DISTRIBUTED MOBILE ACCESS POINT ACQUISITION

• US 20090092081A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Deshpande, Manoj M., Nanda, Sanjiv, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan, Chen, Jen Mei
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0093 Neighbour cell search
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Providing for distributed access point management for access to a mobile network is described herein. By way of example, an interface application maintained at a Femto cell base station (BS) can facilitate initial power up and/or acquisition for a Femto user terminal (UT). Upon start-up, a bootstrap process is utilized by the Femto cell to provision the UT with an SDL establishing at least one BS as high priority within a particular geographic area (GEO). Thus, when the Femto UT is within the GEO, the UT is more likely to acquire, camp on and/or handoff to the preferred BS. When outside the GEO, a serving access point can provision the Femto UT OTA with a custom SDL suited to another GEO having a different high priority access point. By implementing access point management at distributed access points, expensive network equipment can be mitigated or avoided.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

obtaining data identifying a user terminal (UT);

employing the data to determine access capabilities of the UT;

generating a custom system determination list (SDL) for the UT comprising a preferred access point determined at least in part on the access capabilities, the SDL facilitates selection of the preferred access point; and

allowing or denying network access to the UT.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining bootstrap parameters from a mobile network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising employing the bootstrap parameters to initiate a bootstrap start-up or acquisition mode.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising employing a low power bootstrap signal and bootstrap frequency channel to communicatively couple with the UT.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining the ID data from the UT via the bootstrap frequency channel and providing the SDL to the UT prior to terminating the bootstrap mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing or denying the network access is based on whether the UT is included in a closed subscriber group (CSG) associated with a network access point coupled to the UT.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining signal statistics from the UT that indicate signal characteristics of neighboring network access points.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising specifying at least one neighboring access point as a blacklisted access point based at least in part on the signal statistics.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining updated network topology information based on a change in a neighboring access point deployment; and

updating the custom SDL to reflect the change in the neighboring access point deployment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining Femto cell operating parameters from the mobile network and including the operating parameters in the SDL.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing at least one geographical area (GEO) as a home GEO for the UT and establishing a Femto access point located in the home GEO as the preferred access point.

12. A Femto base station (BS) configured to facilitate remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

a receiver that obtains data identifying a UT;

a communication processor that employs the data to determine access capabilities of the UT;

an SDL provisioning module that generates a custom SDL for the UT comprising a preferred access point determined at least in part on the access capabilities, the SDL facilitates selection of the preferred access point; and

a CSG employed to allow or deny network access to the UT.

13. The Femto BS of claim 12, further comprising a data interface employed to obtain bootstrap parameters from a mobile network via the Internet.

14. The Femto BS of claim 13, further comprising a bootstrap module that employs the bootstrap parameters to initiate a bootstrap start-up or acquisition mode.

15. The Femto BS of claim 14, wherein the bootstrap module specifies a low power bootstrap signal and bootstrap frequency channel to communicatively couple with the UT.

16. The Femto BS of claim 15, wherein the receiver obtains the ID data from the UT via the bootstrap frequency channel and the SDL provisioning module provides the SDL to the UT prior to termination of the bootstrap mode.

17. The Femto BS of claim 12, wherein the UT is allowed to access the network if the UT is included in the CSG.

18. The Femto BS of claim 12, wherein the receiver obtains signal statistics from the UT that indicate signal characteristics of neighboring network access points.

19. The Femto BS of claim 18, wherein the SDL provisioning module specifies at least one neighboring access point as a blacklisted access point if the neighboring access point is an alien Femto cell having a relatively strong signal strength compared to the Femto BS.

20. The Femto BS of claim 12, wherein:

a data interface obtains updated network topology information based on a change in a neighboring access point deployment; and

the SDL provisioning module updates the custom SDL to reflect the change in the neighboring access point deployment.

21. The Femto BS of claim 12, wherein a data interface obtains Femto cell operating parameters from the mobile network and including the operating parameters in the SDL.

22. The Femto BS of claim 12, the SDL provisioning module establishes at least one GEO as a home GEO for the UT and establishing the Femto access point as the preferred access point for the home GEO.

23. An apparatus for facilitating remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

means for employing bootstrap parameters to initiate a bootstrap acquisition mode;

means for obtaining access capabilities of the UT from UT ID data;

means for generating a custom SDL for the UT comprising a preferred access point determined at least in part on the access capabilities, the SDL facilitates selection of the preferred access point; and

means for allowing or denying network access to the UT.

