Providing private access point services in a communication system

A method comprising:

• establishing, at a private access point device, a local network accessible by one or more communication devices;
• determining, at the private access point device, one or more services that may be provided to communication devices of the one or more communication devices;
• advertising information, at the private access point device, about the determined services in the local network for reception by the one or more communication devices;
• receiving, at the private access point device, a service request from a respective communication device;
• in response to the received service request, initiating provision of a requested service at the private access point device;
• identifying, at the private access point device, incentives available for the private access point device for provision of the requested service;
• at the private access point device, crediting an account associated with the private access point device or a service provider associated with the private access point device according to an identified incentive;
• communicating with an operator support server information about the provided service so that the operator support server may manage the account associated with the private access point device;
• at the private access point device, receiving periodic heartbeat messages from the respective communication device during provision of the selected service by the private access point device to the respective communication device;
• and
• at the private access point device, communicating information about the periodic heartbeat messages to the operator support server for tracking usage of the selected service by the operator support server and crediting the account associated with the private access point device.

A private access point device comprising:

• a circuit to establish a local network which is accessible by one or more communication devices to establish data communication with the private access point device;
• a circuit to communicate information with a remote operator support server, the communicated information including information about incentives available to the private access point device to compensate the private access point device for provision of selected services by the private access point device to the one or more communication devices in the local network;
• a circuit to communicate with a secondary advertising device;
• a circuit to advertise on the local network services which may be provided by the private access point or secondary services which may be provided from the secondary advertising device through the private access point device;
• a circuit to process a request from a communication device of the one or more communication devices on the local network and to initiate provision of a service to the communication device by the private access point device in response to the request;
• a circuit to communicate to the remote operator support server information about the provision of the service for use by the remote operator support server in crediting an account associated with the private access point device according to the incentives available for provision of the selected services.

A private access point device comprising:

• a circuit to establish a local network which is accessible by one or more communication devices to establish data communication with the private access point device;
• a circuit to communicate information with a remote operator support server, the communicated information including information about incentives available to the private access point device for provision of selected services to the one or more communication devices in the local network;
• a circuit to communicate with a secondary advertising device;
• a circuit to advertise on the local network services which may be provided by the private access point or secondary services which may be provided from the secondary advertising device through the private access point device;
• a circuit to process a request from a communication device of the one or more communication devices on the local network and to initiate provision of a service to the communication device in response to the request;
• a circuit to communicate to the remote operator support server information about the provision of the service for use by the remote operator support server in crediting an account associated with the private access point device according to the incentives available for provision of the selected services,
• wherein the circuit to establish a local network is operative to receive from a communication device one or more heartbeat messages and wherein the circuit to communicate information with the remote operator support server is operative to communicate information about the received heartbeat messages for tracking service usage by the remote operator support server and crediting the account associated with the private access point device according to the incentives available for provision of the selected services.

A method comprising:

• establishing, at a private access point device, a local network for data communication with one or more communication devices;
• communicating, at the private access point device, service advertisements to the one or more communication devices in the local network, the service advertisements including information about services available from the private access point device;
• receiving, at the private access point device, a session request from a requesting communication device of the one or more communication devices, the service request specifying a service to be provided to the requesting communication device on the local network;
• communicating, at the private access point device, a connection request to an operator support server, the connection request including information defining the service to be provided to the requesting communication device;
• communicating, at the private access point device, an account request message to the operator support server, the account request message including information specifying crediting adjustments to be made to an account associated with the private access point device based on incentives for providing specified access point services to the requesting communication device to thereby compensate for costs otherwise charged by a network service provider when the private access point is used to access a network provided by the network service provider;
• and
• providing, at the private access point device, the service to be provided to the requesting communication device.