Access control for closed subscriber groups

• US 20090070694A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ore, Ivan, Dillinger, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A network transmits (broadcasts) an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group CSG network is being operated as open or closed and if it indicates open a user equipment UE that is not a registered member of the CSG is allowed access as a guest member. a user group of the closed subscriber group network and allowing the user equipment access to the closed subscriber group network as a guest member. The CSG network can provide higher priority services to its registered members by differentiating them over guest members by an indication, received from each UE in its RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTION REQUEST message, whether it is registered or a guest. The CSG can also transmit its ID/name for display at the UE so they may select whether and which CSG to join.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open, establishing a bidirectional link with a user equipment that is not a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network and allowing the user equipment access to the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the access node indicator comprises broadcasting the access node indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising broadcasting one of a name and an identifier of the closed subscriber group network for display at the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the closed subscriber group network providing higher priority services to user equipments that are registered members of at least one user group of the closed subscriber group network and lower priority services to user equipments that are guest members.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the closed subscriber group network differentiates user equipments that are registered members from user equipments according to an indication received from individual ones of the user equipments that indicates one of guest member or registered member.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indication that indicates guest member or registered member is included in a RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTION REQUEST message that is received from individual ones of the user equipments.

7. A computer readable memory embodying a program of instructions that when executed by a processor cause actions directed to selectively operating a closed subscriber group network as open or closed, the actions comprising:

transmitting an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open, establishing a bidirectional link with a user equipment that is not a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network and allowing the user equipment access to the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to send an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

a processor configured, for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open, to operate the transmitter and a receiver to establish a bidirectional link with a user equipment that is not a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network and thereby allow the user equipment access to the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast the access node indicator.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transmitter is further configured to broadcast one of a name and an identifier of the closed subscriber group network for display at the user equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to provide higher priority services to user equipments that are registered members of at least one user group of the closed subscriber group network and lower priority services to user equipments that are guest members.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to differentiate user equipments that are registered members from user equipments according to a memory that stores in association with each of a plurality of user equipments an indication of guest member or registered member, each indication received from an individual one of the user equipments.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the indication that indicates guest member or registered member is included in a RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTION REQUEST message that is received from individual ones of the user equipments.

14. A method comprising:

receiving at an apparatus from a closed subscriber group network an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open and that the apparatus is not previously a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network, establishing a bidirectional link between the apparatus and the closed subscriber group network and the apparatus accessing the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the access mode indicator is received over a broadcast channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the access mode indicator is received as a result of a search by the apparatus for networks having their access mode indicator set to open, wherein the search is performed using network configuration parameters that are stored in a local memory prior to the search.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving one of a name and an identifier of each of the closed subscriber group networks that are searched, displaying at a display interface of the apparatus the name or identifier of those networks having their access mode indicator set to open, and receiving a manual selection of the displayed name or identifier, and wherein establishing the bidirectional link between the apparatus and the closed subscriber group network is with that network for which the manual selection is received.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an identifier of the closed subscriber group network which is accessed as a guest member, storing the received identifier in a local memory of the apparatus, and using the stored identifier to facilitate handover between cells within the closed subscriber group network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifier is received via non-access stratum signaling.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending to the closed subscriber group network an indication that the apparatus is accessing as a guest member.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the indication that the apparatus is accessing as a guest member is included in a RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTION REQUEST message that is sent to the closed subscriber group network.

22. A computer readable memory embodying a program of instructions that when executed by a processor cause actions directed to accessing a closed subscriber group network as a guest member, the actions comprising:

receiving at an apparatus from a closed subscriber group network an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open and that the apparatus is not previously a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network, establishing a bidirectional link between the apparatus and the closed subscriber group network and thereby access the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive at an apparatus from a closed subscriber group network an access mode indicator that indicates whether a closed subscriber group network is being operated as open or closed; and

a processor configured, for the case that the access mode indicator indicates that the closed subscriber group network is being operated as open and that the apparatus is not previously a registered member of a user group of the closed subscriber group network, to operate the receiver and a transmitter to establish a bidirectional link between the apparatus and the closed subscriber group network and thereby access the closed subscriber group network as a guest member.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the access mode indicator over a broadcast channel.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a memory, wherein the processor is configured to operate the receiver to search for networks having their access mode indicator set to open using network configuration parameters that are stored in the memory of the apparatus prior to the search.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a user interface,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive one of a name and an identifier of each of the closed subscriber group networks that are searched;

the user interface is configured to display the name or identifier of those networks having their access mode indicator set to open and to receive a manual selection of the displayed name or identifier,

and wherein establishing the bidirectional link between the apparatus and the closed subscriber group network is with that network for which the manual selection is received.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a memory,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an identifier of the closed subscriber group network which is accessed as a guest member,

the memory is configured to store the received identifier;

and the processor is configured to use the stored identifier to facilitate handover of the apparatus between cells within the closed subscriber group network.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the identifier is received via non-access stratum signaling.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send to the closed subscriber group network an indication that the apparatus is accessing as a guest member.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the transmitter is configured to send to the closed subscriber group network the indication that the apparatus is accessing as a guest member within a RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTION REQUEST message.

31. A method comprising:

a closed subscriber group network storing content on a platform of a non-restricted network; and

the closed subscriber group network configuring messaging options and sending, from the closed subscriber group network via a core network that is a public network, messages that include at least some of the content to users of the closed subscriber group that are in a cell according to the messaging options.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the users to whom the messages are sent include both registered members of the closed subscriber group network and guest members.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the messaging options include frequency at which the messages are sent.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing content and messaging options of a closed subscriber group network; and

a transmitter configured to send, from the closed subscriber group network via a core network that is a public network, at least some of the content to users of the closed subscriber group that are in a cell according to the messaging options.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the users to whom the messages are sent include both registered members of the closed subscriber group network and guest members.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the messaging options include frequency at which the messages are sent.