user&#39;s PC before transferring control back to decision block  401 . Both block  407  and  408  are allowed to perform these operations only if they have the proper encryption key which is received from Internet service provider system  102 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates, in block diagram form, details of an Internet access terminal provided by the service vendor. The operation of elements  501 , and  503 - 509  is performed in a manner well understood in the prior art for providing access to Internet service provider system  102 . Flash memory  502  is utilized to contain the encrypted access account number that is needed to gain access to Internet service provider system  102 . In addition, in order to remove this encrypted access account number, the software executed by CPU  501  has to obtain the encryption key from Internet service provider system  102  as was set forth in FIGS. 2 and 3. The encryption key is used to gain access to flash memory  502 . Similarly, to totally remove all software from RAM  503  and disk  504  the encryption key must be received and verified by accessing flash memory  502 . Only the service vendor can write the encryption key and the encrypted access account number into flash memory  502 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the software structure in a PC of a user which has been loaded with service vendor software. Internet browser  606  and disable application  607  are loaded by the service vendor when the user rents an access account on Internet server provider system  102  of FIG. 2 from the service vendor. When the PC interconnects to Internet service provider system  102 , Internet browser  606  and disable application  607  establish software sessions with software executing in Internet service provider system  102 . Internet browser  606  may be a standard commercial browser program. The access account number is maintained by disable application  607 . Disable application  607  is executing the steps illustrated in FIG.  4 . When disable application  607  executes block  408  of FIG. 4, disable application  607  first removes Internet browser  606  and then removes itself from the PC of the user. Other software blocks are not effected by disable application  607 . Elements  601 - 604  perform well known operations within the art. Program applications  608 - 609  are standard user applications such as word processing or database applications. 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.