Communicating information about available networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10397017-B2
Application number	US-201615281876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to a computer-implemented method for communicating terms of service for providing internet access. The method includes establishing, using a gateway internet service provider (ISP) processor, a private network communications path between the gateway ISP processor and a client processor over a private area network. The method further includes transmitting, using the gateway ISP processor, data over the private network communications path, wherein the data includes terms of service that must be accepted by the client processor as one condition of the gateway ISP processor providing the client processor with internet access.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing internet access, the method comprising:
establishing, using a gateway internet service provider (ISP) processor, a first private network communications path between the gateway ISP processor and a client processor over a private area network;
wherein the first private network communications path is not routed through a web browser of the client processor;
wherein the first private network communications path does not provide the client processor with internet access;
transmitting, using the gateway ISP processor, data over the private network communications path;
wherein the data comprises inquiry data and information data;
wherein the information data comprises terms of service that must be accepted by the client processor as one condition of the gateway ISP processor providing the client processor with internet access;
receiving, using the gateway ISP processor, response data from the client processor over the first private network communications path, wherein the response data is responsive to the inquiry data; and
based at least in part on determining that the response data comprises an acceptance of the terms of service, providing, using the gateway ISP processor, the client processor with internet access through the web browser of the client processor and a second private network communications path of the private area network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the first private network communications path comprises the gateway ISP assigning a private network address to the client processor.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting data over the first private network communications path comprises a communications protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the communications protocol comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to transmitting terms of service over the first private network communications path, determining that the gateway ISP processor has received response data that comprises an acceptance by the client processor of the terms of service; and
based at least in part on determining that the gateway ISP processor has received response data that comprises an acceptance by the client processor of the terms of service, providing, using the gateway ISP processor, the client processor with internet access without transmitting the terms of service over the first private network communications path.

6. A computer-implemented method for providing internet access, the method comprising:
accessing, using a client processor, a gateway internet service provider (ISP) processor through a first private network communications path over a private area network;
wherein the first private network communications path is not routed through a web browser of the client process;
wherein the first private network communications path does not provide the client processor with internet access;
receiving, using the client processor, data over the private network communications path;
wherein the data comprises inquiry data and information data;
wherein the information data comprises terms of service that must be accepted by the client processor as one condition of the gateway ISP processor providing the client processor with internet access;
transmitting, using the client processor, response data to the gateway ISP processor over the first private network communications path, wherein the response data is responsive to the inquiry data; and based at least in part on the response data comprising an acceptance of the terms of service, receiving, using the client processor, internet access through the gateway ISP processor;
wherein the gateway ISP processor provides the internet access through the web browser of the client processor and a second private network communications path of the private area network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein establishing the first private network communications path comprises the client processor receiving a private network address from the gateway ISP processor.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting data over the first private network communications path comprises a communications protocol.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the communications protocol comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
based at least in part on determining that the terms of service match previously accepted terms of service, automatically transmitting, using the client processor, response data to the gateway ISP processor over the first private network communication path, wherein the response data comprises an acceptance of the terms of service.

11. A computer program product for providing internet access, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions readable by a processor system to cause the processor system to perform a method comprising:
establishing a first private network communications path between a gateway ISP processor and a client processor over a private area network;
wherein the first private network communications path is not routed through a web browser of the client process; and
wherein the first private network communications path does not provide the client processor with internet access;
transmitting data over the first private network communications path;
wherein the data comprises inquiry data and information data;
wherein the information data comprises terms of service that must be accepted by the client processor as one condition of the gateway ISP processor providing the client processor with internet access;
identifying that response data has been transmitted over the first private network communications path, wherein the response data is responsive to the inquiry data; and
based at least in part on determining that the response data comprises an acceptance of the terms of service, establishing internet access for the client processor through the web browser of the client processor, a second private network communication path of the private area network, and the gateway ISP processor.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein establishing the first private network communications path comprises establishing a private network address for the client processor.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein:
transmitting data over the first private network communications path comprises a communications protocol; and
the communications protocol comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).

14. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:
prior to transmitting terms of service over the first private network communications path, determining that the gateway ISP processor has received response data that comprises an acceptance by the client processor of the terms of service; and
based at least in part on determining that the gateway ISP processor has received the response data that qualifies as an acceptance by the client processor of the terms of service, providing, using the gateway ISP processor, the client processor with internet access without transmitting the terms of service over the private network communications path.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Broomhall Matthew E
• Caldas Fabrizio N
• Dotson Christopher R
• Spano Sr Michael R

Classifications

• H04L41/5045

  Making service definitions prior to deployment · CPC title

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04L12/2856 Primary

  Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access (asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W) · CPC title

• H04L61/2015

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/1511

  Electricity · mapped topic