Reciprocal addition of attribute fields in access control lists and profiles for femto cell coverage management

• US 8,082,353 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US12/276,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/229, 709220-224, 709/3, 709227-228, 709/248, 455/438
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) provide access management to femto cell service through access control list(s) (e.g., white list(s), or black list(s)). White list(s) includes a set of subscriber station(s) identifier numbers, codes, or tokens, and also can include additional fields for femto cell access management based on desired complexity. White list(s) can have associated white list profile(s) therewith to establish logic of femto coverage access based on the white list(s). A mechanism for reciprocal addition of access field attributes in access control lists and white list profiles also is provided. The mechanism allows at least in part for a first subscriber to be added to a configured white list of a second subscriber, when the first subscriber configures a new white list, the second subscriber is reciprocally incorporated in the new white list. Such mechanism can be driven and facilitates generation of associations among groups of subscribers that share specific commonalities.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving input to initiate a procedure to populate a first white list that stores a set of mobile device identifiers authorized to communicate via a femto access point linked to a first subscriber;

detecting inclusion of a first mobile device identifier linked to the first subscriber in a second white list, associated with a second femto access point linked to a second subscriber, that stores a disparate set of mobile device identifiers authorized to communicate via the second femto access point;

prompting inclusion of a second mobile device identifier linked to the second subscriber in the first white list, in response to the detecting;

including the second mobile device identifier linked to the second subscriber in the first white list based on an authorization received in response to the prompting

receiving authorization to share the first mobile device identifier with a disparate white list; and

exposing the first mobile device identifier to a disparate subscriber, during provision of the disparate white list of the disparate subscriber, in response to the receiving.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, hiding at least a portion of an attribute field associated with the first mobile device identifier during the exposing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, updating a record of a white-list network, in response to a disparate mobile device identifier linked to the disparate subscriber is included in a configured white list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, formatting the white-list network to mitigate exponential growth of a storage resource to retain the record.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, validating the second mobile device identifier including verifying a commercial standing of the second mobile device identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including a set of subscribers in the first white list for femto coverage, and prompting to accept the including;

mutually exposing within an application a subset of subscribers in the set of subscribers that accepted inclusion in the first white list for femto coverage; and

within the subset of subscribers, prompting a first group of subscribers that do not have femto service to elect to be included in the first white list.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, within the subset of subscribers, incenting a second group of subscribers to include a subscriber in the first group within the first white list.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

extracting data from a database that includes information regarding femto subscribers with configured white lists; and

organizing the femto subscribers with the configured white lists in a set of segments according to a set of criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, identifying a network of a portion of the femto subscribers within a segment within the set of segments, and extracting network topology information for the network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, exploiting the network to adjust a macro wireless service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, exploiting the network to commercialize a product that is part of the macro wireless service.

12. A non transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system to perform operations, comprising:

initiating a procedure for populating a first white list that stores a first set of mobile device identifiers authorized to communicate via a first femto access point linked to a first subscriber;

identifying, in response to the initiating, a second mobile device identifier associated with a second subscriber based on detecting a first mobile device identifier linked to the first subscriber stored in a second white list, associated with a second femto access point linked to the second subscriber;

storing the second mobile device identifier in the first white list in response to receiving an authorization; and

presenting the set of first mobile device identifiers to a disparate subscriber, during provisioning of a disparate white list of the disparate subscriber, in response to receiving permission to share the first white list with the disparate subscriber.

13. The non transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

including a set of subscribers in the first white list for femto coverage, and prompting to accept the including;

mutually exposing within an application a subset of subscribers in the set of subscribers that accepted inclusion in the first white list for femto coverage; and

within the subset of subscribers, prompting a first group of subscribers that do not have femto service to elect to be included in the first white list.

14. The non transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise, within the subset of subscribers, incenting a second group of subscribers to include a subscriber in the first group within the first white list.

15. A system, comprising:

a component configured to identify that a first device, associated with a first subscriber, is authorized to communicate via a femto access point of a second subscriber;

a component configured to request authorization for a second device, associated with the second subscriber, to communicate via a disparate femto access point of the first subscriber;

a data store configured to retain a forward shared white list that includes an identifier associated with the second device, in response to receipt of the authorization; and

a security component configured to receive an authorization to share data associated with a list of devices that are authorized to communicate via the disparate femto access point,

wherein the data is exposed to a third subscriber, during provisioning of a white list of the third subscriber, in response to receipt of the authorization.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising, an online graphical user interface configured to receive the authorization.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the component configured to request authorization, is further configured to provide a real time alert to a mobile device linked to the first subscriber via a short message service communication.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the component configured to request authorization, is further configured to provide a real time alert to an interface component in the disparate femto access point.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising, a component configured to share the data, that includes a set of mobile device identifiers, between disparate femto access points associated with disparate subscribers, to provide femto coverage to a set of mobile devices corresponding to the set of mobile device identifiers, via the disparate femto access points.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising, a format component configured to compress data associated with the forward shared white list.