ACCESS CLASS BASED PICOCELL POLICY ENFORCEMENT

• US 20110021196A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamel, Eric P., Okmyanskiy, Anton, Pazhyannur, Rajesh, Grayson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/503 using an authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] protocol, e.g. remote authentication dial-in user service [RADIUS] or Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing access class based picocell policy enforcement includes determining whether user equipment registered with a radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro telecommunications service provider and eligible for differentiated services, recovering an internet protocol (IP) address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment, confirming that the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment is within a predetermined range, determining whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro telecommunications service context, and when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, causing IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to an enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the radio access point.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining whether user equipment registered with a radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro telecommunications service provider and eligible for differentiated services;

recovering an internet protocol (IP) address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment;

confirming that the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment is within a predetermined range;

determining whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro telecommunications service context; and

when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, causing IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to an enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the radio access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether user equipment is eligible for differentiated services comprises querying a database during a user equipment registration process.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising querying based on an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) value of the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recovering comprises snooping IP packets or intercepting a packet data protocol (PDP) context establishment message exchange.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein confirming comprises determining whether the IP address falls within a range advertised by an advertising router.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context comprises analyzing a destination IP address of packet and further determining whether the destination IP address is associated with the enterprise.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring whether the user equipment is handed over to the macro telecommunication service provider.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising notifying a router and an advertising router to no longer route packets from and to the enterprise controller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the enterprise controller in accordance with 3^rd Generation Partnership project (3GPP) Technical Specification 25.469.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a packet from the advertizing router;

determining that the packet does not correspond to any currently authorized enterprise user; and

notifying the advertizing router that further packets corresponding to an IP address of the packet should no longer be routed to the enterprise controller.

11. A system, comprising:

an enterprise controller;

a plurality of radio access points in communication with the enterprise controller;

the enterprise controller being configured to communicate with an advertizing router that can communicate with a macro service provider Internet Protocol (IP) point of access;

the enterprise controller configured to;

determine whether user equipment registered with a selected radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro service provider and eligible for differentiated services;

recover an IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment;

determine whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro service context; and

when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, cause IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to the enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the selected radio access point.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a policy database that is in communication with the enterprise controller.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the policy database lists IMSI values for which differentiated services are available.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the enterprise controller is configured to operate in accordance with 3^rd Generation Partnership project (3GPP) Technical Specification 25.469.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of radio access points are Home Node B devices.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the enterprise controller is configured to recover an IP address by intercepting a packet data protocol (PDP) context establishment message exchange.

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

determine whether user equipment registered with a selected radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro service provider and eligible for differentiated services;

recover an IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment;

determine whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro service context; and

when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, cause IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to the enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the selected radio access point.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to operate in accordance with 3^rd Generation Partnership project (3GPP) Technical Specification 25.469.

19. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to query a policy database having a list of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) values.

20. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a packet from an advertizing router;

determine that the packet does not correspond to any currently authorized enterprise user; and

notify the advertizing router that further packets corresponding to an IP address of the packet should no longer be routed to the enterprise controller.