Method and system for redirecting unauthorized wireless communication devices away from a femtocell
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- a femtocell transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier;
the femtocell receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell; and
the femtocell making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell, the femtocell identifying a slot cycle associated with the WCD, and responsive to making the disable determination, and based on the identifying, the femtocell disabling, during at least one subsequent slot of the identified slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, but the femtocell continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are disclosed for reducing a number of unauthorized wireless communication devices (WCDs) using a femtocell. A femtocell may transmit a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and may transmit one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier. Subsequently, the femtocell may receive a registration request from a WCD. The femtocell may then determine whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless services from the femtocell, and if it is not so authorized, the femtocell may, during a subsequent slot associated with the unauthorized WCD in a periodically recurring slot cycle, responsively disable at least one of (i) its pilot channel and (ii) one or more of its overhead channels. As a result of the disabling, the unauthorized WCD may move away from the femtocell, perhaps handing off to the macro network.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a femtocell transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier; the femtocell receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell; and the femtocell making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell, the femtocell identifying a slot cycle associated with the WCD, and responsive to making the disable determination, and based on the identifying, the femtocell disabling, during at least one subsequent slot of the identified slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, but the femtocell continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A femtocell comprising:
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a communication interface; a processor; and data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for causing the femtocell to carry out a set of functions including; transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier; receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell; and making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell, identifying a slot cycle associated with the WCD, and responsive to making the disable determination, and based on the identifying, disabling, during at least one subsequent slot of the identified slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, though continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method comprising:
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a femtocell transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier; the femtocell receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell; the femtocell making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell and a second determination that no authorized WCDs that are currently registered with the femtocell are currently using a same or overlapping slot cycle as the unauthorized WCD; and responsive to making the disable determination, the femtocell disabling, during at least one subsequent slot associated with the unauthorized WCD in a periodically recurring slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, but the femtocell continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD.
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Specification