System and method for provisioning telecommunications services between an access point and a telecommunications network and providing a missing information notification

• US 8,320,344 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hodroj, Samir, Hassan, Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US12/395,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-339
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and system for selectively provisioning connections between an access point, which supports telecommunications services over an IP network, and a carrier network includes a network connection and a telephone connector suitable for connecting to a landline telephone, a cordless telephone, or a mobile device. The access point sends a provisioning request, which includes identifying information such as a subscriber identifier and a MAC address, to a network controller. The network controller attempts to find a geographic, street, or other address associated with the connection to be provisioned. If an address is not found, the network controller rejects the connection and sends a missing information notification to the access point. After receiving the missing information notification, the access point controls a user indicator to provide error information.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network that employs both a licensed wireless cellular network and an IP-based network, a method for provisioning telecommunications services for a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the telecommunications services are provisioned in part between an access point and the IP-based network, the method comprising:

receiving a registration signal from the access point, wherein the registration signal includes a subscriber identifier, and wherein the access point is configured to provide telecommunications services over the IP-based network for the mobile device;

determining if a street address is associated with the subscriber identifier;

selectively provisioning telecommunications services between the access point and the telecommunications network, based at least in part on whether the street address was found;

but,

if the street address was not found, sending a missing information notification to the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications services are Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) services.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a geographic location of the access point;

comparing the geographic location to the street address; and

providing the missing information notification based on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a logical address of the access point; and

providing the missing information notification in response to a change in the logical address.

5. A system for provisioning telecommunications services between an access point and an IP-based network in a converged telecommunications network that employs both a cellular network and the IP-based network, the system comprising:

a communication component configured to receive a request from the access point for telecommunications services, wherein the request includes an identifier;

an address verification component configured to find an address associated with the identifier;

a provisioning component configured to selectively provision telecommunications services between the access point and the telecommunications network, based at least in part on the comparison; and

a missing information component configured to send a missing information notification to the access point.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the access point is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point having a landline telephone connector for connecting to a landline telephone, wherein the access point provides voice services under a Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol, wherein the identifier is received or derived from a user-provided memory device that stores the identifier in a tamper-resistant memory, and wherein the access point is configured to provide a user-perceptible indication in response to receiving the missing information notification.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a location comparison component configured to receive a geographic location of the access point, wherein the missing information component is further configured to send the missing information notification based on a comparison of the geographic location and the address.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising a network monitoring component configured to monitor a network address of the access point, wherein the missing information component is further configured to send the missing information notification in response to a change in the network address.

9. In a telecommunications system employing an IP-based network, a method for provisioning telecommunications services for a user of a customer-premises telecommunications equipment, wherein the telecommunications services are provisioned via the IP-based network, the method comprising:

receiving a registration signal from the customer-premises telecommunications equipment, wherein the registration signal includes an identifier;

searching for a street address associated with the identifier;

determining whether to require the street address to be updated; and

,

if the street address is not found or if the street address requires updating, sending a missing information notification to the customer-premises telecommunications equipment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the street address requires updating comprises:

receiving a geographic location of the customer-premises telecommunications equipment;

comparing the geographic location to the street address; and

providing the missing information notification based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the street address requires updating comprises:

monitoring a logical address of the customer-premises telecommunications equipment; and

providing the missing information notification in response to a change in the logical address.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions for provisioning telecommunications services for a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the telecommunications services are provisioned in part between an access point and an IP-based network, comprising:

receiving a registration signal from the access point, wherein the registration signal includes a subscriber identifier, and

wherein the access point is configured to provide telecommunications services over the IP-based network for the mobile device;

determining if a street address is associated with the subscriber identifier;

selectively provisioning telecommunications services between the access point and the telecommunications network, based at least in part on whether the street address was found;

but,

if the street address was not found, sending a missing information notification to the access point.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the telecommunications services are Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) services.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a geographic location of the access point;

comparing the geographic location to the street address; and

providing the missing information notification based on the comparison.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring a logical address of the access point; and

providing the missing information notification in response to a change in the logical address.

16. In a telecommunications network that employs both a licensed wireless cellular network and an IP-based network, a system for provisioning telecommunications services for a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the telecommunications services are provisioned in part between an access point and the IP-based network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a registration signal from the access point, wherein the registration signal includes a subscriber identifier, and

wherein the access point is configured to provide telecommunications services over the IP-based network for the mobile device;

means for determining if a street address is associated with the subscriber identifier;

means for selectively provisioning telecommunications services between the access point and the telecommunications network, based at least in part on whether the street address was found; and

,

means for sending a missing information notification to the access point if the street address was not found.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the telecommunications services are Universal Mobile Access (UMA) or Generic Access Network (GAN) services.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving a geographic location of the access point;

means for comparing the geographic location to the street address; and

means for providing the missing information notification based on the comparison.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for monitoring a logical address of the access point; and

means for providing the missing information notification in response to a change in the logical address.

20. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions for provisioning telecommunications services for a user of a customer-premises telecommunications equipment, wherein the telecommunications services are provisioned via a IP-based network, the method comprising:

receiving a registration signal from the customer-premises telecommunications equipment,

wherein the registration signal includes an identifier;

searching for a street address associated with the identifier;

determining whether to require the street address to be updated; and

,

if the street address is not found or if the street address requires updating, sending a missing information notification to the customer-premises telecommunications equipment.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining whether the street address requires updating comprises:

receiving a geographic location of the customer-premises telecommunications equipment;

comparing the geographic location to the street address; and

providing the missing information notification based on the comparison.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining whether the street address requires updating comprises:

monitoring a logical address of the customer-premises telecommunications equipment; and

providing the missing information notification in response to a change in the logical address.