# US 8,751,648 B2 · Providing and receiving network access > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,648 B2 - Document ID: US8751648B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/441,827 - Filed: 2006-05-25 - Published: 2007-02-08 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-03 - Assignees: WeFi Inc. - Applicants: Shimon Scherzer; Tamir Scherzer - Inventors: Shimon Scherzer; Tamir Scherzer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751648B2 ## CPC - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The disclosure concerns the expansion of wireless network access beyond networks for which a user is registered. A method of facilitating connection to a wireless network access point includes receiving a request from a user device for access information-required to connect to a network through an access point. The network being a network for which the user is not registered, determining user contribution account acceptability for the access point, and providing the access information to the user if the user contribution account is acceptable for said access point. In this manner, users who are willing to share network access to networks for which they are registered will be able to access networks for which they are not registered. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of facilitating connection to a wireless network access point comprising: storing, by a server, access point information for one or more wireless network access points, each of which enables a user device to connect to a network; receiving, by the server, a request from a user device for the access point information; determining, at the server, user contribution account acceptability for a user associated with the user device, based, at least in part, on an amount of bandwidth provided by a wireless network access point associated with the user to one or more other user devices to connect to the network, wherein one or more other users of the one or more other user devices are associated with the one or more wireless network access points; wherein determining user contribution account acceptability includes verifying an acceptable user contribution account balance; wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to access point bandwidth allocation provided by the user to other users; and providing the access point information to the user device based at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein the request for access point information is requested using one or more of the following: a software client and a web application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as in claim 2, wherein the software client enables one or more of the following: monitoring use of an access point, controling access to an access point, permitting use of an access point, viewing other users connected to an access point, viewing levels of traffic to or from an access point, and denying use of an access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising connecting the user device to an access point using the access point information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein access point information can be used to access one or more of the following through the-an access point: the Internet, the world wide web, network services, wireless network services, broadband wireless network services, broadband wireless network services via WiFi access points, broadband wireless network services via a social network, and broadband wireless network services via a social network that is enabled by a community of collaborative users. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein a first element of access point information is calculated from a second element of access point information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving user registration information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method as in claim 7, wherein registration information includes one or more of the following: the user's access point information to enable a second user to use the user's access point, the user's identifier information, the user's access point SSID, the user's access point WEP key, the user's access point WPA key, and the user's access point bandwidth allocation for a second user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising accepting user registration information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein determining user contribution account acceptability includes checking user contribution account registration information for a user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein determining user contribution account acceptability comprises determining one or more of the following: whether the user has agreed to a trial period and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, whether the user has registered and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, whether the user has a temporary user contribution account, whether the user has a user contribution account, whether the user has a user contribution account balance, whether the user has a user contribution account balance above a threshold value, whether the user has a user contribution account balance below a threshold value, and whether the user has a user contribution account balance in a range a value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein user contribution account balance is added to when bandwidth is used by a second user when: accessing an access point associated with the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein user contribution account balance is subtracted from when bandwidth is used by the user when accessing a third user's access point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to access point bandwidth used by a second user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein the access point information is provided using one or more of the following: a cellular network, a WiFi network, and a wireless access point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving connection status information that can be used to select an appropriate access point for a user device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method as in claim 16, wherein the status information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, number of users using a visible access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation to a visiting user for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, the user's access point bandwidth allocation for other users, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access points. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising providing connection status information that can be used to select an appropriate access point by a user device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method as in claim 18, wherein the status information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, the user's access point bandwidth allocation for other users, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access points. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein said user contribution account indicates at least one of the amount of access that is given by the user to other users of a network for which the user is registered and the amount of access that is given to the user to networks of other users. ### Claim 21 A system for facilitating connection to a wireless network access point comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to: receive a request from a user device for access point information of one or more wireless network access points, each of which enables the user device to connect to a network; determine user contribution account acceptability for a user associated with the user device, based, at least in part, on an amount of bandwidth provided by a wireless network access point associated with the user to one or more other user devices to connect to the network, wherein one or more other users of the one or more other user devices are associated with the one or more wireless network access points; wherein determining user contribution account acceptability includes verifying an acceptable user contribution account balance; wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to access point bandwidth allocation provided by the user to other users; and providing the access point information to the user device based, at least in part, on the determination. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein access point information can be used to access one or more of the following through the access point: the Internet, network services, wireless network services, broadband wireless network services, broadband wireless network services via WiFi Access points, broadband wireless network services via a social network, and broadband wireless network services via a social network that is enabled by a community of collaborative users. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, further comprising transmitting user registration information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein registration information includes one or more of the following: the user's access point information to enable a second user to use the user's access point, the user's identifier information, the user's access, point SSID, the user's access point WEP key, the user's access point WPA key, and the user's access point bandwidth allocation for a second user. