Automatic provisioning of admission policy for femtocell

• US 8,248,923 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, Via Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Czaja, Stanislaw, Davis, Mark E., Lee, Anthony, Kim, Sang Gook, Sun, Li-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Fan
• Application Number:
  US12/119,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20090092078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Automatic provisioning of an access point base station or femtocell. The method may include the femtocell transmitting first information (e.g., location information, signal measurement information, capability information, etc.) to a service provider (e.g., over an IP network). The femtocell may receive second information from the service provider, where the second information includes one or more operational parameters. The operational parameters may include hand-off parameters, admission policy parameters, PN or scrambling codes, power parameters, and/or other parameters. The femtocell may operate according to the received parameters to provide access for a plurality of access terminals in a local area.

Claims

1. A method for establishing an admission policy for an access point base station, the method comprising:

the access point base station connecting to a service provider, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area for one or more access terminals, and wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area;

the access point base station transmitting an activation request message for activating the access point base station to the service provider;

in response to the activation request message, the access point base station receiving an assignment message comprising one or more provisioning parameters for the access point base station, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters comprise;

a first parameter which specifies an admission policy mode of the access point base station, wherein the admission policy mode specifies one or more of open, restricted, or private access to resources of the access point base station; and

the access point base station storing the one or more provisioning parameters;

wherein the access point base station is configured to subsequently;

receive a service request from a service-requesting access terminal; and

provide access to the service-requesting access terminal based on the one or more stored provisioning parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters further comprise:

a second parameter which specifies a prioritized list of access terminals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the prioritized list of access terminals is prioritized using tiered rankings.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the prioritized list of access terminals is prioritized using explicit ordering of the access terminals.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the access point base station receiving user input specifying a list of access terminals; and

the access point base station using the list of access terminals and the first parameter to determine access to the access point base station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the access point base station receiving user input specifying a list of access terminals and associated service priority information; and

the access point base station using the list of access terminals and the associated service priority information to determine at least one of

     1) access or

     2) access priority to the access point base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter indicates a private mode, and wherein the method further comprises:

the access point base station receiving user input specifying a list of access terminals, wherein only the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the access point base station in the private mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter indicates a restricted mode, and wherein the method further comprises:

the access point base station receiving user input specifying a list of access terminals, wherein the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the access point base station in the restricted mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter indicates a restricted mode, and wherein the method further comprises:

the access point base station receiving user input specifying a list of access terminals and associated service priority information, wherein in the restricted mode the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the access point base station based on the service priority information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communication from a first access terminal, wherein the communication comprises an access code; and

in response to receiving the access code, receiving and storing the first access terminal in a list of access terminals;

wherein the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the access point base station.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an updated one or more provisioning parameters from the service provider; and

the access point base station providing access to access terminals based on the updated one or more provisioning parameters.

12. A femtocell, comprising:

at least one wireless port for providing bi-directional communication with one or more access terminals, wherein the at least one wireless port is usable in providing wireless communication in a local area;

a first port for providing bi-directional communication with a service provider over an IP network;

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless port and the first port;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions executable to;

connect to the service provider over the IP network;

transmit an activation request message for the femtocell to the service provider;

in response to the activation request message, receive an assignment message comprising one or more provisioning parameters for the femtocell, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters comprise a first parameter which specifies an admission policy mode of the femtocell, wherein the admission policy mode specifies one or more of open, restricted, or private access to resources of the femtocell;

store the provisioning parameters;

subsequently receive a service request from a service-requesting access terminal; and

provide access to the service-requesting access terminals based on the one or more stored provisioning parameters.

13. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters further comprise:

a second parameter which specifies a prioritized list of access terminals.

14. The femtocell of claim 13, wherein the prioritized list of access terminals is prioritized using tiered rankings.

15. The femtocell of claim 13, wherein the prioritized list of access terminals is prioritized using explicit ordering of the access terminals.

16. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a list of access terminals; and

use the list of access terminals and the first parameter to determine access to the femtocell.

17. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a list of access terminals and associated service priority information; and

use the list of access terminals and the associated service priority information to determine at least one of

     1) access or

     2) access priority to the femtocell.

18. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the first parameter indicates a private mode, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a list of access terminals, wherein only the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the femtocell in the private mode.

19. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the first parameter indicates a restricted mode, and wherein the first parameter indicates a private mode, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a list of access terminals, wherein the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the femtocell in the restricted mode.

20. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the first parameter indicates a restricted mode, and wherein the first parameter indicates a private mode, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a list of access terminals and associated service priority information, wherein in the restricted mode the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the femtocell based on the service priority information.

21. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive a communication from a first access terminal, wherein the communication comprises an access code; and

in response to receiving the access code, receive and store the first access terminal in a list of access terminals;

wherein the access terminals on the list are enabled to communicate with the femtocell.

22. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive an updated one or more provisioning parameters from the service provider; and

provide access to access terminals based on the updated one or more provisioning parameters.

23. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for operating an access point base station, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

connect to a service provider, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area for one or more access terminals, and wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area;

transmit an activation request message for the access point base station to the service provider;

in response to the activation request message, receive an assignment message comprising one or more provisioning parameters for the access point base station, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters comprise;

a first parameter which specifies an admission policy mode of the access point base station, wherein the admission policy mode specifies one or more of open, restricted, or private access to resources of the access point base station; and

store the provisioning parameters;

subsequently receive a service request from a service-requesting access terminal; and

provide access to the service-requesting access terminals based on the one or more stored provisioning parameters.

24. A method for performing automatic provisioning of an access point base station, the method comprising:

connecting to the access point base station, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area for one or more access terminals, and wherein a service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area;

receiving an activation request message for the access point base station from the access point base station;

in response to the activation request message, transmitting an assignment message comprising one or more provisioning parameters for the access point base station, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters comprise;

a first parameter which specifies an admission policy mode of the access point base station, wherein the admission policy mode specifies one or more of open, restricted, or private access to resources of the access point base station; and

the access point base station storing the one or more provisioning parameters;

wherein the access point base station is configured to subsequently;

receive a service request from a service-requesting access terminal; and

provide access to the service-requesting access terminals based on the one or more stored provisioning parameters.

25. A communication system for providing wireless communication with one or more access terminals, comprising:

a service provider;

a macro base station for providing wireless communication with the one or more access terminals in a macro area; and

an access point base station for providing wireless communication with the one or more access terminals in a local area intersected partially with the macro area, wherein the access point base station is configured to;

connect to the service provider;

transmit an activation request message for the access point base station to the service provider;

in response to the activation request message, receive an assignment message comprising one or more provisioning parameters for the access point base station, wherein the one or more provisioning parameters comprise;

a first parameter which specifies an admission policy mode of the access point base station, wherein the admission policy mode specifies one or more of open, restricted, or private access to resources of the access point base station; and

store the provisioning parameters;

subsequently receive a service request from a service-requesting access terminal; and

provide access to the service-requesting access terminals based on the one or more stored provisioning parameters.