REGISTRATION AND ACCESS CONTROL IN FEMTO CELL DEPLOYMENTS

• US 20140094173A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Pica, Francesco, Horn, Gavin Bernard, Chen, Jen Mei, Song, Osok, Agashe, Parag Arun, Deshpande, Manoj Madhukar
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate distributing and/or utilizing a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) that identifies a CSG corresponding to a base station and a CSG indication that distinguishes between the base station permitting access to members of the CSG and permitting access to members and non-members of the CSG. For instance, the CSG ID can uniquely identify the CSG corresponding to the base station. A mobile device can receive the CSG ID and the CSG indication from the base station. Further, the received CSG ID can be compared to CSG IDs included in an allowed CSG list to recognize whether the mobile device is a member or a non-member of the CSG. Moreover, a preference for selecting the base station as compared to a disparate base station can be generated as a function of the received CSG ID and CSG indication.

Claims

1-75. -75. (canceled)

76. A method, comprising:

transmitting from a base station to at least one mobile device a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) that identifies a CSG pertaining to the base station; and

transmitting from the base station to the at least one mobile device a CSG indication that distinguishes between the base station permitting access to members of the CSG and permitting access to the members and non-members of the CSG, and that facilitates generation of a preference for selection of the base station over at least one disparate base station for network access.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the CSG ID uniquely identifies the CSG pertaining to the base station.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein the CSG indication signifies that the base station is associated with one of a CSG cell or a hybrid cell, wherein the CSG cell restricts services to only the members of the CSG and the hybrid cell permits services to both the members and the non-members of the CSG.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the hybrid cell provides preferred Quality of Service (QoS) to the members versus the non-members of the CSG upon receiving an access from the at least one mobile device.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein the hybrid cell supports different billing levels for the members versus the non-members of the CSG upon receiving an access from the at least one mobile device.

81. The method of claim 76, further comprising broadcasting an indication that distinguishes the base station from at least one of a macro Node B or Evolved Node B, wherein the base station is one of a Home Evolved Node B (HeNB) or a Home Node B (HNB).

82. The method of claim 76, further comprising identifying a mobile device as one of the members or one of the non-members of the CSG when providing services to the mobile device.

83. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

advertise a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) by a base station to at least one mobile device, wherein the CSG ID identifies a CSG associated with the base station; and

advertise a CSG indication to the at least one mobile device by the base station that distinguishes between the base station permitting access to members of the CSG and permitting access to the members and non-members of the CSG, and that facilitates generation of a preference for selection of the base station over at least one disparate base station for network access.

84. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 83, wherein the CSG ID uniquely identifies the CSG associated with the base station.

85. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 83, wherein the CSG indication signifies that the base station is associated with one of a CSG cell or a hybrid cell, wherein the CSG cell restricts services to only the members of the CSG and the hybrid cell permits services to both the members and the non-members of the CSG.

86. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 85, wherein the hybrid cell, upon receiving an access from the at least one mobile device, at least one of provides preferred Quality of Service (QoS) to the members versus the non-members of the CSG or supports different billing levels for the members versus the non-members of the CSG.

87. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 83, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

send an indication that distinguishes the base station from a macro cell base station, wherein the base station is one of a Home Evolved Node B (HeNB) or a Home Node B (HNB).

88. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 83, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transition the base station between CSG mode and hybrid mode.

89. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 83, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

identify the at least one mobile device as one of the members or one of the non-members of the CSG when providing services to the at least one mobile device.

90. An apparatus, comprising:

means for sending a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) by a base station to at least one mobile device, which identifies a CSG associated with the base station; and

means for sending a CSG indication by the base station to the at least one mobile device, which distinguishes between the base station permitting access to members of the CSG and permitting access to the members and non-members of the CSG, and which facilitates generation of a preference for selection of the base station over at least one disparate base station for network access.

91. The apparatus of claim 90, wherein the CSG ID uniquely identifies the CSG associated with the base station.

92. The apparatus of claim 90, wherein the CSG indication signifies that the base station is associated with one of a CSG cell or a hybrid cell, wherein the CSG cell restricts services to only the members of the CSG and the hybrid cell permits services to both the members and the non-members of the CSG.

93. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the hybrid cell, upon receiving an access from the mobile device, at least one of provides preferred Quality of Service (QoS) to the members versus the non-members of the CSG or supports different billing levels for the members versus the non-members of the CSG.

94. The apparatus of claim 90, further comprising means for recognizing whether the mobile device is one of the members or one of the non-members of the CSG when providing services to the at least one mobile device.

95. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to transmit a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID), which identifies a CSG corresponding to a base station, to at least one mobile device; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit a CSG indication to the at lease one mobile device, which distinguishes between the base station permitting access to members of the CSG and permitting access to the members and non-members of the CSG, and which facilitates generation of a preference for selection of the base station over at least one disparate base station for network access.

96. The computer program product of claim 95, wherein the CSG ID uniquely identifies the CSG corresponding to the base station.

97. The computer program product of claim 95, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to identify whether the at least one mobile device is one of the members or one of the non-members of the CSG when providing services to the mobile device.

98. The computer program product of claim 95, wherein the CSG indication signifies that the base station is associated with one of a CSG cell or a hybrid cell, wherein the CSG cell restricts services to only the members of the CSG and the hybrid cell permits services to both the members and the non-members of the CSG.

99. The computer program product of claim 98, wherein the hybrid cell, upon receiving an access from the at least one mobile device, at least one of provides preferred Quality of Service (QoS) to the members versus the non-members of the CSG or supports different billing levels for the members versus the non-members of the CSG.

100. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) that corresponds to a CSG pertaining to a base station;

means for receiving a CSG indication that differentiates between the base station allowing access to members of the CSG and allowing access to both the members and non-members of the CSG;

means for identifying whether the advertised CSG ID matches one or more CSG IDs included in an allowed CSG list; and

means for generating a preference for selecting the base station as compared to a disparate base station when the advertised CSG indication specifies that the base station permits access to the members and the non-members of the CSG and the advertised CSG ID matches at least one of the one or more CSG IDs included in the allowed CSG list.

101. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the received CSG ID uniquely corresponds to the CSG pertaining to the base station.

102. The apparatus of claim 100, further comprising means for identifying whether the received CSG ID matches one or more CSG IDs included in an allowed CSG list.

103. The apparatus of claim 102, wherein the one or more CSG IDs included in the allowed CSG list is controlled by an operator.

104. The apparatus of claim 102, wherein a CSG ID is at least one of added to or removed from the one or more CSG IDs included in the allowed CSG list.

105. The apparatus of claim 102, further comprising means for camping on the base station for idle mode based upon the preference.