Methods and devices for limiting access to femtocell radio access networks

• US 8,515,434 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Narendran, Rajveen, Talley, Ryan S., Malreddy, Muralidhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/756,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Femtocell radio access network (RAN) devices are typically small, low-cost base stations that can be deployed in areas where macro-cellular RAN coverage is poor or congested. Thus, wireless communication devices (WCDs) using femtocell devices may benefit from improved wireless coverage, while traffic is offloaded from the macro-cellular RAN. It is desirable to use femtocell devices to their full extent, but also to give the owners of these femtocell devices control over which WCDs may use of femtocell services. Accordingly, femtocell devices may be provisioned with a “greylist” that specifies which WCDs are granted full femtocell services, and which WCDs are granted limited or no femtocell services.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a femtocell device, wherein the femtocell device is communicatively coupled to a network, wherein the femtocell device is communicatively coupled to a macro-cellular network component via the network, wherein the femtocell device radiates to define a wireless coverage area that serves wireless communication devices (WCDs), and wherein the femtocell device stores a first list of WCD identifiers, the method comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a second list of WCD identifiers from the macro-cellular network component;

in response to receiving the second list, the femtocell device adding, to the first list, at least some of the WCD identifiers in the second list;

the femtocell device receiving a first request for access to the network from a first WCD, the first request containing a first identifier that identifies the first WCD;

in response to receiving the first request, the femtocell device determining that the first identifier is in the first list;

based on the first identifier being in the first list, the femtocell device granting the first WCD a first data rate at or above a data rate threshold value;

the femtocell device receiving a second request for access to the network from a second WCD, the second request containing a second identifier that identifies the second WCD;

in response to receiving the second request, the femtocell device determining that the second identifier is not in the first list; and

based on the second identifier not being in the first list, the femtocell device granting the second WCD a second data rate below the data rate threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the femtocell device granting the second WCD the second data rate further comprises:

the femtocell device manipulating a data rate control (DRC) value for the second WCD so that a maximum forward link data rate of the second WCD conforms approximately to the second data rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the femtocell device granting the second WCD the second data rate further comprises:

the femtocell device manipulating a traffic-to-pilot (T2P) ratio of a WCD'"'"'s reverse link transmissions so that a maximum reverse link data rate of the second WCD conforms approximately to the second data rate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the femtocell device receives the second list, the femtocell device transmitting a message to the macro-cellular network component, wherein the message (i) identifies the femtocell, and (ii) seeks to obtain the second list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the femtocell device is registered with an account, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a third request for access to the network from a third WCD, the third request containing a third identifier that identifies the third WCD;

in response to receiving the third request, the femtocell device determining that the third identifier is also registered with the account; and

based on the third identifier being registered with the account, the femtocell device granting the third WCD a third data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the femtocell device has access to a server that stores a third list of contact entries, and wherein at least some of the contact entries in the third list include respective WCD identifiers, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving at least part of the third list from the server; and

in response to receiving at least part of the third list, the femtocell device adding, to the first list, one or more WCD identifiers from the contact entries in the at least part of the third list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the femtocell device contains a location determining component that determines geographic coordinates of the femtocell device, and wherein the femtocell device stores a radius value, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a second request for access to the network from a second WCD, the second request containing a second identifier that identifies the second WCD;

in response to receiving the second request, the femtocell device (i) determining geographic coordinates of the second WCD, and (ii) comparing the geographic coordinates of the second WCD to the geographic coordinates of the femtocell device to determine that a distance between the second WCD and the femtocell device is less than the radius value; and

based on the second WCD being located within the radius value of the femtocell device, the femtocell device granting the second WCD a second data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, determining the geographic coordinates of the second WCD comprises:

the femtocell device transmitting, to a location server, a query for the geographic coordinates of the second WCD, wherein the query includes the second identifier; and

the femtocell device receiving, from the location server, the geographic coordinates of the second WCD.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the femtocell device determining that a traffic load at the femtocell device is above a first traffic load threshold value; and

in response to determining that the traffic load is above the first traffic load threshold value, the femtocell device lowering the data rate threshold value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a broadband connection communicatively couples the femtocell device to the network, and wherein the second data rate is based on a capacity of the broadband connection.

