Wireless Local Area Network Hotspot Registration

Abstract

A wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device that has just connected to a WLAN detects that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot, where access to a public network is provided by the WLAN via a gateway. A browser application of the WLAN client device is launched, either automatically or in response to receiving an indication via a user input element of the WLAN client device to register at the hotspot. The browser application is launched with an Internet Protocol address that ought to trigger an Internet Protocol filtering rule of the gateway.

1 . A method of handling hotspots, the method comprising:
 detecting that a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ to which a WLAN client device has just connected is offered by a hotspot, where access to a public network is provided by the WLAN via a gateway; and   subsequently, launching a browser application of the WLAN client device with an Internet Protocol address that ought to trigger an Internet Protocol filtering rule of the gateway such that the browser application will be redirected to a captive portal of the hotspot that enables registration for access to the public network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein launching the browser application occurs automatically in response to detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying via a display of the WLAN client device an indication that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot; and   receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to register at the hotspot,   wherein launching the browser application occurs in response to receiving the indication to register at the hotspot.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot comprises:
 sending a hypertext transfer protocol request via the WLAN, where the request is to an Internet Protocol address that is not normally redirected; and   receiving via the WLAN a redirection response to the request.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the public network is the Internet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot occurs without any input via a user interface of the WLAN client device. 
     
     
         7 . A wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device comprising:
 a processor; 
 an antenna; 
 a WLAN communication interface coupled to the processor and to the antenna; 
 one or more user input elements coupled to the processor; 
 a display coupled to the processor; and 
 a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a browser application and code which, when executed by the processor, is able to detect that a WLAN to which the WLAN client device has just connected is offered by a hotspot, where access to a public network is provided by the WLAN via a gateway and is able, subsequent to detecting that the WLAN is offered by the hotspot, to launch the browser application with an Internet Protocol address that ought to trigger an Internet Protocol filtering rule of the gateway such that the browser application will be redirected to a captive portal of the hotspot that enables registration for access to the public network. 
 
     
     
         8 . The WLAN client device of  claim 7 , wherein the code, when executed by the processor, launches the browser application automatically in response to detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot. 
     
     
         9 . The WLAN client device of  claim 7 , wherein the code, when executed by the processor, displays via the display an indication that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot, receives via one of the user input elements an indication to register at the hotspot, and launches the browser application in response to receiving the indication to register at the hotspot. 
     
     
         10 . The WLAN client device of  claim 7 , wherein the code, when executed by the processor, is able to detect that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot by sending a hypertext transfer protocol request via the WLAN, where the request is to an Internet Protocol address that is not normally redirected, and receiving via the WLAN a redirection response to the request. 
     
     
         11 . The WLAN client device of  claim 7 , wherein the public network is the Internet. 
     
     
         12 . The WLAN client device of  claim 7 , wherein the code, when executed by the processor, detects without any input via a user interface of the WLAN client device that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot.