Base station rental service system and base station thereof

• US 20050221795A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Masaya, Tanaka, Hiroki, Kondo, Daisuke, Hirabe, Masashi, Sakuma, Emiko
• Application Number:
  US11/086,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/409
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A cellular phone base station rental service allows a communication service provider, without using the costs of installing base stations on its own, to expand communication service areas to any places desired by users. A system for providing this service includes a cellular phone base station that borrows partial or all communication resources of communication lines in a prescribed area from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of lines, to perform communications through a public IP network, the cellular phone base station being disposed within the area, a terminal registration authenticating device for base station authenticates whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station, and only when they are authenticated to be registered, transmits information specific to the area of the base station to the cellular phone terminal, a terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider determines whether the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are registered with the cellular phone service provider; and transmits the result. Communication services are performed using communication resources lent to only the cellular phone terminals having been authenticated to be registered, cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are enabled to perform communications using surplus communication resources of the cellular phone base station.

Claims

1. A cellular phone base station rental service system, including:

a cellular phone base station that borrows at least partial communication resources of communication lines in a prescribed area from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of lines, to perform communications with cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network, the cellular phone base station being disposed within the area;

a terminal registration authenticating device for the base station that authenticates whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station, and when they are authenticated to be registered, transmits information specific to the area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals; and

a terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider that determines whether cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station are registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side, and transmits a result to the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station,

wherein communication services are performed using communication resources lent to the cellular phone terminals having been authenticated to be registered, and the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are enabled to perform communications using surplus communication resources of the cellular phone base station.

2. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cellular phone base station includes:

an IP public network connection function part;

a wireless communication function part that receives signals from the cellular phone terminals and transmits information from the communication network to the cellular phone terminals;

an authentication communication function part that performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station; and

a core communication function part that performs communications with a core communication network,

wherein the authentication communication function part and the core communication function part are connected to an IP public network through the IP public network connection function part, and perform communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station connected to the IP public network, and the core communication network.

3. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for base station includes:

an IP public network connection function part;

a base station communication function part that performs communications with the cellular phone base station;

a service provider authenticating device communication function part that performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider;

a base station information server that holds information specific to a base station area in terminals within an area of the cellular phone base station, and transmits the information; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the base station that determines whether the cellular phone terminal accessing, the cellular phone base station is registered with the base station, and requests authentication to the terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider,

wherein the base station communication function part and the service provider authenticating device communication function part are connected to the IP public network by the IP public network connection function part, and perform communications with the cellular phone base station within the IP public network, or the registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider within the core communication network.

4. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for base station includes:

an IP public network connection function part;

a base station communication function part that performs communications with the cellular phone base station;

a service provider authenticating device communication function part that performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider;

a base station information server that holds information specific to a base station area in terminals within an area of the cellular phone base station, and transmits the information; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the base station that determines whether the cellular phone terminal accessing the cellular phone base station is registered with the base station, and requests authentication to the terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider,

wherein the base station communication function part and the service provider authenticating device communication function part are connected to the IP public network by the IP public network connection function part, and perform communications with the cellular phone base station within the IP public network, or the registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider within the core communication network.

5. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider includes:

a core communication network connection function part;

a registration authenticating communication function part for the base station that is connected to the core communication network through the core communication network connection function part, and performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station through the core communication network and the IP public network; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the cellular phone service provider that determines whether a cellular phone terminal having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station is registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side.

6. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for the cellular phone service provider includes:

a core communication network connection function part;

a registration authenticating communication function part for the base station that is connected to the core communication network through the core communication network connection function part, and performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station through the core communication network and the IPpublic network; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the cellular phone service provider that determines whether a cellular phone terminal having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station is registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side.

7. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider includes:

a core communication network connection function part;

a registration authenticating communication function part for the base station that is connected to the core communication network through the core communication network connection function part, and performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station through the core communication network and the IPpublic network; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the cellular phone service provider that determines whether a cellular phone terminal having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station is registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side.

8. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider includes:

a core communication network connection function part;

a registration authenticating communication function part for the base station that is connected to the core communication network through the core communication network connection function part, and performs communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station through the core communication network and the IP public network; and

a terminal registration authentication function part for the cellular phone service provider that determines whether a cellular phone terminal having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station is registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side.

9. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications have been performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

10. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications have been performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

11. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications have been performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

12. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

13. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

14. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

15. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

16. The cellular phone base station rental service system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base station includes:

a charging device that, when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, charges communication charges having been used by cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, as well as communication resource usage charges on users borrowing the cellular phone base station.

