SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR USER EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION OF AN IP-FEMTOCELL SYSTEM

• US 20090258644A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: AirWalk Communications, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Osborn, Christopher Martin Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for acquisition of an IP-based femtocell system by a user equipment are provided. A manual femtocell acquisition procedure may be invoked at a user equipment for acquiring access to a femtocell system or network of femtocell systems. The femtocell acquisition routine may be invoked by supply of a command to a femto application hosted by the user equipment. Invocation of the femtocell acquisition routine results in the user equipment seeking the femtocell system allocated a prioritized preferred routing list entry. In the event that a femtocell system is located, the femtocell system may perform electronic serial number screening to prevent unintended attachment and registration on a femtocell system with which the user equipment does not have authorized access

Claims

1. A method of providing communication services to a user equipment, comprising:

configuring at least one femtocell system with at least one identifier of a user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system;

configuring the user equipment with a preferred roaming list that includes the femtocell system as a preferred network;

communicatively coupling the at least one femtocell system with a packet-switched backhaul;

receiving an input command that specifies the femtocell system is to be acquired by the user equipment; and

attempting to register with the femtocell system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier comprises at least one electronic serial number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input command further comprises receiving, by the user equipment, the input command from a user of the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting, by the user equipment, a registration request message to the femtocell system, wherein the registration request message includes an identifier of the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the femtocell system compares the identifier with the at least one identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising completing registration of the user equipment with the femtocell system in response to determining the identifier matches one of the at least one identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating, by the femtocell system, a session initiation protocol user agent that is assigned to the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the femtocell system has an Internet Protocol address assigned thereto, the method further comprising registering, by the femtocell system, the user agent with a location service, wherein the user agent includes the Internet Protocol address.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for providing communication services to a user equipment, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions for:

configuring at least one femtocell system with at least one identifier of a user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system;

configuring the user equipment with a preferred roaming list that includes the femtocell system as a preferred network;

communicatively coupling the at least one femtocell system with a packet-switched backhaul;

receiving an input command that specifies the femtocell system is to be acquired by the user equipment; and

attempting to register with the femtocell system.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one identifier comprises at least one electronic serial number.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for receiving the input command further comprises instructions for receiving, by the user equipment, the input command from a user of the user equipment.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for transmitting, by the user equipment, a registration request message to the femtocell system, wherein the registration request message includes an identifier of the user equipment.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the femtocell system compares the identifier with the at least one identifier.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for completing registration of the user equipment with the femtocell system in response to determining the identifier matches one of the at least one identifier.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for allocating, by the femtocell system, a session initiation protocol user agent that is assigned to the user equipment.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the femtocell system has an Internet Protocol address assigned thereto, the computer-readable medium further comprising instructions for registering, by the femtocell system, the user agent with a location service, wherein the user agent includes the Internet Protocol address.

17. A system for providing communication services to a user equipment, the system comprising:

a packet-switched network having a domain with which the user equipment has a session initiation protocol service subscription;

an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem communicatively interfaced with the packet-switched network;

a femtocell system communicatively coupled with the packet-switched network, wherein the femtocell system is adapted to provide a radio interface with the user equipment, and wherein the femtocell system is configured with at least one identifier of user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system; and

a user equipment with a preferred roaming list that includes the femtocell system as a preferred network, wherein the user equipment receives an input command from a user that specifies the femtocell system is to be acquired, and responsive thereto attempts to register with the femtocell system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one identifier comprises at least one electronic serial number.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the user equipment transmits a registration request message to the femtocell system, wherein the registration request message includes an identifier of the user equipment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the femtocell system compares the identifier with the at least one identifier.