Distributed wireless online access system

Abstract

A method for providing wireless online access comprises: establishing a wireless access signal space wherein a wireless communications link is established between a secondary wireless unit and at least one primary wireless unit, thereby providing a corresponding secondary subscriber with online access by data packet transmission between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit; and receiving, from an online access provider, a credited revenue amount in return for providing online access for the secondary subscriber.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A distributed wireless online access system comprising a plurality of primary wireless units, each of which acts as a router at a node of a primary wireless network formed by the plurality of the primary wireless units, wherein:
 (a) multiple primary wireless units among the plurality of primary wireless units are mobile primary wireless units carried by corresponding moving vehicles;   (b) the primary wireless network is arranged so that movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units into or out of corresponding transmission ranges of one or more other primary wireless units alters topology of the primary wireless network; and   (c) the primary wireless network is arranged so as to re-route dynamically, during movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units carried by corresponding moving vehicles, data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network, in response to altered topology of the primary wireless network.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the primary wireless network is arranged so as to:
 (e) provide data packet transmission to or from one or more mobile secondary wireless units; and 
 (f) re-route dynamically, during movement of one or more of the mobile secondary wireless units, data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network, in response to the movement of one or more of the secondary wireless units. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein one or more of the mobile primary wireless units are also mobile secondary wireless units. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising one or more portal units, wherein:
 (e) the one or more portal units are arranged so as to provide data packet transmission between the primary wireless network and an external communications system; and 
 (f) the primary wireless network is arranged so as to re-route dynamically, during movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units, data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network to or from the one or more portal units, in response to altered topology of the primary wireless network. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the external communications system includes the Internet. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein one or more of the portal units are also primary wireless units. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising an administration unit programmed and connected so as to control routing and re-routing of data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein information received by the administration unit from one or more of the mobile primary wireless units includes geo-location data, and control by the administration unit of routing and re-routing of data packet transmission is based in part on the geo-location data. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units is an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at a location of deployment of the primary wireless unit. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units is an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 10  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard. 
     
     
         21 . A method for operating a distributed online access system, the method comprising dynamically re-routing data packet transmission through or within a primary wireless network during movement of one or more mobile primary wireless units carried by corresponding moving vehicles, wherein:
 (a) the distributed wireless online access system comprises a plurality of primary wireless units, each of which acts as a router at a node of the primary wireless network formed by the plurality of the primary wireless units;   (b) multiple primary wireless units among the plurality of primary wireless units are mobile primary wireless units carried by corresponding moving vehicles;   (c) the primary wireless network is arranged so that movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units into or out of corresponding transmission ranges of one or more other primary wireless units alters topology of the primary wireless network; and   (d) the primary wireless network is arranged so that, during movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units carried by corresponding moving vehicles, data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network is dynamically re-routed in response to altered topology of the primary wireless network.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the primary wireless network is arranged so as to provide data packet transmission to or from one or more mobile secondary wireless units, the method further comprising, during movement of one or more of the mobile secondary wireless units, dynamically re-routing data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network in response to the movement of one or more of the secondary wireless units. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein one or more of the mobile primary wireless units are also mobile secondary wireless units. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the distributed wireless online access system includes one or more portal units arranged so as to provide data packet transmission between the primary wireless network and an external communications system, the method further comprising, during movement of one or more of the mobile primary wireless units, dynamically re-routing data packet transmission through the or within the primary wireless network to or from the one or more portal units, in response to altered topology of the primary wireless network. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the external communications system includes the Internet. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein one or more of the portal units are also primary wireless units. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the distributed wireless online access system includes an administration unit programmed and connected so as to control routing and re-routing of data packet transmission through or within the primary wireless network. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein information received by the administration unit from one or more of the mobile primary wireless units includes geo-location data, and control by the administration unit of routing and re-routing of data packet transmission is based in part on the geo-location data. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units is an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with government regulations applicable at a location of deployment of the primary wireless unit. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units is an unlicensed wireless device in legal compliance with Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or more of the primary wireless units conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.