System, method, and computer-readable medium for mobile-to-mobile calls within femtocell network

• US 8,224,291 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: AirWalk Communications, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Osborn, Christopher Martin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oliver, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/252,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/407, 455/408, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/422.1, 455/425, 455/428, 455/429, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/435.3, 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 455/443, 455/444, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/463, 370/328, 370/338, 370/356, 370/902, 370/913
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• 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 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for terminating calls in a network system is provided. The communication system features an IP-based femtocell system for provisioning communication services to a user equipment. The femtocell system is provisioned with a list of electronic serial numbers of user equipments that are authorized to access the femtocell system. When a call is received by the femtocell system, the femtocell system determines a directory number of a user equipment to which the call is directed. If the destination user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system and is currently within the service area of the femtocell system, the call setup may be completed by the femtocell system without any call setup signaling being transmitted to a core telecommunication network.

Claims

1. A method of terminating calls in a network system, comprising:

provisioning a femtocell system with a list that specifies at least one electronic serial number of a user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system;

receiving a call setup request by the femtocell system from a first user equipment, the call setup comprising a directory number of a second user equipment;

determining the directory number of the second user equipment to which the call is directed;

interrogating the list with the directory number of the call setup request to determine if a directory number of the list matches the directory number of the second user equipment;

performing an evaluation of whether the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system by evaluating whether the directory number is assigned to the second user equipment that is authorized to access the femtocell system, and by evaluating whether the second user equipment is currently operating in a service area of the femtocell system; and

completing the call setup based on results of the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list associates a directory number with a respective one of the at least one electronic serial number.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining an electronic serial number of the second user equipment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining an electronic serial number further comprises:

interrogating the list with the directory number; and

reading the electronic serial number from the list, where the electronic serial number is associated with the directory number.

5. The method of claim 1, where performing the evaluation results in determining the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the second user equipment is registered with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system.

7. The method of claim 6, where completing the call setup further comprises completing the call setup with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system, and where no call setup singling is transmitted outside the at least one femtocell system and the femtocell network.

8. The method of claim 1, where performing an evaluation results in determining the second user equipment is not authorized to access the femtocell system, and where completing the call setup comprises completing the call setup through a network core with which the femtocell system is communicatively coupled.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for terminating calls in a network system, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions for:

provisioning a femtocell system with a list that specifies at least one electronic serial number of a user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system, wherein the list associates a directory number with a respective one of the at least one electronic serial number;

receiving a call setup request by the femtocell system from a first user equipment, the call setup comprising a directory number of a second user equipment;

determining the directory number of the second user equipment to which the call is directed;

interrogating the list with the directory number of the call setup request to determine if a directory number of the list matches the directory number of the second user equipment;

performing an evaluation of whether the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system by evaluating whether the directory number is assigned to the second user equipment that is authorized to access the femtocell system, and by evaluating whether the second user equipment is currently operating in a service area of the femtocell system; and

completing the call setup based on results of the evaluation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for determining an electronic serial number of the second user equipment.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for determining an electronic serial number further comprise instructions for:

interrogating the list with the directory number; and

reading the electronic serial number from the list, wherein the electronic serial number is associated with the directory number.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing the evaluation determine the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for determining the second user equipment is registered with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions for completing the call setup further comprise instructions for completing the call setup with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system, and wherein no call setup singling is transmitted outside the at least one femtocell system and the femtocell network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing an evaluation determine the second user equipment is not authorized to access the femtocell system, and wherein the instructions for completing the call setup comprise instructions for completing the call setup through a network core with which the femtocell system is communicatively coupled.

16. A system for terminating calls in a network system, comprising:

a packet-switched network;

an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem communicatively interfaced with the packet-switched network; and

a femtocell system communicatively coupled with the packet-switched network adapted to provide a radio interface with a user equipment and that is provisioned with a list that specifies at least one electronic serial number of a user equipment authorized to access the femtocell system, wherein the list associates a directory number with a respective one of the at least one electronic serial number,

wherein the femtocell system

receives a call setup request by the femtocell system from a first user equipment, the call setup comprising a directory number of a second user equipment,

determines the directory number of the second user equipment to which the call is directed,

interrogates the list with the directory number of the call setup request to determine if a directory number of the list matches the directory number of the second user equipment,

performs an evaluation of whether the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system by evaluating whether the directory number is assigned to the second user equipment that is authorized to access the femtocell system, and by evaluating whether the second user equipment is currently operating in a service area of the femtocell system, and

completes the call setup based on results of the evaluation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the femtocell system determines an electronic serial number of the second user equipment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the femtocell system interrogates the list with the directory number, reads the electronic serial number from the list, and wherein the electronic serial number is associated with the directory number.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the femtocell system determines the second user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the femtocell system determines the second user equipment is registered with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system, and completes the call setup with one of the femtocell system and a femtocell network that includes the femtocell system, and wherein no call setup singling is transmitted outside the at least one femtocell system and the femtocell network.