Femto cell service delivery platform usage compliance

• US 8,583,078 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Jeffrey, Rooks, Kelsyn D. S., Stafford, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US12/471,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 4554561-457, 455435-4351, 455114-1142, 455 63- 631, 455/406, 370/331, 370/338, 713/157, 713/164, 713/166, 726 22- 24, 379/114.21, 379/114.2, 379/114.23, 379/127.02, 379/127.05
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for managing cellular usage in controlled areas. For example, in one embodiment, a cellular monitoring system communicates with one or more femto cells located within a controlled area for detecting the presence of unauthorized cellular devices or for monitoring the usage of cellular devices within the controlled area.

Claims

1. A method executed by a cellular monitoring system for managing cellular usage in a controlled area, the method comprising:

identify a cellular device within signal range of one or more femto cells placed in a controlled area, wherein a size of the controlled area is configurable by varying the signal strengths associated with the one or more femto cells, and wherein identify the cellular device within signal range of one or more femto cells placed in the controlled area is performed using a control channel;

determining whether the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area;

communicating with a cellular service provider subscriber database to determine a subscriber name associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is an unauthorized device;

alerting security personnel in response to determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area;

receiving an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

determining whether the incoming or outgoing call occurs during an authorized time;

blocking the incoming or outgoing call in response to a determination that the incoming or outgoing call occurs during an unauthorized time;

monitoring a duration of an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

subtracting an amount of time associated with the duration of the incoming or outgoing call from a calling account associated with a user of the cellular device;

restricting calls associated with the cellular device to only authorized calling numbers; and

receiving user configurations for alerting the security personnel from a user via a Web portal associated with the cellular monitoring system, wherein an alert message includes information about an unauthorized cellular device including a mobile identification number associated with the unauthorized cellular device and an approximate location of the unauthorized cellular device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a location status of the cellular device to provide an approximate location of the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising disconnecting a call associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the call has exceeded a predetermined amount of time.

5. A cellular monitoring system for managing cellular usage in a controlled area, the cellular monitoring system comprising:

a network interface for communicating with one or more femto cells placed in a controlled area for identifying cellular devices in the controlled area, and wherein identifying the cellular devices in the controlled area is performed using a control channel;

a data storage unit for storing identification data associated with authorized cellular devices within the controlled area;

memory for storing computer executable instructions;

a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions to;

configure a size of the control area based on signal strengths associated with the one or more femto cells;

determine whether a cellular device within the controlled area is an authorized device using the identification data;

communicate with a cellular service provider subscriber database to determine a subscriber name associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is an unauthorized device;

block cellular communications associated with the cellular device in response to determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area;

transmit a message to a plurality of specified cellular devices within the controlled area;

monitor a duration of an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

subtract an amount of time associated with the duration of the incoming or outgoing call from a calling account associated with a user of the cellular device;

enable cellular communications associated with the cellular device only to prespecified calling numbers; and

receive user configurations for alerting security personnel from a user via a Web portal associated with the cellular monitoring system, wherein an alert message includes information about an unauthorized cellular device including a mobile identification number associated with the unauthorized cellular device and an approximate location of the unauthorized cellular device.

6. The cellular monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to block cellular communications associated with the cellular device during specified times.

7. The cellular monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to record cellular communications associated with the cellular device.

8. The cellular monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to monitor a duration of a call associated with the cellular device and terminate the call in response the call exceeding a prespecified duration.

9. The cellular monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to block all cellular communications within the controlled area.

10. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising instructions to:

configure a size of a control area based on signal strengths associated with one or more femto cells;

identify, using a control channel, a cellular device within signal range of the one or more femto cells placed in the controlled area;

determine whether the cellular device is an authorized device within the controlled area;

communicate with a cellular service provider subscriber database to determine a subscriber name associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is an unauthorized device;

block cellular communications associated with the cellular device in response to a determination that the cellular device is not an authorized device within the controlled area;

transmit a message to a plurality of specified cellular devices within the controlled area;

monitor a duration of an incoming or outgoing call associated with the cellular device;

subtract an amount of time associated with the duration of the incoming or outgoing call from a calling account associated with a user of the cellular device;

restrict calls associated with the cellular device to only authorized calling numbers; and

receive user configurations for alerting security personnel from a user via a Web portal, wherein an alert message includes information about an unauthorized cellular device including a mobile identification number associated with the unauthorized cellular device and an approximate location of the unauthorized cellular device.