Femtocell monitoring system and monitoring method employing the same

• US 8,285,254 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Network Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Ching-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/193,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/436, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455/410, 455/432.1, 455/423, 455/461, 370/338, 370/329, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• 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 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A femtocell in electronic communication with different user equipments includes a setting unit, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a signal processing unit and a monitoring unit. The setting unit sets and establishes a monitoring area to monitor all items of user equipment. The SIM stores a whitelist which includes a plurality of identification (ID) codes corresponding to a plurality of items of user equipment. When the ID code of an item of user equipment is not within the whitelist of the SIM, the signal processing unit controls the monitoring unit to establish and monitor the position of the user equipment to determine whether the user equipment is within the predetermined monitoring area.

Claims

1. A femtocell in electronic communication with different user equipments, the femtocell comprising:

a setting unit that sets and establishes a corresponding monitoring area to monitor the user equipments;

a subscriber identity module (SIM) that stores a whitelist, the whitelist comprising a plurality of identification (ID) codes corresponding to the user equipments;

a signal processing unit that is electrically connected to the setting unit and the SIM; and

a monitoring unit that is electrically connected to the signal processing unit, wherein when International mobile subscriber identification (IMSI) code of the user equipment is not in the whitelist of the SIM, the signal processing unit sends a control signal to the monitoring unit, causing the monitor unit to establish and monitor the position of the user equipment and determine whether the user equipment is within the predetermined monitoring area according to the position of the user equipment;

wherein the femtocell communicates with a gateway though a wireless network or a wired connection to establish a communication connection, the femtocell is further in electronic communication with a mobile network through the gateway, the user equipments can access the mobile network through the femtocell and the gateway, the ID codes are IMSI codes; and

wherein the user equipments are positioned at corresponding predetermined places to form a three-dimensional monitoring network and establish communication with mobile network through the femtocell, and the signal processing unit calculates and simulates positions, directions and distances of the user equipments using a radio resource control protocol and an assisted global positioning system protocol, to form the monitoring area.

2. The femtocell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway is a packet data gateway and is used as a protocol converter for the benefit of protocol servers, in providing protocol conversion, routing and data exchange in relation to communication between the femtocell and the mobile network, and the mobile network is capable of providing and delivering voice and data access services to the femtocell.

3. The femtocell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IMSI codes correspond to the user equipments to identify and authenticate valid user equipments and deny unrecognized or invalid user equipments, when the IMSI code of a user equipment is in the whitelist, the user equipment is recognized and is allowed to access the monitoring area.

4. The femtocell as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the user equipment enters a predetermined service coverage range of the femtocell and tries to access the mobile network through the gateway, the signal processing unit determines whether the IMSI code of the user equipment exists in the whitelist or nor, if the IMSI code of the user equipment exists in the whitelist, the femtocell allows the valid user equipments to access the mobile network and establish communication with the mobile network through the femtocell and the gateway.

5. The femtocell as claimed in claim 4, wherein when whitelist does not comprises that particular item of the user equipment, the invalid item of user equipment is denied, and the signal processing unit sends a corresponding control signal to the motoring unit, and the monitoring unit monitors and positions the invalid item of user equipment according to the control signal to determine whether the invalid item of user equipment enters the preset monitoring area.

6. The femtocell as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the invalid user equipment enters the predetermined monitoring area, the monitoring unit continues to monitor the invalid item of user equipment, and outputs a corresponding warning signal and/or message to issue an alert to prevent the invalid item of user equipment from entering the monitoring area, and inform the monitoring person that an item of invalid user equipment is accessing or attempting to access the monitoring area.

