TAKING CONTROL OF SUBSCRIBER TERMINAL

• US 20120252454A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exfo Oy (11172239 Canada, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nethawk Oyj (11172239 Canada, Inc.)
• Inventors: KUMPULA, Juha, KÄMÄRÄINEN, Jussi, LIITEN, Tomi
• Granted Patent: US 8,737,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Taking control of a subscriber terminal. An apparatus comprises a processor configured to cause the apparatus: to control a first stand-alone base station utilizing a first radio access technology RAT to form an emulated first RAT cell and to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the emulated first RAT cell becomes a tempting destination for a cell reselection by a subscriber terminal utilizing the first RAT; to control a second stand-alone base station such that a formed emulated second RAT cell becomes a preferred destination for a cell reselection; to control the first stand-alone base station so that the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT; and to control the first stand-alone base station to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus (102) comprising a processor (108) configured to cause the apparatus (102):

to control a first stand-alone base station (112) utilizing a first radio access technology RAT to form an emulated first RAT cell and to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the emulated first RAT cell becomes a tempting destination for a cell reselection by a subscriber terminal (100) having an ongoing radio connection with a serving cell base station (132) belonging to a cellular radio system (130) and utilizing the first RAT;

to control a second stand-alone base station (114) utilizing a second RAT to form an emulated second RAT cell and to set parameters of the emulated second RAT cell such that the emulated second RAT cell becomes a preferred destination for a cell reselection;

to control the first stand-alone base station (112) utilizing the first RAT to perform cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT; and

to control the first stand-alone base station (112) utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station (114) utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus:

to control a third stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to interfere the first frequency band of the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT, on which first frequency band the subscriber terminal is having the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT;

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to form the emulated first RAT cell on a second frequency band, which second frequency band is different from the first frequency band;

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to perform cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection on the first frequency band with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue on the second frequency band with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT; and

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection on the second frequency band with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus:

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the neighbor cell list of the emulated first RAT cell only contains the emulated second RAT cells; and

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal by transmitting a location update failure command to the subscriber terminal, causing the subscriber terminal to release the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT, and to perform inter RAT cell reselection to the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus:

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the second RAT is included in redirection info in RRC connection release PDU; and

to control the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal by transmitting system information to the subscriber terminal, causing the subscriber terminal to release the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT, and to perform cell inter RAT cell reselection to the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus:

to control a measurement terminal that emulates the subscriber terminal towards the serving cell base station to transmit a message containing the international mobile subscriber identity IMSI number of the subscriber terminal to a communication terminal; and

to read IMSI and mobile subscriber ISDN number MSISDN from the message received by the communication terminal, which MSISDN is attached to the message by the cellular radio network.

6. A method comprising:

controlling a first stand-alone base station utilizing a first radio access technology RAT to form an emulated first RAT cell and to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the emulated first RAT cell becomes a tempting destination for a cell reselection by a subscriber terminal having an ongoing radio connection with a serving cell base station belonging to a cellular radio system and utilizing the first RAT;

controlling a second stand-alone base station utilizing a second RAT to form an emulated second RAT cell and to set parameters of the emulated second RAT cell such that the emulated second RAT cell becomes a preferred destination for a cell reselection;

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to perform cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT; and

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling a third stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to interfere the first frequency band of the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT, on which first frequency band the subscriber terminal is having the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT;

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to form the emulated first RAT cell on a second frequency band, which second frequency band is different from the first frequency band;

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to perform cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection on the first frequency band with the serving cell base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue on the second frequency band with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT; and

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection on the second frequency band with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT is transferred to continue with the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

either controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the neighbor cell list of the emulated first RAT cell only contains the emulated second RAT cells; and

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal by transmitting a location update failure command to the subscriber terminal, causing the subscriber terminal to release the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT, and to perform inter RAT cell reselection to the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT;

or

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT to set parameters of the emulated first RAT cell such that the second RAT is included in redirection info in RRC connection release PDU; and

controlling the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT and the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT to perform inter RAT cell reselection with the subscriber terminal by transmitting system information to the subscriber terminal, causing the subscriber terminal to release the ongoing radio connection with the first stand-alone base station utilizing the first RAT, and to perform cell inter RAT cell reselection to the second stand-alone base station utilizing the second RAT.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling a measurement terminal that emulates the subscriber terminal towards the serving cell base station to transmit a message containing the international mobile subscriber identity IMSI number of the subscriber terminal to a communication terminal; and

reading IMSI and mobile subscriber ISDN number MSISDN from the message received by the communication terminal, which MSISDN is attached to the message by the cellular radio network.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the steps of claim 6.