Patent ID: 8619988

Claim:
A method of providing virtual Wi-Fi service with accounting and authentication control via a virtual Wi-Fi access network, the method comprising: connecting a subscriber to the virtual Wi-Fi access network, wherein the virtual Wi-Fi access network comprises a plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points in communication with at least one virtual Wi-Fi access server and the plurality of individual Wi-Fi access points comprises a combination of enterprise owned access points and private owned access points, at least one individual Wi-Fi access point having at least one channel or resource to share with virtual Wi-Fi access network subscribers not having a direct relationship with the individual Wi-Fi access point; prompting the subscriber for an account ID and password; performing subscriber authentication at the virtual Wi-Fi access server; where the subscriber has been authenticated, establishing a Wi-Fi session in the virtual Wi-Fi access network for the subscriber and applying an accounting function to the Wi-Fi session; and notifying the virtual Wi-Fi access server when the subscriber exits from the virtual Wi-Fi network, wherein each individual Wi-Fi access point is able to send an indication with a radio signal that indicates whether the Wi-Fi access point is able to share spare channels or resources.