WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING HOME NODE-B IDENTIFICATION AND ACCESS RESTRICTION

• US 20150264537A1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Rajat P., Sammour, Mohammed, Somasundaram, Shankar, Miller, James M., Wang, Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• 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 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), including a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), for identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell are disclosed. The WTRU receives a broadcast from a cell including a cell identifier (ID). If the cell ID is associated with a CSG cell, the WTRU determines whether the CSG ID is programmed in the USIM. The cell broadcast may include a single bit information element (IE) indicating that the cell is a CSG cell. If the cell ID is a CSG ID, the cell ID may further include a plurality of fields which indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is public or private. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating that emergency calls are allowed from all users.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A method for restricting access to a closed subscriber group (CSG), the method comprising:

transmitting a message from a cell, the message including a CSG identifier (ID) and at least one indicator, and one of the at least one indicator including a CSG indication that the cell is a CSG cell;

transmitting signaling from a network via the cell, the signaling including a plurality of allowed CSG IDs; and

receiving, from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), a request for access to the CSG cell based on the at least one indicator and on the CSG ID being included in the list of allowed CSG IDs.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein one or more of the at least one indicator indicates any of:

whether the cell is a private cell or a public cell;

a capacity of the CSG cell; and

whether emergency calls are allowed from all users.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the CSG ID includes a plurality of fields that indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the signaling includes information elements (IEs), and wherein the IEs are one-bit indicators.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

transmitting, to the WTRU, one or more temporary CSG IDs (TCSGIDs) to which the WTRU has access to, the one or more TCSGIDs being associated with permanent CSG IDs, and the TCSGIDs being dynamically configured, dynamically reconfigured or dynamically configured and reconfigured by the network.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the CSG ID includes a combination of a tracking area (TA) ID, a cell ID and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) ID.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

transmitting an update to the list of allowed CSG IDs.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the update to the list of allowed CSG IDs comprises any of:

an allowed CSG ID not in the stored list of allowed CSG IDs;

an indication to remove one or more CSG IDs from the stored list of allowed CSG IDs;

a combination of an allowed CSG ID not in the stored list of allowed CSG IDs and an indication to remove one or more CSG IDs from the stored list of allowed CSG IDs;

or a new plurality of allowed CSG IDs for replacing the same in the stored list of allowed CSG IDs.

51. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

transmitting the list of allowed CSG IDs prior to receiving the request for access to the CSG cell.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving a handover request, the handover request including the CSG ID and a request for a handover command;

transmitting a handover command in response to the handover request; and

performing a handover to the CSG cell.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein the message further includes an operator code that identifies the operator of the cell.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein the CSG indication is one-bit.

55. A method implemented in a transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

detecting a cell;

reading system information from the cell;

determining the cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell based on the system information including a CSG indication that indicates the cell is a CSG cell;

obtaining, from the system information, a CSG ID that identifies the CSG;

determining that the CSG ID is not among a list of allowed CSG IDs maintained in a memory of the WTRU;

determining that the CSG cell is an acceptable cell for reselection;

adding the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs; and

camping on the CSG cell.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

transmitting a message including a request for access to the CSG and an identity of a WTRU, wherein the CSG ID is added to the list of allowed CSG IDs responsive to the request for access.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the message is a non-access stratum (NAS) message.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the message is a tracking area update (TAU) message.

59. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

receiving, from a network, information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs, wherein the information includes the CSG ID, and wherein adding the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs comprises updating the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs is received using non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and/or open mobile alliance (OMA) mechanisms.

61. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

receiving, from a network, information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs, wherein the information includes the CSG ID, and wherein adding the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs comprises updating the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs is received using non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and/or open mobile alliance (OMA) mechanisms.

63. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

receiving, from a network, information for populating the list of allowed CSG IDs; and

populating the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

64. The method of claim 55, wherein the CSG indication is one-bit.

65. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a receiver is configured to detect a cell and receive system information from the cell; and

a processor is configured to;

determine the cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell based on the system information including a CSG indication that indicates the cell is a CSG cell;

obtain, from the system information, a CSG ID that identifies the CSG;

determine that the CSG ID is not among a list of allowed CSG IDs maintained in a memory;

determine that the CSG cell is an acceptable cell for reselection;

add the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs; and

instruct the receiver to camp on the CSG cell.

66. The WTRU of claim 65, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a message including a request for access to the CSG and an identity of a WTRU, wherein the CSG ID is added to the list of allowed CSG IDs responsive to the request for access.

67. The WTRU of claim 66, wherein the message is a non-access stratum (NAS) message.

68. The WTRU of claim 67, wherein the message is a tracking area update (TAU) message.

69. The WTRU of claim 66, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from a network, information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs, wherein the information includes the CSG ID, and wherein the processor is configured to add the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs by updating the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

70. The WTRU of claim 69, wherein the information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs is received using non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and/or open mobile alliance (OMA) mechanisms.

71. The WTRU of claim 65, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from a network, information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs, wherein the information includes the CSG ID, and wherein the processor is configured to add the CSG ID to the list of allowed CSG IDs by updating the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

72. The WTRU of claim 71, wherein the information for updating the list of allowed CSG IDs is received using non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and/or open mobile alliance (OMA) mechanisms.

73. The WTRU of claim 65, wherein:

the receiver is configured to receive, from a network, information for populating the list of allowed CSG IDs; and

the processor is configured to populate the list of allowed CSG IDs using the received information.

74. The WTRU of claim 65, wherein the CSG indication is one-bit.