INITIALIZING FEMTOCELLS

• US 20120289222A1
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Muthaiah Venkatachalam
• Inventors: Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Granted Patent: US 10,153,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A femtocell may be initialized on a network by automatically contacting a network service provider. The access point then automatically downloads an initial configuration from a bootstrap server belonging to the network service provider. In some cases, a femtocell access point may automatically determine, after boot up, whether it was pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider. If so, it may use a domain name service to obtain an address of a bootstrap server. Otherwise, it may use dynamic host configuration protocol to discover the bootstrap server'"'"'s Internet Protocol address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling a femtocell access point to automatically establish a secure connection with a management system;

automatically using a domain name server to obtain an address of the management system; and

obtaining from a domain name server, an address to access a secure gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 including automatically determining, after boot up, whether the femtocell access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with a domain, name of a management system in a femtocell network service provider.

5. The method of claim 1 including automatically sending the location of a network access point to the network service provider.

6. The method of claim 1 including enabling the access point to automatically register with a network service provider.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions to enable a computer to:

establish a secure connection with a management system;

use a domain name server to obtain an address of the management system; and

obtain from a domain name server, an address to access a secure gateway.

8. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to determine, after boot up, whether the femtocell access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider.

9. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to pre-provision the femtocell access point with credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

10. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to pre-provision the femtocell access point with a domain name of a management system in a femtocell network service provider.

11. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to the location of a network access point to the network service provider.

12. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to send the location of a network access point to the network service provider.

13. The media of claim 7 further storing instructions to automatically register the access point with a network service provider.

14. A femtocell access point comprising:

a controller to automatically contact a network service provider, to automatically download an initial configuration from the network service provider, and to automatically use a domain name server to obtain an address of a management system; and

a radio frequency transceiver coupled to said controller.

15. The access point of claim 14, said access point to automatically determine, after bootup, whether the access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider.

16. The access point of claim 15 to automatically use a domain name server to obtain the address of the bootstrap server.

17. The access point of claim 15 to use dynamic host configuration protocol to discover the bootstrap server'"'"'s Internet Protocol address if the access point is not pre-provisioned.

18. The access point of claim 14 including a memory storing credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

19. One or more non-transitory computer readable media with executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a communications device to:

receive, by the communications device comprising a broadband connector and a radio frequency transceiver, an internet protocol (IP) address of a serving gateway (SeGW);

initiate establishment of an internet protocol security tunnel with the SeGW;

receive a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of a management system;

automatically initiate a domain name system query, using the FQDN of the management system, to request an IP address of the management system;

receive the IP address of the management system; and

initiate a secure connection with the management system, the management system to provide wireless access to a network.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the wireless access is provided by the communications device using a femtocell.

21. The media of claim 19, wherein the secure connection with the management system is established through a broadband connection using the broadband connector.

22. The media of claim 19, wherein the secure connection with the management system is performed automatically after hoot-up of the communications device.

23. The media of claim 20, wherein the femtocell is part of a macro-cell.

24. The media of claim 20, further storing instructions to send a geographic location of the communications device to the management system.

25. The media of claim 19, further storing instructions to establish a data path with the network.

26. A method comprising:

automatically initiating by an femtocell access point, upon boot-up. a secure connection with a security gateway;

initiating a query of a domain name server, using a fully qualified domain name. to obtain an internet protocol address of a management system; and

receiving, from the domain name server, the internet protocol address of the management system to establish the secure connection with the management system.

27. The method of claim 26 including automatically determining, after boot up, whether the femtocell access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with a network service provider.

28. The method of claim 26 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

29. The method of claim 26 including pre-provisioning the femtocell access point with a domain name of the management system in a femtocell network service provider.

30. The method of claim 26 including automatically sending the location of the femtocell access point to a network service provider.

31. The method of claim 26 including enabling the femtocell access point to automatically register with a network service provider.

32. One or more non-transitory computer readable media with executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a femtocell access point to perform the methods as in any one of claims 26, 27, 28, 29. 30, and 31.

33. A femtocell access point to automatically, upon power-up, connect to a network comprising:

a controller to automatically contact a network service provider, to automatically initiate download of an initial configuration from the network service provider, and to automatically request a domain name server to transmit an internet protocol address of a management system; and

a radio frequency transceiver coupled to said controller.

34. The access point of claim 33, said access point to automatically determine, after hoot-up, whether the access point is pre-provisioned with credentials to authenticate itself with the network service provider.

35. The access point of claim 33 to automatically access the domain name server to obtain an address of a bootstrap server.

36. The access point of claim 34 to use dynamic host configuration protocol to discover a bootstrap server'"'"'s internet protocol address if the access point is not pre-provisioned.

37. The access point of claim 33 including a memory to store credentials for a particular wireless protocol.

38. The access point of claim 33, further comprising a connector to communicate over a broadband connection.