SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY PROVISIONING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES BETWEEN AN ACCESS POINT AND A TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK USING A SUBSCRIBER IDENTIFIER

• US 20100226346A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Linkola, Janne P., Caldwell, Christopher E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/385 of the core network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A method and system for selectively provisioning services between an access point, which supports telecommunications services over an IP network, and a carrier network includes a network connection and a telephone connector. At least one detection component detects whether a landline telephone is plugged in to the telephone connector. The access point and network are configured to provision telecommunications services based at least in part on an identifier stored in an identification module.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network (WLAN) system configured for facilitating IP-based communications with a telecommunications service provider, the system comprising:

an antenna;

a WLAN radio connected to the antenna and configured to provide WLAN connectivity;

a network connection component configured to communicate with an IP-based network and connected to transmit and receive data received from the WLAN radio;

a telephone connector component configured to accept a wired connection with a landline telephone;

an identification module socket configured to accept an identification module, wherein the identification module includes a tamper-resistant memory and wherein the tamper-resistant memory has stored therein a subscriber identifier, and wherein the subscriber identifier is neither a Medium Access Control (MAC) address nor an electronic serial number (ESN);

a connection manager configured to facilitate provisioning of telecommunications services between the telephone connector component and the IP-based network, wherein the telecommunications services include voice communications services over the IP-based network, and wherein the provisioning comprises;

registering with a core telecommunications network,

providing user-specific information to the core telecommunications network, wherein the user-specific information includes or is derived from the subscriber identifier, and

receiving a resource allocation from the core telecommunications network, wherein the resource allocation is provided by the core telecommunications network if the subscriber identifier is included within a specified range of values or a predetermined set of values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications services are Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) services, and wherein the user-specific information is, or is based in part on, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and wherein the core telecommunications network includes or is coupled to a licensed cellular telephone network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is configured to facilitate provisioning a first type of telecommunications services if the subscriber identifier is within the range of values or the predetermined set of values and a second type of telecommunications services if the subscriber identifier is outside the range of values or the predetermined set of values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein call billing information associated with the telecommunications services is generated and determined based at least in part on the subscriber identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified range of values comprises a first range of values and a second range of values and wherein a first type of telecommunications services is provisioned if the subscriber identifier is within the first range of values and a second type of telecommunications services is provisioned if the subscriber identifier is within the second range of values.

6. In a converged telecommunications network that employs a core telecommunications network, a cellular network, and an IP-based network, a method for provisioning telecommunications services between an access point and the core telecommunications network via the IP-based network, the method comprising:

receiving a registration signal from the access point, wherein the registration signal includes an identifier received or derived from a memory device;

comparing the identifier to a range of values or a predetermined subset of values, wherein the predetermined subset of values is taken from a set of all values employed by the core telecommunications network; and

selectively provisioning telecommunications services between the access point and the core telecommunications network, based at least in part on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the provisioned telecommunications services include landline voice services provided over the IP-based network based at least in part on the identifier, and wherein the provisioned telecommunications services do not include voice services provided over the licensed wireless cellular network based on the identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein provisioning telecommunications services comprises determining a set of services associated with the identifier, wherein the set of services is determined based at least in part on the comparison and comprises at least voice telecommunications services and wherein the voice telecommunications services include at least two of voice mail, call waiting, visual voice mail, and call forwarding.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein provisioning telecommunications services comprises provisioning voice telecommunications services, and wherein the identifier is a subscriber identifier.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein provisioning telecommunications services comprises provisioning the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is within the range of values and rejecting the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is not within the range of values.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the memory is a tamper-resistant memory provided by the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the memory is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) received within a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving connection type data from the access point, the connection type data including information to indicate service, equipment, or radio capabilities of the access point; and

determining call billing information based on the identifier and the connection type data.

14. An apparatus for provisioning telecommunications services between an access point and a core telecommunications network that employs both a cellular network and an IP-based network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication component configured to receive a registration signal from the access point, wherein the signal includes an identifier received or derived from a memory device;

an identifier comparison component configured to compare the identifier to a specified range of values or a predetermined set of values, wherein the specified range of values or predetermined set of values includes multiple possible values; and

a provisioning component configured to selectively provision telecommunications services between the access point and the core telecommunications network, based at least in part on the comparison,

wherein the provisioned telecommunications services include telecommunications services provided via the IP-based network based at least in part on the identifier, and wherein the provisioned telecommunications services do not include telecommunications services provided over the cellular network based on the identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein provisioning telecommunications services comprises determining a set of services associated with the access point, wherein the set of services is determined based at least in part on the comparison.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the provisioning component is further configured to provision the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is within the range of values and to reject the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is not within the range of values.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the provisioning component is further configured to:

receive connection type data from the access point, the connection type data including information to indicate service, equipment, or radio capabilities of the access point; and

determine call billing information based on the identifier and the connection type data.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the specified range of values comprises a first range of values and a second range of values and wherein the provisioning component is configured to provision a first type of telecommunications services if the identifier is within the first range of values and a second type of telecommunications services if the identifier is within the second range of values.

19. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a method for managing use of an access point configured for facilitating IP-based communications in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from an end user'"'"'s telephone device;

obtaining an identifier;

providing user-specific information to a core telecommunications network requesting the core telecommunications network to provision telecommunications services between the access point and an IP-based network, wherein the user-specific information includes or is derived from the identifier, and

receiving a resource allocation from the core telecommunications network, wherein the resource allocation is provided by the core telecommunications network if the identifier is included within a specified range of values or a predetermined set of values.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein receiving a communication comprises accepting a connection using an unlicensed wireless band, and wherein the end user'"'"'s telephone device is a cordless phone or mobile device.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein receiving a communication comprises accepting a connection using a licensed wireless band, and wherein the end user'"'"'s telephone device is a cordless phone or cell phone, wherein the identifier is a subscriber identifier, and wherein the core telecommunications network includes or is coupled to a licensed cellular telephone network.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein receiving a resource allocation comprises receiving a resource allocation for a first type of telecommunications services if the identifier is within the range of values or the predetermined set of values and a second type of telecommunications services if the identifier is outside the range of values or the predetermined set of values.

23. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising receiving a notification rejecting the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is not within the range of values or the predetermined set of values.

24. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the specified range of values comprises a first range of values and a second range of values and wherein a first type of telecommunications services is allocated if the identifier is within the first range of values and a second type of telecommunications services is allocated if the identifier is within the second range of values.

25. An apparatus for provisioning voice communications between an access point and an IP-based network in a converged telecommunications network that employs both a licensed wireless cellular network and the IP-based network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication component configured to receive a registration signal from the access point, wherein the signal includes an identifier received or derived from a user-provided memory device that stores the identifier in a tamper-resistant memory;

an identifier comparison component configured to compare the identifier to a specified range of values or a predetermined set of values, wherein the specified range of values or predetermined set of values includes multiple possible values; and

a provisioning component configured to selectively provision telecommunications services between the access point and the telecommunications network, based at least in part on the comparison,

wherein the provisioned telecommunications services include voice services provided over the IP-based network based at least in part on the identifier, and wherein the provisioned telecommunications services do not include voice services provided over the cellular network based on the identifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the provisioning component is further configured to provision the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is within the range of values and to reject the telecommunications services if the value of the identifier is not within the range of values.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the access point is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point having a landline telephone connector for connecting to a landline telephone, and wherein the access point provides voice services under the Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol.