FEMTO CELL SERVICE DELIVERY PLATFORM USAGE COMPLIANCE

• US 20100304712A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Jeffrey, Rooks, Kelsyn D. S., Stafford, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for managing cellular usage in controlled areas. For example, in one embodiment, a cellular monitoring system communicates with one or more femto cells located within a controlled area for detecting the presence of unauthorized cellular devices or for monitoring the usage of cellular devices within the controlled area.

Claims

1. A method executed by a cellular monitoring system for managing cellular usage in a controlled area, the method comprising:

identify a cellular device within signal range of one or more femto cells placed in a controlled area;

determining whether the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area; and

alerting security personnel in response to determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlled area is a prison facility.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a location status of the cellular device to provide an approximate location of the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user configurations for alerting the security personnel from a user via a Web portal associated with the cellular monitoring system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

determining whether the incoming or outgoing call occurs during an authorized time; and

blocking the incoming or outgoing call in response to a determination that the incoming or outgoing call occurs during an unauthorized time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a duration of an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

detecting an amount of time associated with the duration of the incoming or outgoing call from a calling account associated with a user of the cellular device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising disconnecting a call associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the call has exceeded a predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting calls associated with the cellular device to only authorized calling numbers.

10. A cellular monitoring system for managing cellular usage in a controlled area, the cellular monitoring system comprising:

a network interface for communicating with one or more femto cells placed in a controlled area for identifying cellular devices in the controlled area;

a data storage unit for storing identification data associated with authorized cellular devices within the controlled area;

memory for storing computer executable instructions;

a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions to;

determine whether a cellular device within the controlled area is an authorized device using the identification data; and

block cellular communications associated with the communication device in response to determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area.

11. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to alert security personnel in response to determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area.

12. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the alert includes location information for assisting the security personnel in determining the approximation location of the cellular device within the controlled area.

13. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to block cellular communications associated with the communication device during specified times.

14. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to record cellular communications associated with the communication device.

15. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to enable cellular communications associated with the communication device only to prespecified calling numbers.

16. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the network interface is further configured to receive user specified configuration parameters from a user via a web portal interface.

17. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to monitor a duration of a call associated with the cellular device and terminate the call in response the call exceeding a prespecified duration.

18. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to transmit a message to a plurality of specified cellular devices within the controlled area.

19. The cellular monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to block all cellular communications within the controlled area.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising instructions to:

identify a cellular device within signal range of one or more femto cells placed in a controlled area;

determine whether the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area; and

block cellular communications associated with the communication device in response to a determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area.