On-demand services by wireless base station virtualization

• US 8,605,697 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuo, Ted Tsei, Sheu, Ming-Jye, Lin, Tian-Yuan, Jou, Tyan-Shu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/191,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 455/433, 455/439
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Initiating a virtual presence at a physical access point in response to a request for a service from a wireless access device is provided. A particular wireless service may be provided to a subscriber on an on-demand basis according to location and/or type of service requested. The service may be terminated when demand for the service comes to an end whereby a common wireless service infrastructure may be shared amongst service providers thus eliminating the need for radio channel coordination and otherwise enhancing service quality for those service providers.

Claims

1. A method for providing on-demand wireless services, the method comprising:

receiving a request for service from a wireless access device, the request received at a physical wireless base station that provides services within a service area;

determining that no virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to the requested service is currently provided by the physical wireless base station;

initiating a new virtual wireless base station presence at the physical wireless base station, wherein the new virtual wireless base station presence corresponds to the requested service;

broadcasting a plurality of beacon frames that indicate availability of the requested service to one or more other wireless access devices in the service area of the physical wireless base station, whereby the requested service is made available via the new virtual wireless base station presence to the one or more wireless access devices upon subscription; and

terminating the new virtual wireless base station presence after arriving at a determination that no subscribing wireless access device remains within the service area of the physical wireless base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a list of valid services in memory and determining that the requested service corresponds to a valid service on the list prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the wireless access device within a predetermined period of time following receipt of the request and prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising grouping the wireless access device with a set of available services, the wireless access device grouped according to authentication credentials provided by the wireless access device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the physical wireless base station has not yet reached a maximum number of virtual wireless base station presences prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminated virtual wireless base station presence allows for initiation of another new virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to another requested service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a degradation in signal quality between the new virtual wireless base station presence and the wireless access device;

determining that the degraded signal quality is less than the signal quality of another virtual wireless base station presence; and

transitioning the wireless access device to the other virtual wireless base station presence, wherein the other virtual wireless base presence provides the requested service to the wireless access device.

8. A wireless base station apparatus for providing on-demand wireless services in a service area, the apparatus comprising:

an interface that receives a request for service from a wireless access device in the service area;

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions determines that no virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to the requested service is currently being provided; and

an antenna that

initiates a new virtual wireless base station presence, wherein the new virtual wireless base station presence corresponds to the requested service, and

broadcasts a plurality of beacon frames that indicate the availability of the requested service to one or more other wireless access devices in the service area, whereby the requested service is made available via the new virtual wireless base station presence to the one or more wireless access devices upon subscription by the wireless access device, and

terminates provisioning of the requested service after the processor arrives at a determination that no subscribing wireless access device remains within the service area.

9. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a memory that stores a list of valid services in memory and wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine that the requested service corresponds to a valid service on the list prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

10. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes instructions to authenticate the wireless access device within a predetermined period of time following receipt of the request and prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

11. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor further executes instructions to group the wireless access device according to provided authentication credentials, and wherein the group is associated with a set of available services.

12. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine that a maximum number of virtual wireless base station presences has not been reached prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

13. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 8, wherein the termination of the virtual wireless base station presence allows for initiation of another new virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to another requested service.

14. The wireless base station apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes instructions to:

identify a degradation in signal quality between the new virtual wireless base station presence and the wireless access device; and

determine that the degraded signal quality is less than the signal quality of another virtual wireless base station presence; and

transitions the wireless access device to the other virtual wireless base station presence, and wherein the other virtual wireless base presence continues to provide the requested service to the wireless access device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for providing on-demand wireless services, the method comprising:

receiving a request for service from a wireless access device in a service area of a physical wireless base station;

determining that no virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to the requested service is currently provided by the physical wireless base station;

initiating a new virtual wireless base station presence at the physical wireless base station, wherein the new virtual wireless base station presence corresponds to the requested service;

broadcasting a plurality of beacon frames that indicate the availability of the requested service to one or more other wireless access devices in the service area of the physical wireless base station, whereby the requested service is made available via the new virtual wireless base station presence to the one or more wireless access devices upon subscription; and

terminating the new virtual wireless base station presence after arriving at a determination that no subscribing wireless access device remains within the service area of the physical wireless base station.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the program further executable for determining that the requested service corresponds to a valid service on a list of valid services prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the program further executable for authenticating the wireless access device within a predetermined period of time following receipt of the request and prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the program further executable for grouping the wireless access device according to provided authentication credentials, wherein the group is associated with a set of available services.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 the program further executable for determining that the physical wireless base station has not yet reached a maximum number of virtual wireless base station presences prior to initiating the new virtual wireless base station presence.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the termination of the virtual wireless base station presence allows for initiation of another new virtual wireless base station presence corresponding to another requested service.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the program further executable for:

identifying a degradation in signal quality between the new virtual wireless base station presence and the wireless access device;

determining that the degraded signal quality is less than the signal quality of another virtual wireless base station presence; and

transitioning the wireless access device to the other virtual wireless base station presence, wherein the other virtual wireless base presence continues to provide the requested service to the wireless access device.