U.S. patent application number 15/253465 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-22 for wireless network having multiple communication allowances.
The applicant listed for this patent is Lone Star WiFi LLC. Invention is credited to Scott C. Harris.
Application Number | 20160373933 15/253465 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40342971 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160373933 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harris; Scott C. |
December 22, 2016 |
WIRELESS NETWORK HAVING MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION ALLOWANCES
Abstract
Multiple levels of wireless network resource granting. A user
who has an authorized key, e.g., an encryption key or a key
indicating that they have paid for service, gets a first, better
level of access to the network resources. One without the key is
granted lesser access, e.g., less total bandwidth, less bandwidth
speed, no access to files or the like.
Inventors: |
Harris; Scott C.; (Rancho
Santa Fe, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lone Star WiFi LLC |
Del Mar |
CA |
US |
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|
Family ID: |
40342971 |
Appl. No.: |
15/253465 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13667690 |
Nov 2, 2012 |
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15253465 |
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12345565 |
Dec 29, 2008 |
8312286 |
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13667690 |
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10800472 |
Mar 15, 2004 |
7490348 |
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12345565 |
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60454694 |
Mar 17, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 12/04 20130101;
H04W 12/08 20130101; H04L 63/105 20130101; H04L 63/0428 20130101;
H04L 63/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 12/08 20060101
H04W012/08; H04W 12/04 20060101 H04W012/04; H04L 29/06 20060101
H04L029/06 |
Claims
1. A network transmitting system comprising: a first device,
transmitting a first wireless network stream with a first network
name identifier, said first wireless network stream being
accessible with a first key that provides a first level of server
and/or Internet access to a first class of users using said first
wireless network stream; a second device, transmitting a second
wireless network stream with a second network name identifier, said
second wireless network stream being accessible with a second key
that provides a second level of said server and/or Internet access
to a second class of users using said second wireless network
stream; said first and second wireless network streams having
coverage areas that overlap; said first key being different from
said second key; said first level of access being different from
said second level of access; and wherein the level of access
provided to at least one class of users does not allow access to
all server files.
2. A system as in claim 1, wherein each class of users is given
access to the Internet and the Internet access speed given to one
class of users is different from the Internet access speed given to
the other class of users.
3. A system as in claim 1, wherein one level of access allows
access to different intranet resources than another level of
access.
4. A system as in claim 1, wherein each wireless network stream is
compliant with IEEE 802.11.
5. A system as in claim 1, wherein each class of users is given
access to some server files but neither class of users is given
access to all server files.
6. A system as in claim 4, wherein the first network name
identifier and the second network name identifier are
different.
7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said first networking device and
said second networking device are in one device and the coverage
areas of the network streams substantially overlap.
8. A network transmitting system, comprising: a first device,
transmitting a first wireless network stream with a first network
name identifier, said first wireless network stream being
accessible with a first key that provides a first level of server
and/or Internet access to a first class of users using said first
wireless network stream; a second device, transmitting a second
wireless network stream with a second network name identifier, said
second wireless network stream being accessible with a second key
that provides a second level of said server and/or Internet access
to a second class of users using said second wireless network
stream; said first and second wireless network streams having
coverage areas that overlap; said first key being different from
said second key; said first level of access being different from
said second level of access; wherein the level of access provided
to at least one class of users does not allow access to all server
files; and wherein the Internet access speed given to one class of
users is different from the Internet access speed given to another
class of users.
9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the first network name
identifier and the second network name identifier are different,
wherein one level of access allows access to different intranet
resources than another level of access, and wherein each wireless
network stream is compliant with IEEE 802.11.
10. A system as in claim 8, wherein one level of access allows
access to different Internet resources than another level of
access.
11. A system as in claim 8, wherein each class of users is given
access to some server files but neither class of users is given
access to all server files.
12. A system as in claim 8, wherein the first network name
identifier and the second network name identifier are different,
wherein each wireless network stream is compliant with IEEE 802.11,
and wherein the coverage areas of the wireless network streams
substantially overlap.
13. A system as in claim 8, wherein each network is accessed by its
respective key without requiring any further network login.
14. A network transmitting system, comprising: a first device,
transmitting a first wireless network stream, said first wireless
network stream being accessible with a first key that provides a
first level of server and/or Internet access to a first class of
users using said first wireless network stream; a second device,
transmitting a second wireless network stream, said second wireless
network stream being accessible with a second key that provides a
second level of said server and/or Internet access to a second
class of users using said second wireless network stream; said
first and second wireless network streams having coverage areas
that overlap; said first key being different from said second key;
and said first level of access being different from said second
level of access.
15. A system as in claim 14, wherein the level of access provided
to at least one class of users does not allow access to all server
files; wherein said first level of access allows access to
different Internet resources than said second level of access; and
wherein one level of access allows access to different intranet
resources than another level of access.
16. A system as in claim 14, wherein the first network name
identifier and the second network name identifier are different,
and wherein each wireless network stream is compliant with IEEE
802.11.
17. A system as in claim 14, wherein each class of users is given
access to some server files but neither class of users is given
access to all server files.
18. A system as in claim 14, wherein said first networking device
and said second networking device are in one device.
19. A system as in claim 14, wherein each class of users is given
access to the Internet and the Internet access speed given to one
class of users is different from the Internet access speed given to
another class of users.
