The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 2005
Filed:
Jun. 27, 2002
Kumar Ramaswamy, Plainsboro, NJ (US);
Charles Chuanming Wang, Jamison, PA (US);
Junbaio Zhang, Bridgewater, NJ (US);
Sachin Satish Mody, Lawerenceville, NJ (US);
Kumar Ramaswamy, Plainsboro, NJ (US);
Charles Chuanming Wang, Jamison, PA (US);
Junbaio Zhang, Bridgewater, NJ (US);
Sachin Satish Mody, Lawerenceville, NJ (US);
Thomson Licensing S.A., Boulogne, FR;
Abstract
A user () can gain access to a Local Area Network (LAN) () on a fee basis without the risk of having to transmit an un-encrypted PIN at upon initial access. The user initially sends a request to the LAN identifying a Billing Agent () that maintains an account associated with the user for payment of LAN access charges. In practice, the account can take the form of a pre-paid account identified only by a PIN known to the user. After the user has identified the Billing Agent, the LAN queries the Billing Agent for its digital certificate, which the LAN forwards to the user. The user utilizes the certificate to encrypt a PIN for transmission via the LAN to the Billing Agent for authentication. Upon successful authentication, the Billing Agent authorizes the LAN to grant access to the user, thus allowing the user to obtain a connection via the LAN to a private network () or a public network ().