Radio Access Point Location Verification Using GPS Location and Radio Environment Data

• US 20100210280A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Graham, Mickael, Hensley, Archie, Haynes, Edward, Antoline, Jeffrey, Okmyanskiy, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Techniques are provided to perform location verification of a radio access point device such as femtocell. The radio access point device is configured to receive signals from global positioning system (GPS) satellite transmitters to produce GPS location data representing a GPS location of the radio access point device. The radio access point device is also configured to receive wireless signals at one or more specified channels and to generate radio environment data representing characteristics of received wireless signals at the one or more specified channels in a vicinity of the radio access point device. A comparison is made between the GPS location data and reference GPS location data for an expected location of the radio access point device. When the GPS location data substantially matches the reference GPS location data, operations of the radio access point device are enabled and the radio environment data is stored to be used as reference radio environment data for purposes of subsequent location verification of the radio access point device. Subsequent location verifications (such as on reboot) start with comparing radio environment data with reference radio environment data and if a substantial match is found, GPS location data does not need to be obtained. In the case of substantial mismatch between radio environment data obtained at reboot and the reference radio environment data, new GPS location data is obtained and upon successful match to reference GPS location data, the reference radio environment data is updated based on the most recent radio environment data obtained by device. In addition, a service-activated radio access point device performs periodic radio network scans in order to update the reference radio environment data if the new radio environment data differs from the reference radio environment data outside of a tolerance range.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a radio access point device;

receiving signals from global positioning system (GPS) satellite transmitters to produce GPS location data representing a GPS location of the radio access point device;

receiving wireless signals at one or more specified channels and generating radio environment data representing characteristics of received wireless signals in the one or more channels in a vicinity of the radio access point device;

comparing the GPS location data with reference GPS location data for an expected location of the radio access point device; and

when the GPS location data substantially matches the reference GPS location data;

enabling service of the radio access point device;

storing the radio environment data to be used as reference radio environment data for purposes of subsequent location verification of the radio access point device.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising a period of time after enabling service of the radio access point device, receiving wireless signals to generate updated radio environment data, and adjusting the reference radio environment data based on the updated radio environment data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving wireless signals to generate updated radio environment data is performed on a periodic basis.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving wireless signals to generate the updated radio environment data is performed in response to a command from a control server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio environment data and reference radio environment data comprise one or more selected from the group of:

an identifier of a cellular radio transceiver that services a cell, a country code from a cellular signal, a network code from a cellular signal, a frequency of a cellular signal, a scrambling code of a cellular signal, a regional network controller identifier for a cellular radio transceiver, a received power of a signal from a cellular radio transceiver, an indication of transmitted power level for a signal transmitted by a cellular radio transceiver, and a transmission power loss derived from a difference between transmitted signal power and received signal power associated with a signal received from a cellular radio transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the radio access point device is subsequently rebooted, it subsequently boots up with service disabled, and further comprising, receiving wireless signals to generate radio environment data, comparing the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data and re-enabling service of the radio access point device when the radio environment data substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data comprises comparing a portion of the radio environment data generated at reboot of the radio access point device with a corresponding portion of the reference radio environment data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein when it is determined that the radio environment data does not match the reference radio environment data, further comprising receiving signals from GPS satellite transmitters to produce GPS location data, comparing the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data, re-enabling service of the radio access point device when the GPS location data substantially matches the reference GPS location data and updating the reference radio environment data based on the radio environment data obtained at reboot.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing and comparing are performed at the radio access point device.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising receiving provisioning data from a control server, wherein the provisioning data includes the reference GPS location data for an expected location of the radio access point device and tolerance data that describes a tolerance range within with a match to the reference GPS location and/or radio environment data is to be declared.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein when the radio access point device is subsequently rebooted, it boots up with service disabled, and further comprising, receiving wireless signals to generate radio environment data, at the radio access point device comparing the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data and re-enabling service of the radio access point device when the radio environment data substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein storing and comparing are performed at a control server that is remote from said radio access point device, and further comprising sending the GPS location data and radio environment data from the radio access point device to the control server, and wherein enabling service of the radio access point device in response to a message received at the radio access point device from the control server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the radio access point device is subsequently rebooted, it boots up with service disabled, and further comprising, receiving wireless signals to generate radio environment data, sending the radio environment data to the control server, at the control server comparing the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data, and receiving a message from the control server that re-enables service of the radio access point device when the control server determines that the radio environment data substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the control server determines that the radio environment data does not match the reference radio environment data, further comprising receiving signals from GPS satellite transmitters to produce GPS location data, sending the GPS location data to the control server, at the control server comparing the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data, receiving a message at the radio access point device from the control server that re-enables service of the radio access point device when the control server determines that the GPS location data matches the reference GPS location data, and at the control server updating the reference radio environment data based on the radio environment data obtained at reboot of the radio access point device.

