# US 8,788,690 B2 · Systems and methods for providing content and services on a network system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,690 B2 - Document ID: US8788690B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/094,712 - Filed: 2013-12-02 - Published: 2014-03-27 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 1998-12-08 - Assignees: Nomadix, Inc. - Applicants: Nomadix, Inc. - Inventors: Joel E. Short; Florence C. I. Pagan; Joshua J. Goldstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788690B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - G06F 15/173: using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake - G06Q 50/163: Real estate management - H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework - H04L 12/22: Arrangements for preventing the taking of data from a data transmission channel without authorisation (means for verifying the identity or the authority of a user of a secure or secret communication system H04L9/32) - H04L 41/00: Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks - H04L 41/0896: Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities (flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76) - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 45/22: {Alternate routing} - H04L 47/25: with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions - H04L 47/29: {using a combination of thresholds} - H04L 61/25: of the same type - H04L 61/2503: Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 61/4547: {for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier} - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 63/0892: {by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols} - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04L 63/104: {Grouping of entities} - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 67/00: Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications (user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00) - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04W 12/088: using filters or firewalls - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - H04L 45/308: {Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users} - H04L 69/08: Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion - H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support - H04W 36/12: Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 Systems and methods for managing and providing content and services on a network system. Aspects of the invention include location-based determination of network content and services that may be provided to client computers. Other aspects of the invention include authorization and authentication components that determine access rights of client computers. Additional aspects include systems and methods for redirecting client computers to different network content. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in numerous network system applications. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing network access, the method comprising: receiving at a network communications port a request from a computer for access to a destination address external to a computer network; redirecting the computer to a portal page; receiving authentication-related information from the computer; formatting the authentication-related information into a predetermined data format corresponding to a property management system (PMS) protocol; and transmitting the formatted authentication-related information to a PMS device; wherein the PMS device is configured to automatically associate a billing entry to a customer's account for network access by utilizing the formatted authentication-related information; and wherein no specialized software configured for the computer network is required to be installed on the computer for the computer to communicate with the computer network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, using a processing unit, if the computer is entitled to access a site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein redirecting the computer to the portal page comprises sending transmission control protocol handshake completion data to the computer in response to a request for connection from the computer, the transmission control protocol handshake completion data configured to appear to be from the destination address, wherein the processing unit need not communicate with the destination address if the computer is not entitled to access to the site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related information comprises time of request. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related information comprises information related to a physical location associated with the computer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the physical location comprises a room number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the portal page includes a link configured to direct the computer to an authentication system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related information includes a unique code. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related information is related to an agreement needed to access a site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related information includes information relating to a credit card. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the computer utilizes software comprising a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) service. ### Claim 12 A system for managing network access, the system comprising: a network communications port; and a hardware processing system communicating with the network communications port and configured to process a request from a computer for access to a destination address external to a computer network received through the network communications port, the processing system including programming which, when accessed by the hardware processing system, causes the hardware processing system to: process authentication-related information from the computer; format the authentication-related information into a predetermined data format corresponding to a property management system (PMS) protocol; and transmit the formatted authentication-related information to a PMS device; wherein the PMS device is configured to utilize the formatted authentication-related information to associate a billing entry for network access to a customer's account; and wherein the network communications port and the hardware processing system are components of a computer network and no software configured specially for the computer network is required to be installed on the computer for the computer to communicate with the computer network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the programming, when accessed by the processing system further causes the processing system to determine if the computer is entitled to access a site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the programming, when accessed by the processing system further causes the processing system to send transmission control protocol handshake completion data to the computer in response to a request for connection from the computer, the transmission control protocol handshake completion data configured to appear to be from the destination address, wherein the hardware processing system need not communicate with the destination address if the computer is not entitled to access to the site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication-related information comprises time of request. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication-related information comprises information related to a physical location associated with the computer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication-related information relates to a room number. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication-related information includes a unique code. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the computer utilizes software comprising a DHCP service. ### Claim 20 A system for managing network access, the system comprising: means for receiving a request from a computer for access to a destination address external to a computer network; means for redirecting the computer to a portal page; means for receiving authentication-related information from the computer; means for formatting the authentication-related information into a predetermined data format corresponding to a property management system (PMS) protocol; and means for transmitting the formatted authentication-related information to a PMS device; wherein the PMS device is configured to utilize the formatted authentication-related information to automatically associate the request for access to a computer network with a customer account; and wherein no specialized software configured for the computer network is required to be installed on the computer for the computer to communicate with the computer network. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein means for redirecting the computer to the portal page comprises means for sending transmission control protocol handshake completion data to the computer in response to a request for connection from the computer, the transmission control protocol handshake completion data configured to appear to be from the destination address, wherein the system need not communicate with the destination address if the computer is not entitled to access to the site associated with the destination address. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the authentication-related information comprises time of request. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the computer utilizes software comprising a DHCP service.