Pico cell home mode operation

• US 8,494,522 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Xuming, Ritter, Phillip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): HTUN, SAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/896,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455418-4221, 4554321-449, 455/458, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/560, 455/561, 455405-409, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338, 370331-333, 370352-356, 370/496, 370/522
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• 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

Identification of radio coverage of a mobile station (MS) via a pico cell, such as an IP-BTS in a user premises (e.g. residence or business customer location), enables a mobile/wireless service provider to differentiate between coverage under a pico cell and coverage under a macro network. In a disclosed example, when the MS requests registration/authentication through a pico cell, a related signaling message includes a pico cell identifier (pID). A home location register (HLR) is provisioned with a pID, so that the HLR can decide to accept or reject the registration/authentication requests. For example, if the particular MS is provisioned for services from a specific pico cell, the HLR will grant the registration/authentication and allow the network to process calls for the mobile station through the identified pico cell. This enables the provider to allow discounted services through pico cell, e.g. as a replacement for a landline.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communication service for a mobile station, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a first signaling message relating to a request of the mobile station to register with a mobile wireless communication network including one or more macro cells and one or more pico cells, wherein the pico cells connect to the mobile wireless communication network through a packet data network, the first signaling message being received through a base transceiver system of one of the pico cells of the network;

responsive to the first signaling message, retrieving, from among a plurality of profile records for customers, a profile record associated with a mobile directory number (MDN) or mobile identification number (MIN) provisioned to a plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station, the retrieved profile record indicating that each mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations is authorized for service only through an identified pico cell of the network;

determining whether or not a pico cell identifier included in the first signaling message corresponds to the pico cell identified by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station;

granting or rejecting registration of the mobile station through the pico cell, respectively, based on the determining of whether or not the pico cell identifier corresponds to the pico cell identified by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station;

receiving a second signaling message relating to a request of the mobile station to register with the network through a base transceiver system of one of the macro cells of the network;

in response to receiving the second signaling message through one of the macro cells, determining that the mobile station is not authorized for use through the one or more macro cells of the network based on the indication in the retrieved profile record that each mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations is authorized for service only through the identified pico cell connecting to the mobile wireless communication network through the packet data network; and

rejecting registration of the mobile station through the one macro cell based on the determining that the mobile station is not authorized for use through macro cells of the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

granting or rejecting attempts at communications through the network for the mobile station via the pico cell, respectively, based on the granting or rejecting of the registration of the mobile station through the pico cell; and

granting or rejecting attempts at communications through the network for the mobile station via the macro cell, respectively, based on the granting or rejecting of the registration of the mobile station through the macro cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the registration and attempts at communications through the network via the pico cell are granted based on matching of a pico cell identifier included in the first signaling message and a pico cell identifier indicated by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station, the pico cell identifier indicated by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station indicating that the mobile station authorized for service only through the identified pico cell is registering for communication through the identified pico cell; and

the method further comprises billing a customer associated with the mobile station for the communications through the network via the identified pico cell in a manner different from billing for communications for other mobile stations through a macro cell of the mobile wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the billing for the communications through the network via the identified pico cell is competitive with a landline telephone service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile directory number (MDN) is assigned to each mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations; and

the retrieved profile record provides an association of the MDN to the identified pico cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile station communicates with the base transceiver system of the pico cell and with the base transceiver system of the macro cell using the same mobile wireless communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station communicates with the base transceiver system of the pico cell and with the base transceiver system of the macro cell using the same Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

8. A system offering mobile communications services for mobile stations, the system comprising:

a macro network providing wireless public mobile communications services, the macro network comprising macro cells for providing wireless communications with mobile stations and a mobile switching center for routing and controlling calls for mobile stations through the macro cells;

a plurality of pico cells installed in customer premises, each for wireless communications with one or more of the mobile stations, wherein each pico cell connects to the macro network through a packet data network;

a switch in communication with the pico cells for routing and controlling calls for mobile stations through the pico cells; and

an authentication node in signaling communication with the mobile switching center of the macro network and the switch in communication with the pico cells, wherein the authentication node is configured for implementing functions comprising;

