PROVISIONING COMMUNICATION NODES

• US 20090093232A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Agashe, Parag A., Deshpande, Manoj M., Nanda, Sanjiv, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan, Ulupinar, Fatih, Song, Osok, Palanigounder, Anand, Gupta, Rajarshi, Chen, Jen Mei, Horn, Gavin B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• 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 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Provisioning and access control for communication nodes involves assigning identifiers to sets of nodes where the identifiers may be used to control access to restricted access nodes that provide certain services only to certain defined sets of nodes. In some aspects provisioning a node may involve providing a unique identifier for sets of one or more nodes such as restricted access points and access terminals that are authorized to receive service from the restricted access points. Access control may be provided by operation of a restricted access point and/or a network node. In some aspects, provisioning a node involves providing a preferred roaming list for the node. In some aspects, a node may be provisioned with a preferred roaming list through the use of a bootstrap beacon.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

determining an identifier for a set of at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the set of at least one access point within an operator network; and

sending the identifier to each access point in the set of at least one access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier is text-based.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identifier comprises receiving a request for an identifier and determining whether the identifier is already in use by at least one other access point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the requested identifier is already in use by the at least one other access point, sending the identifier comprises sending a response to the request that comprises an identifier that is not in use by any other access point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a unique device identifier to each access point of the set of at least one access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point provides different services for the set of at least one access terminal than for at least one other access terminal.

10. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for determining an identifier for a set of at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the set of at least one access point within an operator network; and

means for sending the identifier to each access point in the set of at least one access point.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identifier is text-based.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining the identifier comprises receiving a request for an identifier and determining whether the identifier is already in use by at least one other access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, if the requested identifier is already in use by the at least one other access point, sending the identifier comprises sending a response to the request that comprises an identifier that is not in use by any other access point.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for assigning a unique device identifier to each access point of the set of at least one access point.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point provides different services for the set of at least one access terminal than for at least one other access terminal.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a provisioning controller configured to determine an identifier for a set of at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the set of at least one access point within an operator network; and

a communication controller configured to send the identifier to each access point in the set of at least one access point.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the identifier is text-based.

23. A computer-program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising codes for causing a computer to;

determine an identifier for a set of at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the set of at least one access point within an operator network; and

send the identifier to each access point in the set of at least one access point.

24. The computer-program product of claim 23, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

25. A method of communication, comprising:

receiving an identifier for a set of at least one access point at an access point of the set, wherein each access point of the set is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, and wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the at least one access point within an operator network; and

transmitting the identifier over-the-air.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the identifier is text-based.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point provides different services for the set of at least one access terminal than for at least one other access terminal.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the identifier is received in response to a request for the identifier.

32. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for receiving an identifier for a set of at least one access point at an access point of the set, wherein each access point of the set is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, and wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the at least one access point within an operator network; and

means for transmitting the identifier over-the-air.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the identifier is text-based.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein each access point of the set of at least one access point provides different services for the set of at least one access terminal than for at least one other access terminal.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the identifier is received in response to a request for the identifier.

39. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a provisioning controller configured to receive an identifier for a set of at least one access point at an access point of the set, wherein each access point of the set is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, and wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the at least one access point within an operator network; and

a communication controller configured to transmit the identifier over-the-air.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the set of at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points that are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the identifier is text-based.

43. A computer-program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising codes for causing a computer to;

receive an identifier for a set of at least one access point at an access point of the set, wherein each access point of the set is configured to provide at least one service only to a set of at least one access terminal, and wherein the identifier uniquely identifies the at least one access point within an operator network; and

transmit the identifier over-the-air.

44. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein:

the identifier comprises a network identifier; and

the network comprises a cellular operator domain.

45. A method of communication, comprising:

determining identifiers of access terminals of a set of access terminals; and

sending the identifiers to at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to the set of access terminals.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifiers comprise permanent identifiers for the access terminals.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifiers comprise temporary identifiers for the access terminals.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifiers are sent in response to a request from an access point of the at least one access point.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the determination comprises receiving the identifiers from a web server that enables a user to specify access terminals that are allowed to receive the at least one service from the at least one access point.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the set of access terminals are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein each access point of the at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

52. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for determining identifiers of access terminals of a set of access terminals; and

means for sending the identifiers to at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to the set of access terminals.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the identifiers comprise permanent identifiers for the access terminals.

54. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the identifiers comprise temporary identifiers for the access terminals.

55. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the identifiers are sent in response to a request from an access point of the at least one access point.

56. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the determination comprises receiving the identifiers from a web server that enables a user to specify access terminals that are allowed to receive the at least one service from the at least one access point.

57. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the set of access terminals are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

58. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein each access point of the at least one access point is restricted to not provide, for at least one other access terminal, at least one of the group consisting of:

signaling, data access, registration, and service.

59. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a provisioning controller configured to determine identifiers of access terminals of a set of access terminals; and

a communication controller configured to send the identifiers to at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to the set of access terminals.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the identifiers are sent in response to a request from an access point of the at least one access point.

61. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the determination comprises receiving the identifiers from a web server that enables a user to specify access terminals that are allowed to receive the at least one service from the at least one access point.

62. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the set of access terminals are associated with a common closed subscriber group.

63. A computer-program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising codes for causing a computer to;

determine identifiers of access terminals of a set of access terminals; and

send the identifiers to at least one access point that is configured to provide at least one service only to the set of access terminals.

64. The computer-program product of claim 63, wherein the determination comprises receiving the identifiers from a web server that enables a user to specify access terminals that are allowed to receive the at least one service from the at least one access point.