15. The method of claim 1, and further comprising periodically repeating receiving signals from GPS satellite transmitters, receiving wireless signals at the one or more specified channels to generate radio environment data and comparing the GPS location data with reference GPS location data in order to perform additional location verifications even after service is enabled at the radio access point device.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising periodically repeating receiving signals from GPS satellite transmitters, receiving wireless signals at the one or more specified channels to generate radio environment data and comparing the GPS location data with reference GPS location data until service for the RAP device is eventually initially enabled.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a radio transceiver unit configured to transmit and receive wireless signals associated with a wireless communication network to serve wireless mobile communication devices that operate in the wireless communication network, wherein the radio transceiver unit is configured to receive wireless signals at one or more channels to generate radio environment data representing characteristics of received wireless signals at the one or more channels;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver unit configured to receive GPS signals from multiple satellite transmitters and to compute GPS location data representing a GPS location from the GPS signals;

a controller configured to connect to the radio transceiver unit and the GPS receiver unit, wherein the controller is configured to;

prior to enabling service in the wireless communication network for the first time, invoke the GPS receiver unit to generate GPS location data for initial location verification and invoke the radio transceiver unit to generate radio environment data for purposes of subsequent location verification after the apparatus is initially enabled for service.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the radio transceiver unit and the controller are configured to generate the radio environment data comprising one or more selected from the group of:

an identifier of a cellular radio transceiver that services a cell, a country code from a cellular signal, a network code from a cellular signal, a frequency of a cellular signal, a scrambling code of a received cellular signal, a regional network controller identifier for a cellular radio transceiver, a received power of a signal from a cellular radio transceiver, an indication of transmitted power level for a signal transmitted by a cellular radio transceiver, and a transmission power loss derived from a difference between transmitted signal power and received signal power associated with a signal received from a cellular radio transceiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, and further comprising a network interface unit that is configured to transmit to and receive messages from a control server over a data network, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive provisioning data from the control server, wherein the provisioning data includes reference GPS location data for an expected location and tolerance data that describes a tolerance range within with a match to the reference GPS location data is to be declared, and wherein the controller is further configured to compare the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data and when the GPS location data matches the reference GPS location data within the tolerance range, enable service in the wireless communication network and store the radio environment data to be used as reference radio environment data for subsequent location verification.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein when the apparatus is subsequently rebooted and starts up with service disabled, and the controller is configured to invoke the radio transceiver unit to receive wireless signals and generate radio environment data, and to compare the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data and re-enable service of the apparatus when the radio environment data substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to, a period of time after enabling service, invoke the radio transceiver unit to receive wireless signals and generate updated radio environment data, and adjust the reference radio environment data based on the updated radio environment data.

22. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 17 and a control server, wherein the apparatus further comprises a network interface unit that is configured to transmit to and receive messages from the control server over a data network, wherein the controller is configured to send the GPS location data and radio environment data via the network interface unit to the control server, the control server being configured to:

compare the GPS location data with reference GPS location data, send a message to the apparatus to enable service when the GPS location data substantially matches the reference GPS location data and store the radio environment data as reference radio environment data for subsequent location verification of the apparatus.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein when the apparatus is subsequently rebooted and starts up with service disabled, and the controller is configured to control the radio transceiver unit to receive wireless signals and to generate radio environment data, send the radio environment data to the control server, wherein the control server is configured to compare the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data and to send a message to the apparatus to re-enable service when the radio environment data generated at reboot substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein when the control server determines that the radio environment data generated at reboot does not match the reference radio environment data, the control server is configured to transmit a message to the apparatus commanding it to capture GPS location data, and wherein the controller is responsive thereto to control the GPS receiver unit to receive signals from GPS satellite transmitters to produce GPS location data, send the GPS location data to the control server, wherein the control server is configured to compare the GPS location data obtained at reboot with the reference GPS location data and to send a message to the apparatus to re-enable service when the GPS location data matches the reference GPS location data and to update the reference radio environment data based on the radio environment data obtained at reboot.

25. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

generate global positioning system (GPS) location data of a radio access point device from signals received from GPS satellite transmitters;

generate radio environment data from wireless signals received at one or more specified channels, wherein the radio environment data represents characteristics of the wireless signals at the one or more specified channels in a environment of the radio access point device;

compare the GPS location data with reference GPS location data for an expected location of the radio access point device; and

when the GPS location data substantially matches the reference GPS location data, enabling service of the radio access point device and storing the radio environment data to be used as reference radio environment data for purposes of subsequent location verification of the radio access point device.

26. The logic of claim 25, and further comprising logic that is configured to, a period of time after enabling operation of the radio access point device, generate updated radio environment data from wireless signals received in the frequency band, and adjust the reference radio environment data based on the updated radio environment data.

27. The logic of claim 25, and further comprising logic that is configured to, when the radio access point device is subsequently rebooted and boots up with service disabled, generate radio environment data from wireless signals received in the frequency band, compare the radio environment data with the reference radio environment data and re-enable service of the radio access point device when the radio environment data substantially matches the reference radio environment data.

28. The logic of claim 27, and further comprising logic that is configured to, when it is determined that the radio environment data does not match the reference radio environment data, generate GPS location data from signals received from GPS satellite transmitters, compare the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data, re-enable service of the radio access point device when the GPS location data matches the reference GPS location data, and update the reference radio environment data based on the radio environment data obtained at reboot.

29. The logic of claim 25, wherein the logic that compares the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data and the logic that stores the reference radio environment data resides in the radio access point device.

30. The logic of claim 25, wherein the logic that compares the GPS location data with the reference GPS location data and the logic that stores the reference radio environment data resides in a control server that is remote from the radio access point device, and further comprising logic in the radio access point device that is configured to send the GPS location data and radio environment data to the control server.