11. A method, performed by a femtocell device, wherein the femtocell device is communicatively coupled to a network, wherein the femtocell device is communicatively coupled to a macro-cellular network component via the network, wherein the femtocell device radiates to define a wireless coverage area that serves wireless communication devices (WCDs), and wherein the femtocell device stores a first list of WCD identifiers, the method comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a second list of WCD identifiers from the macro-cellular network component;

in response to receiving the second list, the femtocell device adding, to the first list, at least some of the WCD identifiers in the second list;

the femtocell device receiving a first request for access to the network from a first WCD, the request containing a first identifier that identifies the first WCD;

in response to receiving the first request, the femtocell device determining whether the first identifier is in the first list;

if the first identifier is in the first list, the femtocell device granting the first WCD a first data rate at or above a data rate threshold value; and

if the first identifier is not in the first list, the femtocell device granting the first WCD a second data rate below the data rate threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the femtocell device is registered with an account, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a second request for access to the network from a second WCD, the second request containing a second identifier that identifies the second WCD;

in response to receiving the second request, the femtocell device determining that the second identifier is registered with the account; and

based on the second identifier being registered with the account, the femtocell device granting the second WCD a second data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the femtocell device has access to a server that stores a third list of contact entries, and wherein at least some of the contact entries in the third list include respective WCD identifiers, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving at least part of the third list from the server; and

in response to receiving at least part of the third list, the femtocell device adding, to the first list, one or more WCD identifiers from the contact entries in the at least part of the third list.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the femtocell device contains a location determining component that determines geographic coordinates of the femtocell device, and wherein the femtocell device stores a radius value, the method further comprising:

the femtocell device receiving a second request for access to the network from a second WCD, the second request containing a second identifier that identifies the second WCD;

in response to receiving the second request, the femtocell device (i) determining geographic coordinates of the second WCD, and (ii) comparing the geographic coordinates of the second WCD to the geographic coordinates of the femtocell device to determine that a distance between the second WCD and the femtocell device is less than the radius value; and

based on the second WCD being located within the radius value of the femtocell device, the femtocell device granting the second WCD a second data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

15. A femtocell device, communicatively coupled to a network and to a macro-cellular network component via the network, comprising:

a transceiver that radiates to define a wireless coverage area that serves wireless communication devices (WCDs);

a processor;

a data storage that stores a first list of WCD identifiers; and

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) receive a second list of WCD identifiers from the macro-cellular network component, (ii) in response to receiving the second list, add, to the first list, at least some of the WCD identifiers in the second list, (iii) receive a first request for access to the network from a first WCD, the first request containing a first identifier that identifies the first WCD, (iv) in response to receiving the first request, determine that the first identifier is in the first list, (v) based on the first identifier being in the first list, grant the first WCD a first data rate at or above a data rate threshold value, (vi) receive a second request for access to the network from a second WCD, the second request containing a second identifier that identifies the second WCD, (vii) in response to receiving the second request, determine that the second identifier is not in the first list, and (viii) based on the second identifier not being in the first list, grant the second WCD a second data rate below the data rate threshold value.

16. The femtocell device of claim 15, wherein the femtocell device is registered with an account, the femtocell device further comprising:

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) receive a third request for access to the network from a third WCD, the third request containing a third identifier that identifies the third WCD, (ii) in response to receiving the third request, determine that the third identifier is also registered with the account, and (iii) based on the third identifier being registered with the account, grant the third WCD a third data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

17. The femtocell device of claim 15, wherein the femtocell device has access to a server that stores a third list of contact entries, and wherein at least some of the contact entries in the third list include respective WCD identifiers, the femtocell device further comprising:

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) receive at least part of the third list from the server, and (ii) in response to receiving at least part of the third list, add, to the first list, one or more WCD identifiers from the contact entries of the at least part of the third list.

18. The femtocell device of claim 15, wherein the femtocell device stores a radius value, the femtocell device further comprising:

a location determining component that determines geographic coordinates of the femtocell device; and

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) receive a third request for access to the network from a third WCD, the third request containing a third identifier that identifies the third WCD, and (ii) in response to receiving the third request, (a) determine geographic coordinates of the third WCD, and (b) compare the geographic coordinates of the third WCD to the geographic coordinates of the femtocell device to determine that a distance between the third WCD and the femtocell device is less than the radius value, and (iii) based on the third WCD being located within the radius value of the femtocell device, grant the third WCD a third data rate at or above the data rate threshold value.

19. The femtocell device of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) determine that a traffic load at the femtocell device is above a traffic load threshold value, and (ii) in response to determining that the traffic load is above the traffic load threshold value, lower the data rate threshold value.