Time-dependent white list generation

• US 8,863,235 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, DAO Q
• Application Number:
  US12/275,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20090288144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 : Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• 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: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A method is provided to control access to a femto cell. The method includes configuring one or more time-dependent parameters that specify access to a femto cell service. An access control list is employed for the femto cell service, where the access control list utilizes the time-dependent parameters to enable or deny access to the femto cell service. Access is granted to the femto cell service according to the access control list and the time-dependent parameters.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

populating, by a system comprising a processor, an access control data structure with timing data and logout data, wherein the timing data is indicative of a time period during which a user equipment is authorized to access a femto access point device and the logout data specifies when a logout procedure to disconnect the user equipment from the femto access point device is to be implemented;

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, frequency data indicative of a frequency of adjusting the timing data, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the frequency data from the user equipment;

monitoring, by the system, a set of applications accessed by the user equipment via the femto access point device during the time period; and

based on the frequency data and in response to determining that information associated with the set of applications satisfies a defined criterion, modifying, by the system, the timing data to increase the time period during which the user equipment is authorized to access the femto access point device, wherein the modifying comprises modifying the timing data in response to verifying that permission data that authorizes the modifying has been received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises determining type data indicative of a type of application of the set of applications accessed by the user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the populating comprises populating the access control data structure with the timing data that specifies an implicit value of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the frequency data and in response to determining that the information does not satisfy the defined criterion, modifying, by the system, the timing data to reduce the time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises modifying the timing data independent of user intervention.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring, by the system, the timing data to specify a time related event, comprising an emergency time period during which the user equipment is authorized to access the femto access point device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control data structure further comprises access data indicative of a number of access attempts that the user equipment is permitted to request and the method further comprises:

based on the information associated with the set of applications, modifying, by the system, the access data to modify the number of access attempts that the user equipment is permitted to request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control data structure further comprises modality data indicative of a communication technology that the user equipment is permitted to utilize during a communication with the femto access point device and the method further comprises:

based on the information associated with the set of applications, modifying, by the system, the modality data to modify the communication technology that the user equipment is permitted to utilize during the communication with the femto access point device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is a first time period and the method further comprises:

denying, by the system, access of the femto access point device by the user equipment during a second time period that is different from the first time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the set of applications in view of policy data indicative of a defined policy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the set of applications in view of statistical data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the information associated with the set of applications, restricting, by the system, a communication between the user equipment and the femto access point device to a transmission of a set of text messages.

13. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

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

populating an access control data structure with timing data and logout data, wherein the timing data is indicative of a time period during which a user equipment is allowed to access a femto access point device and the logout data specifies when a logout procedure that initiates a disconnection of the user equipment from the femto access point device is to be implemented,

determining a set of applications accessed by the user equipment via the femto access point device during the time period based on a monitoring of femto cell activity of the user equipment, and

based on configuration data received from the user equipment and in response to determining that type data indicative of a type of an application of the set of applications satisfies a defined type criterion and that permission data that authorizes a modification to the timing data has been received, increasing the time period, wherein the configuration data comprises frequency data representing a frequency of adjusting the timing data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the configuration data and in response to determining that the type data does not satisfy the defined type criterion, decreasing the time period.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the increasing comprises increasing the time period independent of user intervention.

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

configuring an access control data structure related to a femto access point device that specifies timing data indicative of a time period during which a user equipment is authorized to communicate with the femto access point device and that specifies logout data indicative of a duration when a logout procedure to facilitate a disconnection of the user equipment from the femto access point device is to be implemented;

receiving, from the user equipment, frequency data indicative of a frequency of updating the timing data;

determining an application accessed by the user equipment via the femto access point device during the time period; and

based on the frequency data and in response to determining that classification data indicative of a type of the application satisfies a defined criterion, updating the timing data to increase the time period for which the user equipment is authorized to communicate with the femto access point device, wherein the updating comprises updating the timing data in response to verifying that permission data that authorizes the updating has been received.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the time period is a first time period and the operations further comprise:

denying a communication between the user equipment and the femto access point device during a second time period that is different from the first time period.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the access control data structure further comprises modality data indicative of a communication technology that the user equipment is permitted to utilize to communicate with the femto access point device, the frequency data is first frequency data, the frequency is a first frequency, and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the user equipment, second frequency data indicative of a second frequency of updating the modality data; and

based on the second frequency data and the classification data, modifying the modality data.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the access control data structure further comprises access data indicative of a number of access attempts that the user equipment is permitted to request and the operations further comprise:

based on the classification data, modifying the access data to change the number of access attempts that the user equipment is permitted to request.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the frequency data and in response to determining that classification data does not satisfy the defined criterion, updating the timing data to decrease the time period for which the user equipment is authorized to communicate with the femto access point device.