Multi-Service Provider Wireless Access Point

• US 20140010171A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morrill, Robert J., Cook, Charles I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques that can provide wireless service for multiple service providers from a single, multi-service provider wireless access point. In an aspect, a multi-service provider wireless access point might communicate with a plurality of wireless devices, each associated with a different wireless carrier, and route communications from each device to the appropriate carrier (and/or, similarly, transmit communications from each carrier to the appropriate wireless device). In this way, for example, a single wireless access point could provide service to cellphones of subscribers of a number of different carriers. Such a wireless access point can provide enhanced efficiency and reduced cost, along with the ability to provide higher service for a number of wireless carriers.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless service for multiple service providers from a single access point, the method comprising:

providing a multi-service provider wireless access point having one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices and an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection to a plurality of wireless service providers;

establishing, for each of the plurality of service providers, a dedicated management platform for each service provider to manage wireless service provided by that service provider;

providing a plurality of dedicated communication links, each of the plurality of dedicated communication links providing secure communication between the uplink interface and one of the wireless service providers;

receiving, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, a communication from a wireless device served by a first wireless service provider; and

transmitting the communication to the first wireless service provider over a first dedicated communication link associated with the first service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise one or more long term evolution (“

LTE”

) radios.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise one or more WiFi radios.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, for each of the plurality of service providers, a discrete processing system to provide wireless service for each respective service provider'"'"'s subscribers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a general management platform, separate from each of the dedicated management consoles, for managing the wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the general management platform manages routing of wireless communications to appropriate wireless service providers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the general management platform manages statistics collection for the multi-provider wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the general management platform manages access for subscribers of nonparticipating wireless carriers.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the general management platform is accessible by a provider of the multi-service provider wireless access point via a dedicated virtual private network (“

VPN”

).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink interface comprises an Ethernet interface, and wherein each of the dedicated communication links comprises a virtual private network (“

VPN”

) tunnel between the wireless access point and a wireless service provider associated with that dedicated communication link.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise one or more software defined radios.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios consist of a single radio.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of wireless service providers collectively communicate on a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the single radio is configured to communicate on the plurality of frequency bands.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-service provider wireless access point further comprises a plurality of antennas in communication with the one or more radios, the method further comprising:

mapping each of a plurality of sub-bands to one or more of the plurality of antennas;

identifying a sub-band for communications with the wireless device; and

communicating with the wireless device using the one or more antennas mapped to the identified sub-band.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein mapping a sub-band to one or more of the plurality of antennas comprises identifying the one or more antennas as providing enhanced communication performance for that sub-band.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying a sub-band for communications with the wireless device comprises identifying the sub-band as a frequency range that is allocated to the first wireless service provider.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the first dedicated communication link, configuration data; and

configuring one or more radios assigned to the first wireless service provider based on the configuration data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration data implements a radio coordination scheme of the first wireless service provider.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

establishing one or more virtual private networks (“

VPN”

) to support the radio coordination scheme.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration data specifies a version of a wireless communication standard, and wherein configuring one or more radios comprises configuring the one or more radios to communicate using the specified version of the wireless communication standard.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communications from a plurality of wireless devices;

compiling performance statistics based on communications from the plurality of wireless devices; and

categorizing the performance statistics by wireless service provider.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of wireless devices comprises one or more devices associated with a non-participating wireless service provider other than the plurality of wireless service providers.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

generating a marketing report for the non-participating wireless service provider, the marketing report comprising statistics about subscribers of the non-participating wireless service provider capable of accessing the multi-provider wireless access point.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, an identifier of the wireless device from the communication;

identifying, from the identifier of the wireless device, the first wireless service provider as serving the wireless device.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, with a computer, a service fee for each of the plurality of wireless service providers; and

billing each of the plurality of wireless service providers the respective service fee.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the service fee for at least one of the wireless service providers is a periodic flat fee.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the service fee for at least one of the wireless service providers is a usage fee calculated from one or more data elements selected from the group consisting of periodic airtime, periodic data transfer, aggregate number of calls, time of day, day of week, and traffic type.

28. A multi-service provider wireless access point, comprising:

one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices;

an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection a plurality of dedicated communication links, each of the plurality of dedicated communication links providing secure communication between the uplink interface and one of the wireless service providers;

one or more processors in communication with the one or more radios and the uplink interface; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the processor to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to establish, for each of the plurality of service providers, a dedicated management console for each service provider to manage wireless service provided by that service provider;

instructions to receive a communication from a wireless device assigned to a subscriber of a first wireless service provider; and

instructions to transmit the communication to the first wireless service provider over a first dedicated communication link associated with the first service provider.

29. The multi-service provider wireless access point of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors is a plurality of processors, and wherein the plurality of processors comprises one or more processors dedicated to each wireless service provider, to provide each wireless service provider with a discrete processing system to provide wireless service for each respective service provider'"'"'s subscribers.

30. The multi-service provider wireless access point of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are configured to support a plurality of virtual machines, and wherein the plurality comprises one or more virtual machines dedicated to each wireless service provider, to provide each wireless service provider with a discrete processing system to provide wireless service for each respective service provider'"'"'s subscribers.