Femtocell service registration, activation, and provisioning

• US 8,655,361 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lott, Robert Wayne, Gurajala, Ravindra Babu, Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon, Seymour, Jefferey Thomas, Neelakantan, Rahul, Pitassi, Thomas Joseph, Davis, John Potts, Downie, Alfreda, Favor, Stephen Leon, Rainer, Brian Keith, Sahoo, Dipak Kumar, Collier, Victoria, Adams, William, Zdroik, Glen, Porter, Gerald V., Diefenbach, Daniela Pechova, Chambers, Robert Bryon, Glass, David Raymond, Sack, Ewa Monika Reppling, Rulifson, Liane F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US13/928,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 237 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/410, 455/433, 455/450, 455/230, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/418, 455/420, 455/435.2, 370/310, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A femto cell service framework is employed for registration, activation, and provisioning of femtocell service. An account management service enables femtocell account creation, and registration thereof. Registration includes validation of wireless coverage for a location of operation of a femto AP, and validation of availability enhanced 911 (E911) service. As part of registration provisioning, record(s) are updated to indicate registration status. Connection of femto AP to a network interface triggers activation process; the femto AP delivers an activation request. A femto network validates registration of the connected femto AP and conducts a location tolerance check of a received actual location of the femto AP and a registered location. Upon tolerance validation, a cell identifier and radio frequency channel(s) are assigned to femto AP. When femto AP radiates wireless signal, network activation status indicators are provisioned. Handling of errors that arise during registration or activation is provided.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store computer-executable instructions; and

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

as part of a registration of a femtocell service account that facilitates management of a femtocell service provided by a femto access point device, facilitating a first transmission of first address data representing a first location at which the femto access point device is to be deployed,

prior to an activation of the femto access point device and in response to determining that wireless spectrum coverage associated with a communication network related to the femtocell service is unavailable at the first location, receiving second address data indicative of a set of locations at which the wireless spectrum coverage is available, wherein the set of locations does not comprise the first location, and

in response to receiving input data that selects a second location of the set of locations, facilitating a second transmission of third address data indicative of the second location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the first address data via a graphical interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first address data comprises coordinate data that is received from a geographical information system device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first address data comprises network cell global identity data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the second address data comprises receiving the second address data via a text message.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the second address data comprises receiving the second address data via a multimedia message.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to the activation of the femto access point device, receiving instruction data indicative of a request to activate the femto access point device in response to determining that a defined time period has expired.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

as part of the registration, facilitating a third transmission of date data comprising a timestamp indicative of an activation time associated with the activation of the femto access point device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the third address data is employed to facilitate the registration of the femtocell service account.

10. A method, comprising:

as part of registering a femtocell service account associated with a femto access point device, directing, by a system comprising a processor, first address data indicative of a first location at which the femto access point device is to be deployed, wherein the directing comprises directing the first address data to a network device that facilitates management the femtocell account;

prior to an activation of the femto access point device and in response to determining that wireless spectrum coverage associated with an operation of the femto access point device is unavailable at the first location, receiving, by the system, second address data from the network device, wherein the second address data is indicative of a second location at which the wireless spectrum coverage is available and wherein the second location is different from the first location; and

as a function of facilitating a presentation of the second address data, receiving, by the system, input data that confirms that the femto access point device is to be deployed at the second location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the second address data comprises receiving a multimedia message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the second address data comprises receiving a text message.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

as part of the registering, directing, by the system, time data to the network device, wherein the time data is indicative of a time period during which the femto access point is to be activated.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

as part of the registering, directing, by the system, time data to the network device, wherein the time data is indicative of a time period during which the femto access point is to be deactivated.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the system, the first address data, based on latitude and longitude data received from a geographical information system device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the system, the first address data, based on global positioning system data received from a global positioning system device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the system, the first address data, based on network cell global identify data.

18. A computer-readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

during a registration of a femtocell service account that facilitates management of a femtocell service provided via a femto access point device, directing, to a network device, first address data indicative of a first location of prospective operation the femto access point device;

prior to an activation of the femto access point device and in response to receiving, from the network device, information that indicates that wireless spectrum coverage associated with a communication network related to the femtocell service is not available at the first location, requesting a selection of a second location from a set of locations at which the wireless spectrum coverage is available, wherein the set of locations does not comprise the first location; and

as a function of the requesting, receiving input data indicative of the selection, wherein the input data is employed to facilitate the registration of femtocell service account.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the information via a text message.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the information via a multimedia message.