17. A cellular phone base station device, including:

an IP public network connection function part for connecting to an IP public network;

a wireless communication function part that receives a signal from a cellular phone terminal, and transmits information from the communication network to a cellular phone terminal;

an authentication communication function part that transmits a request of the cellular phone terminal for registration authentication in a base station terminal, and receives information indicating whether the cellular phone terminal is authenticated to be registered with the base station terminal, from a registration authenticating device through the IP public network; and

a core communication function part that performs communications with a core communication network, wherein the authentication communication function part and the core communication function part are connected to the IP public network through the IP public network connection function part, and perform communications with the terminal registration authenticating device for the base station connected to the IP concerned public network, and the core communication network.

18. A cellular phone base station rental service method that performs communications between cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network by borrowing partial or all communication resources of communication lines within an area of a cellular phone base station from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of the cellular phone base station, the method including:

authenticating whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station;

when they are authenticated to be registered, transmitting information specific to the area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals;

determining whether the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side;

after the information specific to the area of the base station is transmitted, performing communication services using communication resources lent to only the cellular phone terminals authenticated to be registered; and

when the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are registered with the cellular phone service provider, for cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, performing communications using surplus communication resources except the lent communication resources within the cellular phonebase station.

19. The cellular phone base station rental service method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

when communications are performed using surplus communication resources except the lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station, transmitting, from the cellular phone service provider terminal, information on charging communication charges to the cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider.

20. The cellular phone base station rental service method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting information on charging communication resource usage charges from users borrowing the cellular phone base station to the cellular phone service provider terminal.

21. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to execute a method of performing communications between cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network by borrowing at least partial communication resources of communication lines within an area of a cellular phone base station from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of the cellular phone base station, the method comprising:

authenticating whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station;

only when they are authenticated to be registered, transmitting information specific to an area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals;

determining whether the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side;

after the information specific to the area of the base station is transmitted, performing communication services using communication resources lent to the cellular phone terminals authenticated to be registered; and

when the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are registered with the cellular phone service provider, for cellular phone terminals that are not registered with the base station and registered with the cellular phone service provider, performing communications using surplus communication resources except the lent communication resources within the cellular phone base station.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the medium comprises a compact disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnet-optical disk, digital video disk, magnetic tape, or semiconductor memory.

23. A cellular phone base station rental service system, comprising:

a cellular phone base station whose communication resources of communication lines in a prescribed area have been partially or completely borrowed from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of lines, to perform communications with cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network, the cellular phone base station being disposed within the area; and

a terminal registration authenticating device for said base station that authenticates whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station, and when they are authenticated to be registered, transmits information specific to an area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals, wherein;

a terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider determines whether the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for said base station are registered with the cellular phone service provider on the communication resource lending side, and transmits a result to the terminal registration authenticating device for said base station, and

communication services are performed using communication resources lent to only the cellular phone terminals having been authenticated to be registered, and the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are enabled to perform communications using surplus communication resources of the cellular phone base station.

24. A cellular phone base station rental service system, comprising:

a terminal registration authenticating device for a cellular phone service provider that determines whether cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered by a terminal registration authenticating device for a base station are registered with the cellular phone service provider on a communication resource lending side, and transmits a result to the terminal registration authenticating device for said base station, wherein;

a cellular phone base station whose communication resources of communication lines in a prescribed area having been partially or completely borrowed from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of lines, performs communications with cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network, the cellular phone base station being disposed within the area;

a terminal registration authenticating device for base station authenticates whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station, and when they are authenticated to be registered, transmits information specific to the area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals; and

communication services are performed using communication resources lent to only the cellular phone terminals having been authenticated to be registered, and the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are enabled to perform communications using surplus communication resources of the cellular phone base station.

25. A method of introducing a cellular phone service into an area, said method comprising:

acquiring partial or all communication resources of communication lines of a cellular phone base station in a prescribed area from a cellular phone service provider that lends communication resources of lines, to perform communications with cellular phone terminals and communication devices on a mobile communication network through a public IP network, the cellular phone base station being disposed within the area,

said base station including a terminal registration authenticating device for said base station that authenticates whether the cellular phone terminals are registered with the cellular phone base station, and when they are authenticated to be registered, transmits information specific to an area of the base station to the cellular phone terminals, wherein;

a terminal registration authenticating device for cellular phone service provider determines whether the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered by the terminal registration authenticating device for said base station are registered with the cellular phone service provider on the communication resource lending side, and transmits a result to the terminal registration authenticating device for said base station, and

communication services are performed using communication resources lent to only the cellular phone terminals having been authenticated to be registered, and the cellular phone terminals having not been authenticated to be registered are enabled to perform communications using surplus communication resources of the cellular phone base station.