Captive Portal Application Launch for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business entities miss opportunities to enhance customer experience and increase revenue when providing local area network access, as existing captive portal systems only authenticate users and do not effectively leverage the connection to offer additional services or applications.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that launches pre-identified application programs on mobile devices when they join a local area network, allowing businesses to provide specific content and services, such as photo printing or file transfer, by using a user agreement module, detection module, and launch module to determine if the application is stored on the device and launch it accordingly, or direct the user to a landing page for installation if not.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a captive portal is used to authenticate users before network access, then network security and access control are improved, but the opportunity to provide additional services and enhance customer experience is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The captive portal system is extended to perform multiple functions: not only authentication and access control, but also application delivery, device detection, and service provisioning. The portal becomes a multi-functional platform that combines security verification with commercial service delivery, allowing the same interface to both authenticate users and provide targeted applications based on device type and user profile.
Solution Approach 2:
Applications are delivered to mobile devices before the user actually needs them, during the authentication process. The system proactively pushes relevant applications (photo printing, file transfer, etc.) to devices during the captive portal authentication phase, so that when users need these services, the applications are already installed and ready to use, eliminating the need for separate download and installation steps.
2Ease of operation
If applications are automatically pushed to mobile devices through the captive portal, then customer experience and service targeting are improved, but device storage and user control are potentially compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing all possible applications to all devices, the system delivers only the specific applications relevant to each device type and user profile. Photo printing applications are pushed to mobile phones with cameras, file transfer applications to laptops, and other applications are selectively delivered based on device capabilities and user needs, optimizing storage usage while maintaining service relevance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes detection mechanisms that automatically identify the type of mobile device connecting to the network and autonomously determine which applications should be pushed, without requiring user input or manual configuration. The device characteristics are detected, and the appropriate application package is automatically selected and delivered, making the process transparent to the user while managing storage efficiently.
3Measurement precision
If the system detects and launches applications based on device type, then service targeting precision is improved, but system complexity and detection requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The captive portal serves as an intermediary between the network infrastructure and the mobile devices, mediating the detection and application delivery process. The portal receives authentication requests, extracts device information from the authentication data, determines the appropriate applications to push, and manages the delivery process, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the mobile device sends device type information and capabilities during the authentication process, and the captive portal uses this feedback to automatically determine which applications to push. This feedback loop enables accurate device identification without complex detection systems, as the device itself provides the necessary information during standard authentication handshaking.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for launching an application program stored in a memory of a mobile computing device when the mobile device is associated with a local area network (LAN) is provided. The method may be programmed for execution in a computing environment, wherein the method comprises: providing a local area network; allowing the mobile computing device to associate with the local area network; providing a web page for display on the mobile computing device including terms and conditions of use of the local area network; allowing for the acceptance of the displayed terms and conditions of use of the local area network using the mobile computing device; providing for the detection of the application program in the memory of the mobile computing device; and if the application program is detected in the memory of the mobile computing device, launching the application program on the mobile computing device.