RECIPROCAL ADDITION OF ATTRIBUTE FIELDS IN ACCESS CONTROL LISTS AND PROFILES FOR FEMTO CELL COVERAGE MANAGEMENT

• US 20090286509A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) provide access management to femto cell service through access control list(s) (e.g., white list(s), or black list(s)). White list(s) includes a set of subscriber station(s) identifier numbers, codes, or tokens, and also can include additional fields for femto cell access management based on desired complexity. White list(s) can have associated white list profile(s) therewith to establish logic of femto coverage access based on the white list(s). A mechanism for reciprocal addition of access field attributes in access control lists and white list profiles also is provided. The mechanism allows at least in part for a first subscriber to be added to a configured white list of a second subscriber, when the first subscriber configures a new white list, the second subscriber is reciprocally incorporated in the new white list. Such mechanism can be driven and facilitates generation of associations among groups of subscribers that share specific commonalities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

including a first mobile device identifier linked to a first subscriber in a white list configured by a second subscriber;

prompting the first subscriber to reciprocate inclusion of one or more mobile device identifiers from the white list configured by the second subscriber in another white list configured by the first subscriber as a part of a provisioning procedure of a femto access point associated with the first subscriber; and

including a second mobile device identifier linked to the second subscriber in a white list configured by the first subscriber in response to the prompting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a consumer to elect inclusion of a device identifier number linked therewith in a white list; and

when the prompt is accepted, exposing the consumer to femto service subscribers with configured white lists.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating records of a white-list network when a mobile device identifier linked to the exposed consumer is included in one or more white lists of the one or more femto service subscribers with configured lists.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising formatting the white-list network to mitigate exponential growth of storage resources to retain the white-list network records.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising prompting the consumer to reciprocate the one or more femto service subscribers that included in the one or more white lists the mobile device identifier linked to the consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including the set of subscribers in a white list femto coverage, and prompting to accept the inclusion;

mutually exposing within an application a subset of subscribers in the set of subscribers that accepted inclusion in the white list for femto coverage; and

within the subset of subscribers, prompting a first group of subscribers that do not have femto service to elect to be included in white lists.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, within the subset of subscribers, incenting a second group of subscribers to include one or more subscribers in the first group within one or more white lists.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

extracting data from a set of databases that include intelligence on femto subscribers with a configured white list, and non-femto consumers; and

organizing the femto service subscribers with a configured white list in a set of segments according to a set of criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying a network of femto subscribers within one or more segments within the set of segments, and extracting network topology information for the network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising exploiting the identified network to adjust at least one of femto or macro wireless service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising exploiting the network to commercialize products that are part of at least one of the femto or macro wireless service.

12. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the following acts:

including a mobile device identifier linked to a first subscriber in a white list configured by a second subscriber;

prompting the first subscriber to reciprocate inclusion of the mobile device identifier in the white list configured by the second subscriber as a part of a provisioning procedure of a femto access point; and

including the a mobile device identifier linked to the second subscriber in a white list configured by the first subscriber in response to the prompting.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to further perform the following acts:

including the set of subscribers in a white list femto coverage, and prompting to accept the inclusion;

mutually exposing within an application a subset of subscribers in the set of subscribers that accepted inclusion in the white list for femto coverage; and

within the subset of subscribers, prompting a first group of subscribers that do not have femto service to elect to be included in white lists.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to further perform the act of, within the subset of subscribers, incenting a second group of subscribers to include one or more subscribers in the first group within one or more white lists.

15. A system comprising:

a component that identifies a first subscriber for addition of a first device identifier associated therewith in a white list of a second subscriber;

a component that conveys an indication to the first subscriber to reciprocate addition in a white list thereof of a second device identifier associated with the second subscriber when a femto access point linked to the first subscriber is provisioned; and

a memory that retains a forward shared white list.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the indication is configured through an online graphical user interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the indication is a real time alert delivered to at least one of a mobile device linked to the first subscriber, or an interface component in femto access point provisioned to the first subscriber.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the real time alert is at least one of a short message service communication, a multimedia service message, an email communication, an instant message, or an unstructured supplementary service data communication.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the component that identifies the first subscriber further associates subscribers across disparate white lists.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a format component that mitigates exponential data growth and efficiently stores data.