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, where a first element of access point information is calculated from a second element of access point information. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, further comprising requesting acceptance of user registration information. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein determining user contribution acceptability includes checking user contribution account registration information for a user. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein user contribution account acceptability comprises one or more of the following: having agreed to a trial period and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, having registered and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, having a temporary user contribution account, having a user contribution account, having a user contribution account balance, having a user contribution account balance above a threshold value, having a user contribution account balance below a threshold value, and having a user contribution account balance in a range a values. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein user contribution account balance is added to when bandwidth is used by a second user when accessing an access point associated with the user. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system as in claim 29, wherein user contribution account balance is subtracted from when bandwidth is used by the user when accessing a third user's access point. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The system as in claim 29, wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to a user's access point bandwidth used by a second user. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, wherein the access point information is provided using one or more of the following: a cellular network, a WiFi network, and a wireless access point. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, further comprising transmitting connection status information that can be used to select appropriate access point by a user device. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The system as in claim 33, wherein the status information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, number of users using a visible access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation to a visiting user for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access point. ### Claim 35 (depends on 21) The system as in claim 21, further comprising receiving connection status information that can be used to select appropriate access point for a user device. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The system as in claim 35, wherein the status, information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access points. ### Claim 37 (depends on 21) A system as in claim 21, wherein said user contribution account indicates at least one of the amount of access that is given by the user to other users of a network for which the user is registered and the amount of access that is given to the user to networks of other users. ### Claim 38 A computer program product for facilitating connection to a wireless network access point and computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for causing a computer processor to execute the following: receiving a request from a user device for access point information of one or more wireless network access points, each of which enables the user device to connect to a network; determining user contribution account acceptability for a: user associated with the user device, based, at least in part, on an amount of bandwidth provided by a wireless network access point associated with the user to one or more other user devices to connect to the network, wherein one or more other users of the one or more other user devices are associated with the one or more wireless network access points; wherein determining user contribution account acceptability includes verifying an acceptable user contribution account balance; wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to access point bandwidth allocation provided by the user to other users; and providing the access point information to the user device based, at least in part, on the determination. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, further comprising connecting the user device to the access point using the access information. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein access point information can be used to access one or more: of the following through the wireless network access point: the Internet, network services, wireless network services, broadband wireless network services, broadband wireless network services via WiFi Access points, broadband wireless network services via a social network, and broadband wireless network services via a social network that is enabled by a community of collaborative users. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, further comprising transmitting user registration information. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein registration information includes one or more of the following: the user's access point information to enable a second user to use the user's access point, the user's identifier information, the user's access point SSID, the user's access point WEP key, the user's access point WPA key, and the user's access point bandwidth allocation for a second user. ### Claim 43 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein a first element of access information is calculated from a second element of access information. ### Claim 44 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, further comprising requesting acceptance of user registration information. ### Claim 45 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein determining user contribution account acceptability includes checking user contribution account registration information for a user. ### Claim 46 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein user contribution account acceptability comprises one or more of the following: having agreed to a trial period and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, having registered and being associated with a temporary user contribution account, having a temporary user contribution account, having a user contribution account, having a user contribution account balance: having a user contribution account balance above a threshold value, having a user contribution account balance below a threshold value, and having a user contribution account balance in a range a values. ### Claim 47 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein user contribution account balance is added to when bandwidth is used by a second user when accessing an access point associated with the user. ### Claim 48 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein user contribution account balance is subtracted from when bandwidth is used by the user when accessing a third user's access point. ### Claim 49 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein additions to a user contribution account balance are weighted proportional to access point bandwidth used by a second user. ### Claim 50 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein the access point information is provided using one or more of the following: a cellular network, a WiFi network, and a wireless access point. ### Claim 51 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, further comprising transmitting connection status information that can be used to select an appropriate access point by a user device. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The computer program product as in claim 51, wherein the status information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, number of users using a visible access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation to: a visiting user for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access points. ### Claim 53 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, further comprising receiving connection status information that can be used to select an appropriate access point for a user. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The computer program product as in claim 53, wherein the status information includes one or more of the following: visible network access points, signal strength for visible network access points, average transfer rates to or from the visible network access points, bandwidth allocation for visible network access points, retry statistics for visible network access points, and statistics of return ping delays for visible network access points. ### Claim 55 (depends on 38) The computer program product as in claim 38, wherein said user contribution account indicates at least one of the amount of access that is given by the user to other users of a network for which the user is registered and the amount of access that: is given to the user to networks of other users.