Internet access control using depth parameters

In a system comprising an access point configured to communicate with a mobile device and to receive a connection request from said mobile device and further comprising a walled garden server,

• a method of controlling wireless internet access comprising:
• responding to a connection request from the mobile device by sending a response to the mobile device over the internet indicating that content from the walled garden server, including free content and non-free content, can be served to the mobile device;
• configuring the walled garden server to provide one or more free access links to the mobile device to one or more internet sites to which internet access is controlled by an operator of the walled garden server;
• controlling access to said one or more internet sites to which free access links have been provided by the walled garden server through use of:
• a URL seed database indicating which of a plurality of URL's may form the start of a browsing experience by a user of the mobile device on said one or more internet sites;
• a URL denied database comprising URL's which a mobile device may not traverse while browsing;
• a specific URL database comprising a list of specific URL's to which a mobile device has previously been granted access;
• and
• a specific depth database storing a plurality of seed URL's and a maximum depth parameter associated with each seed URL, each depth parameter indicating a maximum depth to which a user of the mobile device is permitted to follow links on a selected seed URL;
• creating an affiliation database comprising a list of one or more internet sites with which an operator of the walled garden server has an arrangement to derive affiliate revenue;
• and
• tagging a request for access to said one or more internet sites as coming from a particular mobile device, thereby enabling a sponsor site to track revenues derived through use of a said free access link by said particular mobile device.

Apparatus for controlling wireless internet access comprising:

• an access point configured to communicate with a mobile device and to receive a connection request from said mobile device;
• a walled garden server;
• an access controller comprising one or more digital processors, computers, or microprocessors and configured to communicate with the access point and to communicate over the internet with the walled garden server;
• wherein the access controller is configured to respond to a connection request from the mobile device by sending a response to the mobile device indicating that the access controller can serve content from the walled garden server to the mobile device, such content comprising selected free content and selected non-free content;
• wherein, in addition to the selected free content and selected non-free content, the walled garden server is configured to provide one or more free access links to the mobile device to one or more internet sites to which internet access is controlled through use of:
• a URL seed database indicating which of a plurality of URL's may form the start of a browsing experience by a user of the mobile device on said one or more internet sites;
• and
• a specific depth database storing a plurality of seed URL's and a maximum depth parameter associated with each seed URL, each maximum depth parameter indicating a maximum depth to which a user of the mobile device is permitted to follow links on a selected seed URL;
• an affiliation database comprising a list of one or more internet sites with which an operator of the walled garden server has an arrangement to derive affiliate revenue;
• and
• said access controller further comprising a software implemented traffic tagger controlled by said operator and configured to tag a request for access to said one or more internet sites as coming from a particular mobile device, thereby enabling a sponsor site to track revenues derived through use of a said free access link by said particular mobile device;
• and
• wherein the URL seed database, specific depth database, and affiliation database each comprise a computer readable storage medium or media.

In a system comprising:

• an access point configured to communicate with a mobile device and to receive a connection request from said mobile device;
• a walled garden server;
• and
• an access controller configured to communicate with the access point and to communicate over the internet with the walled garden server, the access controller being configured to respond to a connection request from a mobile device by sending a response to the mobile device indicating that the access controller can serve content from the walled garden server to the mobile device;
• a method of controlling wireless internet access comprising:
• configuring the walled garden server to provide one or more access links to a mobile device to one or more internet sites to which internet access is controlled by an operator of the walled garden server;
• controlling access to said one or more internet sites through use of:
• a URL seed database indicating which of a plurality of URL's may form the start of a browsing experience on said one or more internet sites;
• and
• a specific depth database storing a plurality of seed URL's and a maximum depth parameter associated with each seed URL, each maximum depth parameter indicating a maximum depth to which a user of the mobile device is permitted to follow links on a selected seed URL;
• creating an affiliation database comprising a list of one or more internet sites with which the operator of the walled garden server has an arrangement to derive affiliate revenue;
• and
• tagging a request for access to said one or more internet sites as coming from a particular mobile device, thereby enabling a sponsor site to track revenues derived through use of a said free access link by said particular mobile device.