Supporting an access to a destination network via a wireless access network

Abstract

For supporting an access to a destination network by a mobile device via a wireless access network, the mobile device generates a predetermined request, which is addressed to a connectivity test server in the destination network. The predetermined request is transmitted to the wireless access network. In case the predetermined request reaches the connectivity test server, it generates a predetermined response and transmits it to the mobile device via the wireless access network. The mobile device determines whether a response to the predetermined request is received from the wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to the predetermined response.

1 . A method comprising:
 generating, by a mobile terminal, at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server providing a test service in a destination network, and transmitting said at least one predetermined request to a wireless access network; and   determining, by said mobile terminal, whether a response to said at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request, wherein reception of a non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network; and   initiating, by said mobile terminal, a user interaction in the case of receipt of the non-predetermined response.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein reception of the non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one predetermined request is transmitted to the wireless access network via a WLAN transceiver of the mobile terminal, the WLAN transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WLAN and the mobile terminal further comprising a WCDMA transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WCDMA network. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising one of:
 presenting the received non-predetermined response to the user; and 
 presenting a logon page to the user. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein one of:
 the wireless access network is configured to provide access to the destination network after a browser authentication; and   the destination network is the Internet and wherein the wireless access network is a WLAN which is configured to provide access to the Internet after a browser authentication.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said wireless access network is unknown to said mobile terminal. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said access to said destination network is requested by an application or client of said mobile terminal and wherein reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request is considered to indicate a connection to said destination network, said method further comprising informing said application or client about said connection to said destination network. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising saving said connection for further use, optionally upon confirmation by a user. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein applications or clients of said mobile terminal accessing said destination network via another connection roam to said connection for accessing said destination network in response to reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising recording the user interactions in a script, optionally upon confirmation by a user. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile terminal comprising a transceiver configured for wireless communications, a processor, a memory, and software code,
 the software code and the memory configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to generate at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server providing a test service in a destination network, and to provide said at least one predetermined request for transmission to a wireless access network via the transceiver;   the software code and the memory configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to determine whether a response to a transmitted at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request, wherein reception of a non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network; and   the software code and the memory configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to initiate a user interaction in the case of receipt of the non-predetermined response.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein reception of the non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein the transceiver is a WLAN transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WLAN, the mobile terminal further comprising a WCDMA transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WCDMA network. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein the software code and the memory are configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to one of:
 present the received non-predetermined response to the user; and   present a logon page to the user.   
     
     
         16 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein one of:
 the wireless access network is configured to provide access to the destination network after a browser authentication; and   the destination network is the Internet and wherein the wireless access network is a WLAN which is configured to provide access to the Internet after a browser authentication.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein said wireless access network is unknown to said mobile terminal. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein the software code and the memory are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to consider reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request to indicate a connection to said destination network. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein said access to said destination network is requested by an application or client of said mobile terminal, wherein reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request is considered to indicate a connection to said destination network, and wherein the software code and the memory are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to inform said application or client about said connection to said destination network. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 19 , wherein the software code and the memory are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to save said connection for further use, optionally upon confirmation by a user. 
     
     
         21 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 19 , wherein applications or clients of said mobile terminal accessing said destination network via another connection are configured to roam to said connection for accessing said destination network in response to reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request. 
     
     
         22 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, the software code and the memory being further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to retransmit a second one of said at least two predetermined requests in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction. 
     
     
         23 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 22 , wherein the software code and the memory are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile terminal to record said user interactions in a script, optionally upon confirmation by a user. 
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory readable medium storing software code, the software code causing a mobile terminal to perform the following when executed by a processor of the mobile terminal:
 generate at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server providing a test service in a destination network, and provide said at least one predetermined request for transmission to a wireless access network;   determine whether a response to said at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request, wherein reception of a non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network; and   initiate a user interaction in the case of receipt of the non-predetermined response.   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory readable medium according to  claim 24 , wherein reception of the non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a required user interaction of a user of said mobile terminal with said wireless access network. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory readable medium according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one predetermined request is provided for transmission via a WLAN transceiver of the mobile terminal, the WLAN transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WLAN and the mobile terminal further comprising a WCDMA transceiver enabling transmissions to and receptions from a WCDMA network. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory readable medium according to  claim 24 , wherein the software code, when executed by the processor of the mobile terminal, causes the mobile terminal to one of:
 present the received non-predetermined response to the user; and   present a logon page to the user.   
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory readable medium according to  claim 24 , wherein one of:
 the wireless access network is configured to provide access to the destination network after a browser authentication; and   the destination network is the Internet and wherein the wireless access network is a WLAN which is configured to provide access to the Internet after a browser authentication.   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory readable medium according to  claim 24 , wherein the software code, when executed by the processor of the mobile terminal, causes the mobile terminal to record said user interactions in a script, optionally upon confirmation by a user.