20. A system as in claim 14, wherein the level of access provided
to at least one class of users does not allow access to all server
files; wherein said first level of access allows access to
different Internet resources than said second level of access;
wherein one level of access allows access to different intranet
resources than another level of access; wherein the first network
name identifier and the second network name identifier are
different; and wherein each wireless network stream is compliant
with IEEE 802.11.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
13/667,690 filed Nov. 2, 2012, pending, which is a continuation of
application Ser. No. 12/345,565 filed Dec. 29, 2008, now issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 8,312,286, which is a continuation of application
Ser. No. 10/800,472 filed Mar. 15, 2004, now issued as U.S. Pat.
No. 7,490,348, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application
No. 60/454,694 filed Mar. 14, 2003. The entire disclosures of the
above-listed Applications are hereby incorporated by specific
reference thereto.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] Wireless networks are well-known, and may be based, for
example, on the 802.11 standard. Because the contents of the
wireless network can be received by anyone with wireless access,
security may be achieved through encryption of the stream. Anyone
with an encryption code can/ap into the network. Those without the
encryption code, however, simply cannot decode the wireless stream.
In addition, standard network protocols may be used, so that not
only the encryption code, but also a network login, is
necessary.
SUMMARY
[0003] The present application describes a wireless network,
defining a plurality of different classes of service, where the
different classes of service include at least a first class of
service that includes a first set of permissions for access to
resources, and a second class of service which includes a second
set of permissions of access to resources.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] These and other aspects will now be described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a basic diagram of the networks described
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0006] Wireless networks have been used for other things besides
secure file transfer. For example, Internet Cafes and "wireless hot
spots" may include the capability of communication to a user's
personal laptop which is equipped with a wireless card. This may
use a network key for the encryption of the word "public", or a
network key which is given to users who pay for the service or pay
for a drink or food, or without any network key at all. Certain
areas such as hotel rooms are often wireless enabled. However, the
communication is typically or totally on, or totally off; that is
either the user is allowed to receive wireless Internet, or the
user is blocked from all communications.
[0007] The present system teaches a network with multiple levels of
capability, depending on the access credentials possessed by the
user.
[0008] FIG. 1 shows this being carried out using multiple network
cards or NICs. However, the same effect can be obtained with a
single NIC. Preferably the network cards are wireless, using one of
the features of IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocols.
[0009] Different classes of users may be assigned. The first class
of users, shown as user 1, are allowed file access to files and
information from the server. These users may be given the
encryption key, here for the first NIC 100 here shown as ABCDEF.
These users may be allowed the highest level of access to
resources. As conventional users who have the complete set of
credentials, they are allowed unlimited upload and download, and
full file access (that is allowed to non-administrator users). In
addition, these users may be allowed the maximum upload and
download speeds which is given to network users, and to receive all
different kinds of Internet and files from all sources.
[0010] For example, the amount of access which is provided to these
users may be assigned by the operating system which drives the
NICs. For example, if Windows XP is used as the operating system,
it may assign NIC 100 with unlimited file access.
[0011] A second class of users shown as user 2 do not have the
credentials, here the encryption key, for the network card 100, and
hence use the encryption key "pubic" and thereby can only
communicate with the network card No. 2 shown as 110.
Alternatively, these same users may communicate using no encryption
key at all.
[0012] The network card 110 allows only some subset of the
operations that are allowed by the network card 100. For example,
the user 2 may receive Internet only, and no file access. They may
be allowed to print. In addition, the upload and download speeds
may be limited or severely limited; for example, the Internet may
be limited to 1M download speeds and 100K of upload speed.
[0013] This system as described above may be usable in an office
environment. For example, users who are actually members of the
office obtain file access, while visitors only receive print and
Internet access.
[0014] Another contemplated use is in pay-for-Internet use. The
user 1 may pay a higher fee than the user 2. For example, user 2
may pay only for limited Internet, while user 1 may pay for access
to resources such as video over IP, and higher download speeds from
the Internet.
[0015] In addition, a third class of users shown as user 3 may be
defined. These users communicate only to NIC 120. Note that while
this describes users 1, 2 and 3, any subset of these users may be
used, for example a system may be configured which only
communicates with user 1 and user 3. The NIC No. 3 is shown as
having no encryption code whatsoever.
[0016] User 3 is limited even further. User 3 may receive only
commercial parts of the Internet. In the office environment, this
may limit the Internet to web pages describing the office and/or
certain intranet sites. In a pay for internet environment, this may
describe the "free" user, who may only receive certain content.
User 3 may also receive a severely restricted bandwidth and/or only
a limited quantity of information. For example, the user 3 may be
assigned a token which allows them only to receive for example
total of 1 megabytes of download and only to upload 100 Kilobytes
of upload. This even further limits the user 3.
[0017] As described above, the different users in their different
classes have different levels of file access, and resource access,
resource speed and resource amount.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows this being carried out with three different
network cards over the same airspace. Alternatively, the three
different networks may be carried out as part of a single network
card; shown as network card 130. For example, this may include
three network resources which operate on the single card.
[0019] Alternatively, the three different kinds of resources may be
carried out in software, for example this may be carried out by
three different network resource allowances within the software
that runs the network card or within the server 99.
[0020] Other implementations are within the disclosed
embodiment.
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