US 9,179,399 B2 · Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating access to a communication service via a WLAN hotspot

Abstract

A mobile communication device identifies and selects a wireless local area network (WLAN) available for communications in its coverage area. Automatically, without detecting any requests made by a user via a browser application. The mobile device initiates a request (e.g. an HTTP GET request) to a predetermined server site of a communication network which is outside of the WLAN. In response to initiating the request, the mobile device receives a response message via the WLAN and identifies, from the response message, whether the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected to a redirect server site. The WLAN may be a WLAN “hotspot,” where the redirect server site is a login server. The identifying may be performed by comparing content from the response message to predetermined content of the predetermined server site. In response to identifying that the request has been redirected, the mobile device causes an indication to be produced at its user interface. Access to a communication service (such as a “push”-data service) may be subsequently expediently obtained.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method in a mobile communication device comprising the acts of:

identifying and selecting a wireless communication network available for communications in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;
causing a connection to be established with the wireless communication network;
automatically, without detecting any requests made via a browser application of the mobile communication device:
initiating a request to a predetermined server site of a communication network communicable via a gateway of the wireless communication network;
receiving a response message in response to initiating the request;
and
identifying at the mobile communication device, from the response message, whether the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected to a redirect server site of the wireless communication network, wherein the identifying whether the request has been redirected comprises:
comparing a content in the response message with a predetermined content associated with the redirect server site;
and
in response to identifying, at the mobile communication device, a match between the content in the response message and the Predetermined content associated with the redirect server site, identifying at the mobile communication device that the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected.

7 more elements

A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;
a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;
the one or more processors being operative to:
identify, via the wireless transceiver, a wireless communication network available for communications in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;
cause a connection to be established with the wireless communication network;
automatically, without detecting any requests made via a browser application of the mobile communication device:
transmit, via the wireless transceiver, a request to a predetermined server site of a communication network communicable via a gateway of the wireless communication network;
receive, via the wireless transceiver, a response message in response to transmitting the request;
identify at the mobile communication device, from the response message, whether the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected to a redirect server site of the wireless communication network, by:
comparing a content in the response message with a predetermined content associated with the redirect server site;
and
in response to identifying, at the mobile communication device, a match between the content in the response message and the predetermined content associated with the redirect server site, identifying at the mobile communication device that the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected;
and
causing an indication to be produced at the user interface in response to identifying that the request has been redirected.

12 more elements

A method in a mobile communication device for use in facilitating access to a voice or a push data service via a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising the acts of:

identifying and selecting a WLAN available for communications in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;
causing an IP connection to be established with the WLAN;
automatically, without detecting any requests made via a browser application of the mobile communication device:
initiating a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) GET request to a predetermined server site of a communication network communicable via a gateway of the WLAN;
receiving a response message in response to initiating the HTTP GET request;
identifying at the mobile communication device, from the response message, whether the HTTP GET request to the predetermined server site has been redirected to a redirect server site of the WLAN, by:
comparing a content in the response message with a predetermined content associated with the redirect server site;
and
in response to identifying, at the mobile communication device, a match between the content in the response message and the Predetermined content associated with the redirect server site, identifying at the mobile communication device that the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected;
causing an indication to be produced at a user interface of the mobile communication device in response to identifying that the HTTP GET request has been redirected, for use in soliciting a user response;
receiving, at the user interface, the user response;
causing the user response to be sent to the redirect server site;
and
obtaining access to the voice or the push data service, via the gateway, after causing the user response to be sent.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating access to a communication service via a WLAN hotspot

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating access to a communication service via a WLAN hotspot

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29