7. A femtocell in electronic communication with different user equipments via a wireless network, the femtocell comprising:

a setting unit that sets and provides a corresponding monitoring area to monitor the user equipments;

a subscriber identity module (SIM) that stores an approved list, the approved list comprising a plurality of identification (ID) codes corresponding to the user equipments;

a signal processing unit that is electrically connected to the setting unit and the SIM, the signal processing unit controlling the setting unit and the SIM; and

a monitoring unit that is electrically connected to the signal processing unit, wherein when a user equipment enters a predetermined service coverage range of the femtocell, the signal processing unit determines whether the ID code of the user equipment exists in the approved list, if the ID code of the user equipment is without in the approved list, the signal processing unit generates and sends a corresponding control signal to the monitoring unit, and the monitoring unit positions and monitors the user equipment according to the control signal to determine whether the user equipment has entered the preset monitoring area;

wherein the femtocell communicates with a gateway though a wireless network or a wired connection to establish communication connection, the femtocell is further in electronic communication with a mobile network through the gateway, the user equipments can access the mobile network through the femtocell and the gateway, the ID codes are International mobile subscriber identification (IMSI) codes;

and wherein the user equipments are positioned at corresponding predetermined places to form a three-dimensional monitoring network and establish communication with mobile network through the femtocell, and the signal processing unit calculates and simulates positions, directions and distances of the user equipments using a radio resource control protocol and an assisted global positioning system protocol to form the monitoring area.

8. The femtocell as claimed in claim 7, wherein the gateway is a packet data gateway and is used as a protocol converter for the benefit of protocol servers comprising protocol conversion, routing and data exchange for the communication between the femtocell and the mobile network, and the mobile network is capable of providing and delivering voice and data access services to the femtocell.

9. The femtocell as claimed in claim 7, wherein the IMSI codes correspond to the user equipments to identify and authenticate valid user equipments and deny invalid or unrecognized user equipments, when the IMSI code of a user equipment is in the whitelist, the user equipment is recognized and is allowed to access the monitoring area.

10. The femtocell as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the user equipment enters a predetermined service coverage range of the femtocell and tries to access the mobile network through the gateway, the signal processing unit determines whether the IMSI code of the user equipment exists in the whitelist or nor, if the IMSI code of the user equipment exists in the whitelist, the femtocell allows the valid user equipments to access the mobile network and establish communication with the mobile network through the femtocell and the gateway.

11. The femtocell as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the invalid user equipment enters the predetermined monitoring area, the monitoring unit continues to monitor the invalid item of user equipment, and outputs a corresponding warning signal and/or message to issue an alert to prevent the invalid item of user equipment from entering the monitoring area and inform the monitoring person that an invalid user equipment is accessing or attempting to access the monitoring area.

12. A monitoring method for monitoring user equipments, the monitoring method comprising steps of:

establishing and prestoring a predetermined whitelist list by a subscriber identity module (SIM) of a femtocell;

determining whether International mobile subscriber identification (IMSI) codes of the user equipments exist in the whitelist or not by a signal processing unit when the user equipments enter the coverage range of the femtocell;

sending a corresponding control signal to a monitoring unit by the signal processing unit; and

enabling and controlling the monitoring unit to monitor and position the user equipments according to the control signal;

wherein the femtocell communicates with a gateway though a wireless network or a wired connection to establish communication connection, the femtocell is further in electronic communication with a mobile network through the gateway, the user equipments can access the mobile network through the femtocell and the gateway, the ID codes are International mobile subscriber identification (IMSI) codes;

and wherein the user equipments are positioned at corresponding predetermined places to form a three-dimensional monitoring network and establish communication with mobile network through the femtocell, and the signal processing unit calculates and simulates positions, directions and distances of the user equipments using a radio resource control protocol and an assisted global positioning system protocol to form the monitoring area.

13. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising establishing a monitoring area by a setting unit of the femtocell to monitor the user equipment.

14. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising allowing the user equipments to access and establish communication with a mobile network through the femtocell when the IMSI code of the user equipment exists in the whitelist.

15. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising determining whether the user equipments have entered the preset monitoring area.

16. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising outputting a corresponding warning signal.