Initializing femtocells

• US 10,153,920 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice L
• Application Number:
  US13/555,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A femtocell may be initialized on a network by automatically contacting a network service provider. The access point then automatically downloads an initial configuration from a bootstrap server belonging to the network service provider. In some cases, a femtocell access point may automatically determine, after boot up, whether it was pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider. If so, it may use a domain name service to obtain an address of a bootstrap server. Otherwise, it may use dynamic host configuration protocol to discover the bootstrap server'"'"'s Internet Protocol address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically initiating by an femtocell access point that is part of a macro-cell, upon boot-up, a secure connection with a security gateway;

establishing a secure connection with a network service provider and downloading an initial configuration from the network service provider;

receiving over a wireless protocol a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of a management system;

initiating a query of a domain name server, using the fully qualified domain name, to obtain an internet protocol address of a management system;

receiving, from the domain name server, the internet protocol address of the management system to establish the secure connection with the management system;

downloading a second configuration from the management system; and

locating a self organization network (SON) server and downloading a radio configuration from the SON server.

2. The method of claim 1 including automatically determining, after boot up, whether the femtocell access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with a network service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with a domain name of the management system in a femtocell network service provider.

5. The method of claim 1 including automatically sending the location of the femtocell access point to a network service provider.

6. The method of claim 1 including enabling the femtocell access point to automatically register with a network service provider.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions to perform a sequence comprising:

automatically initiating by an femtocell access point that is part of a macro-cell, upon boot-up, a secure connection with a security gateway;

establishing a secure connection with a network service provider and downloading an initial configuration from the network service provider

receiving over a wireless protocol a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of a management system;

initiating a query of a domain name server, using the fully qualified domain name, to obtain an internet protocol address of a management system;

receiving, from the domain name server, the internet protocol address of the management system to establish the secure connection with the management system;

downloading a second configuration from the management system; and

locating a self organization network (SON) server and downloading a radio configuration from the SON server.

8. The media of claim 7, further storing instructions to perform a sequence including automatically determining, after boot up, whether the femtocell access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with a network service provider.

9. The media of claim 7, further storing instructions to perform a sequence including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

10. The media of claim 7, further storing instructions to perform a sequence including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with a domain name of the management system in a femtocell network service provider.

11. The media of claim 8, further storing instructions to perform a sequence including automatically sending the location of the femtocell access point to a network service provider.

12. The media of claim 8, further storing instructions to perform a sequence including enabling the femtocell access point to automatically register with a network service provider.