Controlling Access To Private Access Points For Wireless Networking

• US 20080254792A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ch'ng, Shi Baw
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

An invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network is transmitted to an access terminal. An indication that the invitation has been accepted is received and the personal access point is authorized to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

At an access terminal, an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network is received, an instruction to accept the invitation is received from an operator of the access terminal, and an acceptance of the invitation is communicated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted; and

authorizing the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the invitation uniquely identifies the base station.

3. The method of claim 1 in which authorizing the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network comprises adding the access terminal to a list of access terminals authorized to access the network through the personal base station.

4. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

receiving a second indication withdrawing acceptance of the invitation; and

deauthorizing the personal access point from providing the access terminal with access to the network.

5. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

adding an identification of the personal access point to a list of access points the access terminal is authorized to use to access the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5 also comprising:

receiving a second indication withdrawing acceptance of the invitation; and

removing the identification of the personal access point from the list of access points the access terminal is authorized to use to access the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 in which transmitting the invitation comprises transmitting a text message conveying the invitation.

8. The method of claim 1 in which receiving the indication comprises receiving a text message conveying the indication.

9. The method of claim 4 in which receiving the second indication comprises receiving a text message conveying the second indication.

10. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

after an expiration time, deauthorizing the personal access point from providing the access terminal with access to the network.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the expiration time is associated with the invitation.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the expiration time is included in the indication that the invitation has been accepted.

14. The method of claim 1 in which

transmitting the invitation includes generating a token and transmitting the token to the access terminal;

and

receiving the indication that the invitation has been accepted includes receiving a message from the access terminal including a second token corresponding to the result of performing a mathematical operation on the first token.

13. A method comprising:

transmitting to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

before an expiration time passes, receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted; and

authorizing the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted;

confirming that the indication was received from the access terminal; and

authorizing the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the confirming comprises:

in response to receiving the indication that the owner of the access terminal has accepted the invitation, transmitting a confirmation message to the access terminal; and

receiving a message in response to the confirmation message.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the confirming comprises:

in response to receiving the indication that the owner of the access terminal has accepted the invitation,

generating a token, and

transmitting the token to the access terminal; and

receiving a message based on the token from the access terminal.

18. The method of claim 16 in which receiving the message based on the token comprises receiving a message including a second token corresponding to the result of performing a mathematical operation on the first token.

19. A method comprising, at an access terminal:

receiving an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

receiving an instruction from an operator of the access terminal to accept the invitation; and

communicating an acceptance of the invitation.

20. The method of claim 19 in which communicating the acceptance of the invitation comprises:

performing a mathematical operation on a first token associated with the invitation to form a second token; and

transmitting the second token to a source of the invitation.

21. The method of claim 19 in which communicating the acceptance of the invitation comprises:

transmitting an indication that the operator accepts the invitation;

receiving a first token;

performing a mathematical operation on the first token to form a second token; and

transmitting the second token to a source of the first token.

22. The method of claim 19 also comprising:

adding an identification of the personal access point to a list of access points maintained in a memory of the access terminal.

23. The method of claim 19 in which the invitation uniquely identifies the base station.

24. The method of claim 19 in which receiving the instruction comprises accessing a memory of the access terminal in which the instruction is stored.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a computing device connected to a radio access network and configured to

transmit to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network; and

in response to receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted;

authorize the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the computing device is also configured to:

in response to receiving a second indication withdrawing acceptance of the invitation,

deauthorize the personal access point from providing the access terminal with access to the network.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the computing device is also configured to:

after an expiration time, deauthorize the personal access point from providing the access terminal with access to the network.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a computing device connected to a radio access network and configured to

transmit to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network; and

in response to receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted,

confirm that the indication was received from the access terminal; and

authorize the personal access point to provide the access terminal with 25 access to the network.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 in which the computing device is configured to confirm that the indication was received from the access terminal by:

generating a token;

transmitting the token to the access terminal; and

receiving a message based on the token from the access terminal.

30. An apparatus comprising:

an access terminal for accessing a radio access network and configured to

receive an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

receive an instruction from an operator of the access terminal to accept the invitation; and

communicate an acceptance of the invitation.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 in which the access terminal is configured to communicate an acceptance of the invitation by:

performing a mathematical operation on a first token associated with the invitation to form a second token; and

transmitting the second token to a source of the invitation.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 in which the access terminal is configured to communicate an acceptance of the invitation by:

transmitting an indication that the operator accepts the invitation;

receiving a first token;

performing a mathematical operation on the first token to form a second token; and

transmitting the second token to a source of the first token.

33. A radio access network management system comprising:

an interface for communicating with access points;

an interface for receiving text messages; and

a computing device configured to

transmit to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network; and

in response to receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted;

authorize the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

34. A computer readable medium encoding instructions to cause a computing device connected to a radio access network to,

transmit to an access terminal an invitation to use a personal access point to access a wireless network;

and

in response to receiving an indication that the invitation has been accepted;

authorize the personal access point to provide the access terminal with access to the network.

35. A method comprising:

receiving a text message including instructions for controlling access to a component of a wireless network; and

automatically implementing the instructions.