a) receiving a first signaling message relating to a request, of one of the mobile stations having been designated for home pico cell operation only, to register with the macro network through a base transceiver system of one of the pico cells, the first signaling message including a pico cell identifier of the one pico cell and being received through the switch;

b) granting registration of the one mobile station through the base transceiver system of the one pico cell, responsive to a determination that the pico cell identifier in the first signaling message corresponds to a pico cell identified as a home pico cell for the one mobile station by a profile record associated with a mobile directory number (MDN) or mobile identification number (MIN) provisioned to a plurality of mobile stations including the one mobile station and that identifies each of the plurality of mobile stations including the one mobile station as being designated for operation only through the identified pico cell;

c) receiving a second signaling message relating to a request of the one mobile station to register with the macro network through a base transceiver system of one the macro cells, the second signaling message being received through the mobile switching center of the macro network; and

d) rejecting registration of the one mobile station through the base transceiver system of the one macro cell as a result of determining that the mobile station is not authorized for use through the macro cells of the network based on a pico cell identifier in the profile record associated with the mobile directory number (MDN) or mobile identification number (MIN) provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the one mobile station and that identifies each of the plurality of mobile stations including the one mobile station as being designated for operation only through the identified pico cell.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication node is configured for implementing additional functions comprising:

e) receiving a third signaling message relating to a request of another mobile station to register with the macro network through a base transceiver system of the one pico cell, the third signaling message including the pico cell identifier of the one pico cell; and

f) rejecting registration of the other mobile station through the base transceiver system of the one pico cell, responsive to a determination that the pico cell identifier in the third signaling message does not correspond to a pico cell, if any identified by a profile record associated with a MDN or MIN provisioned to the other mobile station and different from the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a billing system configured to:

receive call detail records for calls of the one mobile station through the one pico cell and for calls of the other mobile station through the system; and

to process the received call detail records to generate communication service bills for respective customers associated with the one mobile station and the other mobile station, at different rates.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the billing system is configured to generate the bill for the respective customer associated with the one mobile station at a rate competitive with landline telephone service.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the base transceiver system of the pico cell and the base transceiver system of the macro cell communicate with the mobile stations using the same mobile wireless communication protocol.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the base transceiver system of the pico cell and the base transceiver system of the macro cell communicate with the mobile stations using the same Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

14. A method of controlling communication service for a mobile station, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a signaling message relating to a request of the mobile station to register with a mobile wireless communication network including macro cells and a pico cell, the signaling message being received through a base transceiver system of the pico cell of the network;

responsive to receiving the signaling message, retrieving a profile record associated with a mobile directory number (MDN) or mobile identification number (MIN) provisioned to a plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station from among a plurality of profile records for customers, the retrieved profile record indicating that each mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations is authorized for service only through an identified pico cell of the network; and

granting or rejecting registration of the mobile station through the pico cell based on determining, respectively, whether or not a pico cell identifier included in the signaling message corresponds to the pico cell identified by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station,

wherein the mobile station and the base transceiver system of the pico cell communicate using a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology protocol used by both the pico cell and the macro cells, and the base transceiver system of the pico cell converts communications between the CDMA protocol and an internet protocol (IP).

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising granting or rejecting attempts at communications through the network for the mobile station via the pico cell based on, respectively, the granting or rejecting of the registration of the mobile station through the pico cell.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the registration and attempts at communications through the network via the pico cell are granted based on matching of a pico cell identifier included in the signaling message and a pico cell identifier indicated by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station, the pico cell identifier indicated by the profile record associated with the MDN or MIN provisioned to the plurality of mobile stations including the mobile station indicating that the mobile station authorized for service only through the identified pico cell is registering for communication through the identified pico cell; and

the method further comprises billing a customer associated with the mobile station for the communications through the network via the identified pico cell in a manner different from billing for communications for other mobile stations through a macro cell of the mobile wireless communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the billing for the communications through the network via the identified pico cell is competitive with a landline telephone service.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the mobile directory number (MDN) is assigned to each mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations; and

the retrieved profile record provides an association of the MDN to the identified pico cell.