Wireless communication method and apparatus for performing home Node-B identification and access restriction

• US 8,072,953 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US12/105,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/445, 455/446, 455 6714-567, 370310-401, 375/211, 379/357.02
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

receiving signaling indicating a plurality of closed subscriber group (CSG) identifiers (IDs);

storing the plurality of CSG IDs;

receiving a system information message from a cell, the system information message including an ID and an indication that the cell is a CSG cell; and

on a condition that the ID included in the system information message is a CSG ID, determining whether the CSG ID matches one of the plurality of CSG IDs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received signaling is non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell is a CSG cell and the CSG ID is globally unique.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the CSG ID is a globally unique cell ID.

5. The method of claim 3 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.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSG is identified by a single ID that can be changed by a network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSG is identified by a permanent unique ID.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the system information message further includes a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is a private CSG cell.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the system information message further includes a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is a public CSG cell.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication is 1-bit.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSG ID is a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) ID.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSG ID is a combination of a tracking area (TA) ID, a cell ID and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) ID.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attempting to communicate with the cell on a condition that the CSG ID matches one of the plurality of CSG IDs.

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

a receiver configured to;

receive signaling indicating a plurality of closed subscriber group (CSG) identifiers (IDs); and

receive a system information message from a cell including an ID and an indication that the cell is a CSG cell;

a memory device configured to store the plurality of CSG IDs; and

a processor configured to, on a condition that the ID included in the system information message is a CSG ID, determine whether the CSG ID matches one of the plurality of CSG IDs stored in the memory device.

15. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the received signaling is non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

16. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the memory device is a universal integrated circuit card (UICC).

17. The WTRU of claim 16 wherein the CSG ID is stored on a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) application residing in the UICC.

18. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the cell is a CSG cell and the CSG ID is globally unique.

19. The WTRU of claim 18 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.

20. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the CSG is identified by a single ID that can be changed by a network.

21. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the CSG is identified by a permanent unique ID.

22. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the broadcast from the cell further includes a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is a private CSG cell.

23. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the broadcast from the cell further includes a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is a public CSG cell.

24. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the indication is 1-bit.

25. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the WTRU maintains a list of associations between permanent CSG IDs and corresponding temporary CSG IDs (TCSGIDs) that the WTRU has access to.

26. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the CSG ID is a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) ID.

27. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the CSG ID is a combination of a tracking area (TA) ID, a cell ID and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) ID.

28. The WTRU of claim 14, further comprising a transmitter, wherein the processor, the receiver, the memory device, and the transmitter are further configured to attempt to communicate with the cell on a condition that the CSG ID matches one of the plurality of CSG IDs stored in the memory device.

29. A method of selectively restricting wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) from accessing a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell, the method comprising:

the CSG cell transmitting a message including a 1-bit indicator indicating that the cell is either a public cell or a private cell;

wherein

on a condition that the 1-bit indicator indicates that the CSG cell is a public cell, WTRUs that do not belong to a CSG may be allowed to access the CSG cell; and

on a condition that the 1-bit indicator indicates that the CSG cell is a private cell, only WTRUs that belong to a CSG associated with the CSG cell can access the CSG cell.

30. A method of selectively restricting wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) from accessing a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell, the method comprising:

the CSG cell providing a first level of reselection criteria for WTRUs that are not associated with subscribed users; and

the CSG cell providing a second level of reselection criteria for WTRUs that are associated with subscribed users.

31. A method of selectively restricting wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) from accessing a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell, the method comprising:

the CSG cell transmitting a message indicating the current capacity of the CSG cell; and

on a condition that the message indicates that the CSG cell is currently running at full capacity, restricting services provided by the CSG cell to only WTRUs that are not associated with subscribed users.

32. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

maintaining a list of acceptable cells that can provide the WTRU with access to the emergency services;

detecting a cell;

determining that the detected cell is a CSG cell that provides services to a CSG that the WTRU is not a member of;

adding the detected CSG cell to the list; and

proceeding to camp on the CSG cell to access emergency services.

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

receiving a system information message from a cell, wherein the system information message includes;

a closed subscriber group (CSG) indication that indicates that the cell is a CSG cell; and

a CSG ID that identifies the CSG cell; and

attempting to communicate with the CSG cell on a condition that the CSG ID is included in a list of allowed CSG cells stored in the WTRU.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the list of allowed CSG cells from a network prior to attempting to communicate with the CSG cell.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

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

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

performing a handover to the CSG cell in response to the handover command.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the system information message further includes an operator code that identifies the operator of the CSG cell.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the CSG indication is one-bit.

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

a receiver configured to receive a system information message from a cell, wherein the system information message includes;

a closed subscriber group (CSG) indication that indicates that the cell is a CSG cell; and

a CSG ID that identifies the CSG cell; and

a processor and a transmitter configured to attempt to communicate with the CSG cell on a condition that the CSG ID is included in a list of allowed CSG cells stored in the WTRU.

39. The WTRU of claim 38, wherein the receiver is further configured to:

receive the list of allowed CSG cells from a network prior to attempting to communicate with the CSG cell.

40. The WTRU of claim 38, wherein:

the transmitter is further configured to transmit a handover request, the handover request including the CSG ID and a request for a handover command;

the receiver is further configured to receive a handover command in response to the handover request; and

the processor, the transmitter, and the receiver are further configured to perform a handover to the CSG cell in response to the handover command.

41. The WTRU of claim 38, wherein the system information message further includes an operator code that identifies the operator of the CSG cell.

42. The WTRU of claim 38, wherein the CSG indication is one-bit.