ADMINISTRATION OF ACCESS LISTS FOR FEMTOCELL SERVICE

• US 20090298470A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• 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: Brisebois, Arthur, Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Seymour, Jefferey Thomas, Mansfield, William Gordon, Lott, Robert Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• 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 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided for a femtocell account management service and access thereto. The account service management can be accessed through a broadband network and comprises two operational layers deployed within respective demarcation zones. A first layer includes a web tier that provides landing webpage and a legacy account manager that enables account management for mobility subscribers. A second layer includes an application layer associated with femtocell service, an application layer for legacy accounts, and a middleware component that provides functional connectivity application layers and backend service component. Account management service allows secure login to femtocell account and redirection amongst femtocell and legacy service components, and enables manipulation of access list(s) that regulate access to femto service. Manipulation of access list(s) includes addition, deletion, and edition of entries, which include unique identifier(s) for mobile devices and related control flags. A femtocell database retains account profile(s) that include access list(s). Access list(s) and updates thereof can be supplied to macrocell network.

Claims

1. A system that enables account management for femtocell service, the system comprising:

at least one or more processors; and

computer-readable media that includes code instructions that when executed by the at least one or more processor implement the following components;

an account manager component that allows login to a subscriber account;

a femto web tier that includes a landing webpage that is accessed upon successful login to the subscriber account; and

a femto application layer that, upon successful login, enables management of at least one of an femtocell account profile or an access list.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a middleware component that that extracts information from at least a billing system, a femtocell account database, or a directory database to enable at least in part login to the subscriber account.

3. The system of claim 2, the system further comprising a database manager component that administers content retained within the femtocell account database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the account profile includes at least one customer premise equipment profile that includes at least one access list.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one CPE profile further includes at least one of an equipment identification, an address associated with the equipment, one or more activation status indicators, one or more location indicators, or a notification email address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the femto web tier includes a profile validation component that signals an account type to the account manager in order to implement subscriber identity management.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the access list includes at least one of a set of field attributes that identify a set of respective mobile devices authorized to receive service through a predetermined CPE, or a set of control parameters that establish relative priority to service for one or more of the identified mobile devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the femto application layer includes a femto account manager that enables creation, deletion, or revision of records associated with at least one of a femto account profiles or an access list(s).

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the database manager component implement storage functionality to maintain a subscriber account profile association with femtocell equipment, wherein the association can be based at least in part on a customer telephone number of a subscriber that acquires the femtocell equipment and associated femtocell service.

10. A method for managing a femtocell service account, the method comprising:

employing at least one or more processors that execute code instruction retained in one or more computer-readable media to implement the following acts;

querying a subscriber account type;

receiving a subscriber account type in response to the querying act;

redirecting an online session for login in an account manager based at least in part on the received subscriber account type; and

upon successful login, redirecting a logged on session to an application layer for femtocell service account management.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the redirecting act is secured based at least in part on an HTTPS advanced encryption system with at least a 256-bit key.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the account manager is at least one of a consumer account manager or a business account manager.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein femtocell service account management includes manipulating an access list that includes at least one of a set of field attributes that identify a set of respective mobile devices authorized to receive service through a predetermined CPE, or a set of control parameters that establish relative priority to service for one or more of the identified mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein manipulating the access list includes:

retrieving an account profile for the predetermined CPE;

forwarding the account profile for the predetermined CPE;

receiving an access list associated with the account profile; and

conveying the access list for at least one of addition, deletion, or edition of one or more attribute fields in a set of attribute fields that span the access list.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

conveying an updated access list resulting from the at least one of addition, deletion, or edition of the one or more attribute fields in a set of attribute fields that span the access list; and

verifying that updated attribute fields in the set of attribute fields that span the access list are compatible with a service provider that administer femtocell service.

16. The method of claim 15, when one or more of the updated attribute fields is incompatible with the service provider that administer femtocell service, receiving a set of attribute field values in error.

17. The method of claim 15, when one or more attribute fields are compatible with the service provider that administers femtocell service, further comprising:

extracting an ICCID for each of the one or more attribute fields that identify a mobile device; and

conveying each of the one or more attribute fields that identify a mobile device and the associated ICCID.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising provisioning an update for an access list associated with an account profile for the specific CPE.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an old access list and an updated access list with associated ICCIDs for listed mobile device identifiers;

conveying the updated access list with an associated CPE identifier and a CTN for the owner of the updated access list; and

conveying a difference amongst the old access list and the updated access list to initiate a transaction updated.

20. An system, comprising:

at least one or more processor that execute code instructions retained in one or more computer-readable media to effect the following;

means for configuring at least one of a femtocell AP or a service plan for operation thereof; and

means for configuring access to service through the femtocell AP.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein means for configuring access to service through the femtocell AP includes:

means for logging in to account of a subscriber of the service plan;

means for accessing a femto web tier that includes a landing webpage that is accessed upon successful login to the subscriber account; and

means for managing at least one of an femtocell account profile or an access list upon successful login.