24. A processor configured to facilitate remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

a first module that obtains data identifying a UT;

a second module that employs the data to determine access capabilities of the UT;

a third module that generates a custom SDL for the UT comprising a preferred access point determined at least in part on the access capabilities, the SDL facilitates selection of the preferred access point; and

a fourth module that allows or denies network access to the UT.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to obtain data identifying a UT;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to employ the data to determine access capabilities of the UT;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to generate a custom SDL for the UT comprising a preferred access point determined at least in part on the access capabilities, the SDL facilitates selection of the preferred access point; and

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to allow or deny network access to the UT.

26. A method of selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

obtaining UT data from memory or user input;

providing the UT data to a network access point; and

obtaining a customized SDL specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, the SDL facilitates identifying and initiating wireless communication with the preferred access point.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising obtaining a bootstrap SDL from a mobile network comprising a bootstrap cell ID and a bootstrap frequency channel.

28. The method of claim 27, obtaining the bootstrap SDL further comprises coupling to a macro cell of the mobile network and submitting the UT data to the macro cell.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising entering a bootstrap mode to facilitate start-up or acquisition of a Femto cell coupled to the mobile network.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising analyzing wireless signals of neighboring network access points and determining strength or quality statistics of the signals.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising submitting the statistics to a Femto access point in conjunction with a bootstrap pairing routine.

32. The method of claim 31, the customized SDL is based at least in part on the statistics submitted to the Femto access point.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising employing the custom SDL to search for and identify the preferred access point.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising accessing a less preferred access point if the preferred access point cannot be identified utilizing the custom SDL.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising periodically searching for the preferred access point while coupled with the less preferred access point.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising identifying a current GEO associated with the UT and identifying a home Femto cell as the preferred cell if the current GEO is a home GEO of the UT.

37. A UT configured for accessing a mobile network, comprising:

a processor that obtains UT data from memory or user input;

a transmitter that provides the UT data to a network access point; and

a base station re-selection module that obtains a customized SDL specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, the SDL facilitates identifying and initiating wireless communication with the preferred access point.

38. The UT of claim 37, further comprising a start-up module that obtains a bootstrap SDL from a mobile network comprising a bootstrap cell ID and a bootstrap frequency channel.

39. The UT of claim 38, wherein the UT couples to a macro cell of the mobile network to obtain the bootstrap SDL.

40. The UT of claim 38, wherein the start-up module enters a bootstrap mode to facilitate start-up or acquisition of a Femto cell coupled to the mobile network.

41. The UT of claim 37, further comprising an analysis module that monitors wireless signals of neighboring network access points and determines strength or quality statistics of the signals.

42. The UT of claim 41, the processor submits the statistics to a Femto access point in conjunction with a bootstrap pairing routine.

43. The UT of claim 42, the customized SDL is based at least in part on the statistics submitted to the Femto access point.

44. The UT of claim 37, wherein the base station re-selection module employs the custom SDL to search for and identify the preferred access point.

45. The UT of claim 37, wherein the base station re-selection module accesses a less preferred access point if the preferred access point cannot be identified utilizing the custom SDL.

46. The UT of claim 45, wherein the base station re-selection module periodically searches for the preferred access point while coupled with the less preferred access point.

47. The UT of claim 37, wherein the base station re-selection module identifies a current GEO associated with the UT and identifies a home Femto cell as the preferred cell if the current GEO is a home GEO of the UT.

48. An apparatus configured for selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

means for obtaining a bootstrap SDL;

means for coupling to an access point via a bootstrap channel specified in the bootstrap SDL; and

means for obtaining a customized SDL specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of a UT, the SDL facilitates identifying and initiating wireless communication with the preferred access point.

49. A processor configured for selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

a first module that obtains UT data from memory or user input;

a second module that provides the UT data to a network access point; and

a third module that obtains a customized SDL specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, the SDL facilitates identifying and initiating wireless communication with the preferred access point.

50. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to obtain UT data from memory or user input;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to provide the UT data to a network access point; and

a third set of codes for causing the computer to obtain a customized SDL specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, the SDL facilitates identifying and initiating wireless communication with the preferred access point.