A METHOD AND APPARATUSES FOR ALLOCATING SERVICE AREA IDENTIFIERS IN A WIRELESS SYSTEM

• US 20100184421A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vikberg, Jari, Nylander, Tomas, Lindqvist, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0069 Cell search, i.e. determining cell identity [cell-ID] design of multiplexing codes H04J13/00; processing access restriction or access information H04W48/16; discovery of network devices for network data management H04W8/005; sounding signals for channel estimation H04L25/0226; structure of reference signals in multicarrier modulation systems H04L27/2613; frame, time or carrier synchronisation in multicarrier modulation systems H04L27/2655
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for allocating service area identifiers (SAI) for a femto cell (200A) upon the femto cell (200A) being created. According to the method, information is received about detected cells obtained by scanning performed by a femto radio base station (210A) that is serving the femto cell (200A) in addition to information identifying the femto base station (210A) or the femto cell (200A); a request for SAIs, is transmitted to a SAI selection entity (250, 400) based on the received information, and SAIs selected by a selection entity (250) are received together with an associated user type. The identifiers are further allocated for the created femto cell (200A). The present invention also relates to an apparatus (100, 300) and to the selection entity (250, 400).

Claims

1. A method for allocating at least one service area identifier (SAI) for a femto cell that is served by a femto radio base station (RBS) upon said femto cell being created, said femto RBS being connected to a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

receiving information about detected cells obtained by scanning performed by the femto RBS, and information identifying at least one of the femto cell or the femto RBS;

transmitting a request for at least one SAI for the femto cell, to a femto SAI selection entity, said request being based on the received information;

receiving at least one SAI and an associated user type selected by the femto SAI selection entity; and

allocating said at least one SAI and the associated user type, for the created femto cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprises:

filtering the information about detected cells based on the information identifying the femto cell, prior to transmitting the request for at least one SAI for the femto cell, said filtering comprising;

filtering out information identifying other femto cells included in the information about detected cells.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprises:

storing said at least one allocated SAI in a cell configuration context for the created femto cell.

4. The method according claim 1, where the receiving at least one SAI further comprises:

receiving the information identifying at least one of the created femto cell or the femto RBS of the created femto cell.

5. The method according claim 1, where each selected SAI is indicative of location information and charging information.

6. The method according to claim 5, where said location information is based on the information about the detected cells which comprises, for at least one detected macro cell, at least a cell identity (Cell-ID) of the macro cell, a location area identity related to the macro cell (LAI), and a routing area code (RAC) related to the macro cell.

7. The method according to claim 6 where the location information is indicative of a location area of the wireless communications network comprising at least one macro cell detected by the femto RBS.

8. The method according to claim 6 where the location information is indicative of one of the macro cells of the wireless communications network, detected by the femto RBS.

9. The method according to claim 5 where said charging information comprises charging tariffs, where each tariff is associated with a type of user in the created femto cell.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for allocating at least one service area identifier (SAI) for a femto cell that is served by a femto radio base station (RBS) upon said cell being created, said femto RBS being connected to a wireless communications network, the apparatus comprising:

receiver means for receiving information about detected cells obtained by scanning performed by the femto RBS, and information identifying at least one of the femto cell or the femto RBS;

transmitting means for transmitting a request for at least one SAI for the femto cell, to a femto SAI selection entity, said request being based on the received information;

receiver means for receiving at least one SAI and an associated user type selected by the femto SAI selection entity; and

means for allocating said at least one SAI and the associated user type, for the created femto cell.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

filtering means for filtering the information about detected cells based on the information identifying the femto cell, prior to said transmitting means transmitting the request for at least one SAI for the femto cell, said filtering means is to filter out information identifying other femto cells included in the information about detected cells.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

storing means for storing said at least one allocated SAI in a cell configuration context for the created femto cell.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, where the receiver means is to receive said at least one selected SAI and at least one of the information identifying the created femto cell or the femto RBS of the created femto cell.

16. The apparatus according to any claim 12, where the selected SAI is indicative of location information and charging information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, where the location information is based on the information about the detected cells which comprises, for at least one detected macro cell, at least a cell identity (Cell-ID) of the macro cell, a location area identity related to the macro cell (LAI), and a routing area code (RAC) related to the macro cell.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, where the location information is indicative of a location area of the wireless communications network comprising at least one macro cell detected by the femto RBS.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, where the location information is indicative of one of the macro cells in the wireless communications network, detected by the femto RBS.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, where said charging information comprises charging tariffs, where each tariff is associated with a type of user in the created femto cell.

21-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A selection entity for selecting at least one service area identifier (SAI) for a femto cell that is served by a femto radio base station (RBS) upon said cell being created, said femto RBS being connected to a wireless communications network, the selection entity comprising:

a receiver to receive a request for at least one SAI for the femto cell, said request being based on information identifying at least one of the femto cell or the femto RBS and information about detected cells obtained by scanning performed by the femto RBS;

a selector to select at least one SAI and an associated user type, for the created femto cell;

a transmitter to transmit said at least one selected SAI and the associated user type and the information identifying at least one of the femto cell or the femto RBS.

27. The selection entity according to claim 26, where each selected SAI is indicative of location information and charging information.

28. The selection entity according to claim 27, where the location information is based on the information about the detected cells which comprises, for at least one detected macro cell, at least a cell identity (Cell-ID) of the macro cell, a location area identity related to the macro cell (LAI), and a routing area code (RAC) related to the macro cell.

29. The selection entity according to claim 27, where the location information is indicative of a location area of the wireless communications network comprising at least one macro cell detected by the femto RBS.

30. The selection entity according to claim 27, where the location information is indicative of one of the macro cells in the wireless communications network, detected by the femto RBS.

31. The selection entity according to claim 26, where said charging information comprises charging tariffs, where each tariff is associated with a type of user in the created femto cell.

32. (canceled)