Extended Wireless (04-Nov-2009)

Extended Wireless

This idea relates to the commercial wireless services hotspots typically found in Airports and hotels. Free wireless access points are growing, but according to consumer reports they are not growing as fast as rental or pay for use access points. This idea allows smaller or disjoint wireless rental hotspots to align with other hotspots to provide coverage patterns consistent with users travel patterns. This will entice users to purchase the service or purchase more service.

For example, the user is in their hotel and the wireless hotspot rate plans are typically, $4 per hour, or $20 for 24 hours. Travelers are in a dilemma, wondering whether to buy a couple of hours now and pay for more at the airport. Proposed is a method to allow for a simple and seamless integration between hotspots with minimal IT change. Now the traveler is presented with the options of $4 per hour or $20 for 24 hours good for this hotel, or restaurant across the street and the airport. This idea facilitates the collaboration between mini-hotspots to create a flexible, broader, network.

The current technology used to distinguish or require that customers pay for wireless service is that the wireless access point (AP) interrogates the client. Initially the client will fail this authentication because the personal computer (PC), or laptop is not authorized to use the wireless hotspot. The small wireless AP does not make this determinat...