System and method for provisioning a wireless device to only be able to access network services within a specific location

• US 8,989,707 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Inseego Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Inseego Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, John Jun, Ho, Kwun
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US13/846,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for provisioning wireless devices such that they are only capable of accessing network services when in a specified location. A device surveys the current location of the device for existing base stations and stores a corresponding network environment profile. After the profile is stored, network services will only be provided to the device if the current network profile matches the stored profile.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically fixing a service location of an electronic device, comprising:

detecting, at a network device, the presence of the electronic device within a current network environment;

transmitting signal information to the electronic device to trigger a configuration process within the electronic device for creating a current network environment profile based on the current network environment;

wherein

the electronic device is provided with access to network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile matches a predetermined network environment profile created during an initial setup phase of the electronic device and stored within the electronic device; and

the electronic device is either denied or provided with selective access to the network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile does not match the predetermined network environment profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal information comprises one of an encrypted short message service (SMS) message or a globally unique identifier (GUI).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the encrypted SMS message includes an encryption key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a residential gateway device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selective access to the network services provided to the electronic device comprises access to the network services provided at a lower bit rate than a higher bit rate that would be provided if the configuration process determined that the current network environment profile matched the predetermined network environment profile created during the initial setup phase.

7. A network device to dynamically fix a service location of an electronic device, the network device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor and including computer code for causing the processor to;

detect the presence of the electronic device within a current network environment; and

transmit signal information to the electronic device to trigger a configuration process within the electronic device for creating a current network environment profile based on the current network environment;

wherein

the electronic device is provided with access to network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile matches a predetermined network environment profile created during an initial setup phase of the electronic device and stored within the electronic device; and

the electronic device is either denied or provided with selective access to the network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile does not match the predetermined network environment profile.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the network device comprise a base station.

9. The network device of claim 7, wherein the signal information comprises one of an encrypted short message service (SMS) message or a globally unique identifier (GUI).

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the encrypted SMS message includes an encryption key.

11. The network device of claim 7, wherein the electronic device comprises a residential gateway device.

12. The network device of claim 7, wherein the selective access to the network services provided to the electronic device comprises access to the network services provided at a lower bit rate than a higher bit rate that would be provided if the configuration process determined that the current network environment profile matched the predetermined network environment profile created during the initial setup phase.

13. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for dynamically fixing a service location of an electronic device, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for detecting, at a network device, the presence of the electronic device within a current network environment; and

computer code for transmitting signal information to the electronic device to trigger a configuration process within the electronic device for creating a current network environment profile based on the current network environment;

wherein

the electronic device is provided with access to network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile matches a predetermined network environment profile created during an initial setup phase of the electronic device and stored within the electronic device; and

the electronic device is either denied or provided with selective access to the network services if the configuration process determines that the current network environment profile does not match the predetermined network environment profile.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network device comprise a base station.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the signal information comprises one of an encrypted short message service (SMS) message or a globally unique identifier (GUI).

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the encrypted SMS message includes an encryption key.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the electronic device comprises a residential gateway device.

18. The network device of claim 13, wherein the selective access to the network services provided to the electronic device comprises access to the network services provided at a lower bit rate than a higher bit rate that would be provided if the configuration process determined that the current network environment profile matched the predetermined network environment profile created during the initial setup phase.