ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM, METHOD, AND ARRANGEMENT IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20080081636A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lindqvist, Thomas Lars-Erik, Vikberg, Jari Tapio, Nylander, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A system, method, and arrangement for controlling access to a wireless communication network. When a User Equipment (UE) is denied access to the network through a first access point, the UE stores the Location Area Identity (LAI) utilized at the first access point on a list of forbidden LAIs in the UE. If the LAI stored by the UE is utilized at another access point where the UE is allowed access, the LAI at the other access point is dynamically changed to a second LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs. An access point database stores a table defining which UEs are allowed to utilize each access point. The database also stores a list of rejected LAIs for each UE. A radio network controller accesses the database to determine an allowed LAI, and changes the LAI at the other access points where the UE is allowed access.

Claims

1. An access control method in a wireless communication network, wherein when a User Equipment (UE) is denied access to the network through a first access point, the UE stores on a list of forbidden LAIs in the UE, a location area identifier (LAI) utilized at the first access point, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the LAI stored by the UE on the list of forbidden LAIs is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access; and

if the LAI stored by the UE is utilized at another access point where the UE is allowed access, dynamically changing the LAI at the other access point to a second LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs.

2. The access control method as recited in claim 1, wherein if the first LAI is utilized at a plurality of access points where the UE is allowed access, the method also includes dynamically changing the first LAI at the plurality of access points to an allowed LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs.

3. The access control method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the LAI stored by the UE on the list of forbidden LAIs is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access includes querying an access point database by a radio network controller to extract a list of all of the allowed access points for the UE that are currently configured with the LAI stored by the UE.

4. The access control method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of dynamically changing the LAI at the other access point to a second LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs includes selecting an allowed LAI, said selecting step including:

accessing by the radio network controller, a list of all possible LAIs that can be selected;

accessing by the radio network controller, a list of rejected LAIs for each UE to determine any unsuitable LAIs for the UE;

eliminating the unsuitable LAIs from consideration; and

selecting as the allowed LAI, an LAI from the LAIs remaining in consideration.

5. The access control method as recited in claim 4, wherein the list of rejected LAIs for each UE includes a UE identifier, a rejected LAI, and an associated timestamp for each occurrence of denied access of a UE in the network, and the method also includes removing a rejected LAI from the list of rejected LAIs for each UE when a predefined time period has elapsed since the associated timestamp.

10. The access control system as recited in claim 3, wherein the list of rejected LAIs for each UE includes a UE identifier, a rejected LAI, and an associated timestamp for each occurrence of denied access of a UE in the network, and the system also includes means for removing a rejected LAI from the list of rejected LAIs for each UE when a predefined time period has elapsed since the associated timestamp.

6. An access control system in a wireless communication network, wherein when a User Equipment (UE) is denied access to the network through a first access point, the UE stores on a list of forbidden LAIs in the UE, a location area identifier (LAI) utilized at the first access point, said system comprising:

means for determining whether the LAI stored by the UE on the list of forbidden LAIs is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access; and

means responsive to a determination that the LAI stored by the UE is utilized at another access point where the UE is allowed access, for dynamically changing the LAI at the other access point to a second LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs.

7. The access control system as recited in claim 6, wherein if the first LAI is utilized at a plurality of access points where the UE is allowed access, the system also includes means for dynamically changing the first LAI at the plurality of access points to an allowed LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs.

8. The access control system as recited in claim 6, wherein the means for determining whether an LAI stored by the UE on the list of forbidden LAIs is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access includes:

an access point database for storing a list of all of the allowed access points for the UE that are currently configured with the LAI stored by the UE; and

a radio network controller for querying the access point database to extract the list of allowed access points.

9. The access control system as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for dynamically changing the LAI at the other access point includes means for selecting an allowed LAI, said selecting step including:

accessing by the radio network controller, a list of all possible LAIs that can be selected;

accessing by the radio network controller, a list of rejected LAIs for each UE to determine any unsuitable LAIs for the UE;

eliminating the unsuitable LAIs from consideration; and

selecting as the allowed LAI, an LAI from the LAIs remaining in consideration.

11. An arrangement for controlling access to a wireless communication network, wherein when a User Equipment (UE) is denied access to the network through a first access point, the UE stores on a list of forbidden LAIs in the UE, a location area identifier (LAI) utilized at the first access point, said arrangement comprising:

a radio network controller; and

an access point database accessible by the radio network controller, said database storing a table defining which UEs are allowed to utilize each access point, and a list of rejected LAIs for each UE;

wherein whenever a UE is denied access by an access point, the radio network controller is adapted to;

store the LAI utilized by the rejecting access point in the list of rejected LAIs for each UE;

determine whether the rejected LAI is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access; and

if so, dynamically change the LAI at the other access points to an LAI that the UE is allowed to utilize.

12. The arrangement as recited in claim 11, wherein the list of rejected LAIs for each UE includes a UE identifier, a rejected LAI, and an associated timestamp for each occurrence of denied access of a UE in the network, and the radio network controller includes means for removing a rejected LAI from the list of rejected LAIs for each UE when a predefined time period has elapsed since the associated timestamp.

13. A radio network controller for controlling access to a wireless communication network, wherein when a User Equipment (UE) is denied access to the network through a first access point, the UE stores on a list of forbidden LAIs in the UE, a location area identifier (LAI) utilized at the first access point, said radio network controller comprising:

means for determining whether the LAI stored by the UE on the list of forbidden LAIs is utilized at any other access point where the UE is allowed access; and

means for dynamically changing the LAI at the other access point to a second LAI that is not on the UE'"'"'s list of forbidden LAIs, responsive to a determination that the LAI stored by the UE is utilized at another access point where the UE is allowed access.

14. The radio network controller as recited in claim 13, further comprising means for storing the LAI utilized by the rejecting access point in a list of rejected LAIs for each UE.

15. The radio network controller as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining whether the other access point where the UE is allowed access is controlled by another radio network controller; and

means for instructing the other radio network controller to change the LAI at the other access point, upon determining that the other access point is controlled by the other radio network controller.