Bluetooth-enabled femto pilot gating

• US 8,588,698 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Causey, Mark, Luu, Adrianne
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US12/869,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.2, 455436-444, 455/574, 455/63.1, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• 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 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A low-cost and power-saving system and methodology that reduces interference, unnecessary signaling and allows for more pertinent network listen measurements, by employing Bluetooth® technology in a femto access point (FAP) is provided. Moreover, a cellular transmitter in the FAP remains deactivated and is activated only if a UE, authorized for femtocell access, is within the femtocell coverage area. Bluetooth pairing is employed to identify authorized UEs within the femtocell coverage area. In an aspect, the FAP includes a Bluetooth modem that broadcasts a unique Bluetooth identity (ID) and facilitates Bluetooth pairing with nearby UEs. During the interval when the cellular transmitter is deactivated, the FAP performs background activities (e.g., network listen scanning and/or femto jamming of macro pilot). Additionally, a Bluetooth repeater is embedded within the FAP that extends the range of a Bluetooth-enabled device to the femtocell coverage area.

Claims

1. A femto access point device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations, comprising;

in response to determining that identifier data associated with a user equipment is represented in an access control data structure that is employed to manage access to the femto access point device, facilitating a transmission of credential data to the user equipment, wherein the credential data facilitates a pairing between the user equipment and a Bluetooth modem within the femto access point device, and

subsequent to the user equipment entering a coverage area associated with the femto access point device and in response to determining, based on the pairing, that the user equipment is authorized to access the femto access point device, activating a cellular network transmitter of the femto access point device to facilitate a detection of the femto access point device by the user equipment.

2. The femto access point device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

deactivating the cellular network transmitter in response to determining that the user equipment has exited the coverage area.

3. The femto access point device of claim 2, wherein the user equipment is an authorized user equipment, the pairing is a first pairing, and the operations further comprise:

initiating a second pairing between the Bluetooth modem and an unauthorized user equipment within the coverage area, wherein the unauthorized user equipment is not represented in the access control data structure, and

in response to determining, based on the second pairing, that the unauthorized user equipment is not authorized to establish the second pairing, prohibiting an activation of the cellular network transmitter.

4. The femto access point device of claim 1, wherein the transmission is a first transmission and the operations further comprise:

in response to the activating, facilitating, via the cellular network transmitter, a second transmission of location area code data to facilitate detection of the femto access point by the user equipment.

5. The femto access point device of claim 1, wherein the user equipment is a first authorized user equipment, the pairing is a first pairing, and the operations further comprise:

subsequent to the activating, initiating a second pairing between the Bluetooth modem and a second authorized user equipment that is within the coverage area, and

prior to performing attachment signaling between the femto access pint device and the second authorized user equipment, verifying that the second authorized user equipment is authorized to access the femto access point device based on the second pairing, wherein the attachment signaling is performed based on the verifying.

6. The femto access point device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

subsequent to the deactivating, facilitating a network listen scan to determine measurement data, and

based on the measurement data, adjusting a transmission power of the Bluetooth modem.

7. The femto access point device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the deactivating, facilitating a jamming of a macro pilot signal transmitted by a macro base station device that serves a communication device, wherein the jamming comprises facilitating a transmission of an interference signal that degrades a signal quality associated with the macro pilot signal to trigger a frequency scan by the communication device.

8. The femto access point device of claim 6, wherein the coverage area is a first coverage area and the adjusting comprises adjusting the transmission power to match a second coverage area associated with the Bluetooth modem with the first coverage area.

9. A method, comprising:

determining, by a femto access point device comprising a processor, that identifier data associated with a user equipment is represented within an access control data structure that manages access to the femto access point device;

in response to the determining, directing, by the femto access point device, credential data to the user equipment, wherein the credential data is employed to facilitate a pairing between the user equipment and a Bluetooth modem within the femto access point device; and

subsequent to the user equipment entering a coverage area associated with the femto access point device and in response to determining that the user equipment has paired with the Bluetooth modem, activating, by the femto access point device, a cellular transmitter of the femto access point device to facilitate a detection of the femto access point device by the user equipment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

deactivating, by the femto access point device, the cellular transmitter in response to determining that the user equipment has exited the coverage area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user equipment is a first user equipment, the pairing is a first pairing, and the method further comprises:

subsequent to the deactivating and in response to determining that a second user equipment is within the coverage area, initiating, by the femto access point device, a second pairing between the Bluetooth modem and the second user equipment; and

in response to determining that the second user equipment is not authorized to establish the second pairing, prohibiting, by the femto access point device, an activation of the cellular transmitter.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising, wherein the directing comprises directing, to the user equipment, information indicative of a location of the femto access point device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the directing comprises directing, to the user equipment, information indicative of a passkey employed to facilitate the pairing.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

subsequent to the deactivating, determining, by the femto access point device, measurement data based on a network listen scan.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

based on the measurement data, facilitating, by the femto access point device, a modification of a transmission power of the Bluetooth modem.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

based on the measurement data, determining, by the femto access point device, a modification of a transmission power of the cellular transmitter.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the activating comprises increasing a transmission power of the cellular transmitter over a defined time interval.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions that, in response to execution, cause a femto access point device comprising a processor to perform operation, comprising:

in response to receiving identifier data indicative of a user equipment that is to be added to an access control data structure that manages access to the femto access point device, directing credential data to the user equipment, wherein the credential data is employed to facilitate a pairing between the user equipment and a Bluetooth modem of the femto access point device; and

subsequent to the user equipment entering a coverage area associated with the femto access point device and in response to determining, based on the pairing, that the user equipment is authorized to access the femto access point device, activating a cellular transmitter of the femto access point device to facilitate a detection of the femto access point device by the user equipment.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the credential data comprises information indicative of a passkey that authorizes the pairing.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the credential data comprises information indicative of a location of the femto access point device.