Base station apparatus and communication system

• US 9,603,007 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujinami, Makoto, Awano, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASEFA, DEBEBE A
• Application Number:
  US14/372,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• 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 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A base station apparatus includes a first identification information acquisition unit for acquiring first identification information for identifying a terminal, the terminal being under management of the base station apparatus, a second identification information generation unit for generating second identification information associated with the first identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition unit, and a terminal identification information notification unit for notifying an external device of the second identification information generated by the second identification information unit as information for identifying the terminal. An external apparatus is notified of identification information generated based on highly confidential first identification information within a base station, so that personalization can be feasible between a terminal and the external apparatus.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus comprising:

first identification information acquisition unit for acquiring first identification information for identifying a terminal, the terminal being under management of the base station apparatus;

second identification information generation unit for generating second identification information based on the first identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition unit, the second identification information is to identify the terminal in a service providing server and is kept even when the terminal moves out from under the management of the base station apparatus; and

terminal identification information notification unit for notifying the service providing server of the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation unit.

2. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising notification request receiving unit for receiving a notification request for the information for identifying the terminal from the external apparatus, wherein

the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server of the second identification information as the information for identifying the terminal based on the notification request received by the notification request receiving unit.

3. The base station apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

IP address assignment unit for assigning an IP address to the terminal;

and

management unit for associating the first identification information, the second identification information, and the IP address of the terminal with each other, and managing them.

4. The base station apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the notification request for the information for identifying the terminal includes an IP address of the terminal, and

the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server of the second identification information associated with the IP address included in the notification request received by the notification request receiving unit in the management unit.

5. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

presence-in-range/connection process request receiving unit for receiving a presence-in-range/connection process request including the first identification information transmitted from the terminal; and

presence-in-range/connection process request transmitting unit for transmitting the presence-in-range/connection process request received by the presence-in-range/connection process request receiving unit to an external host apparatus, wherein

the first identification information acquisition unit acquires the first identification information from the presence-in-range/connection process request received by the presence-in-range/connection process request receiving unit.

6. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

presence-in-range/connection process request receiving unit for receiving a presence-in-range/connection process request transmitted from the terminal;

presence-in-range/connection process request transmitting unit for transmitting the presence-in-range/connection process request received by the presence-in-range/connection process request receiving unit to an external host apparatus; and

presence-in-range/connection process response receiving unit for receiving a presence-in-range/connection process response including the first identification information transmitted from the host apparatus, the presence-in-range/connection process response being a response to the presence-in-range/connection process request, wherein

the first identification information acquisition unit acquires the first identification information from the presence-in-range/connection process response received by the presence-in-range/connection process response receiving unit.

7. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second identification information generation unit generates a plurality of different second identification information pieces associated with the first identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition unit, and

the terminal identification information notification unit selects one of the plurality of different second identification information pieces generated by the second identification information generation unit for each of a plurality of different external apparatuses as the information for identifying the terminal based on a notification request for the information for identifying the terminal transmitted from a respective one of the plurality of external apparatuses, and notifies the respective external apparatuses of the selected second identification information pieces.

8. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising subscribe request receiving unit for receiving a subscribe request from the external apparatus, wherein

the second identification information generation unit generates the second identification information associated with the external apparatus and the first identification information, and

the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server of the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation unit together with a response to the subscribe request as the information for identifying the terminal.

9. The base station apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the subscribe request includes an external apparatus identification information for identifying the external apparatus, and

the second identification information generation unit generates the second identification information associated with the external apparatus identification information and the first identification information.

12. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the second identification information identifies the terminal at the service providing server and does not change when the terminal moves out of a communication range of the base station apparatus.

13. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the second identification information does not change when the terminal moves out of a communication range of the base station apparatus for a single or a repeated number of times.

14. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the second identification information is void of an IP (Internet Protocol) address.

15. The base station according to claim 1, further comprising a computer readable medium storing program instructions executable by a processor, the processor configured to execute instructions according to the first identification information acquisition unit, the second identification information generation unit, and the terminal identification information notification unit.

16. A computer program product for a base station according to claim 1, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and executable by a computer to cause the computer to execute instructions according to the first identification information acquisition unit, the second identification information generation unit, and the terminal identification information notification unit.

17. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server of the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation unit without transmission of the first identification information.

18. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server with only the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation unit.

19. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal identification information notification unit notifies the service providing server of the second identification information comprising a temporary identification of the terminal generated by the second identification information generation unit, while concealing the first identification information from the service providing server.

20. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein terminal identification information notification unit sends the second identification information that is temporary to the service providing server of without transmission of the first identification information that is acquired, and

wherein the second identification information, generated by terminal identification information notification unit, is different than a TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity) and a IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity).

10. A communication system comprising a base station apparatus capable of wireless connecting to a terminal, and a service providing server connected to the base station apparatus, the terminal being under management of the base station apparatus, wherein

the base station apparatus comprises:

first identification information acquisition unit for acquiring first identification information for identifying the terminal under management of the base station apparatus;

second identification information generation unit for generating second identification information based on the first identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition unit, the second identification information is to identify the terminal at the service providing server and is kept even when the terminal moves out from under the management of the base station apparatus; and

terminal identification information notification unit for notifying the service providing server of the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation unit, and

the service providing server comprises;

second identification information receiving unit for receiving the second identification information notified from the base station apparatus; and

service providing unit for providing a service based on the second identification information received by the second identification information receiving unit.

11. A base station apparatus comprising:

first identification information acquisition means for acquiring first identification information for identifying a terminal, the terminal being under management of the base station apparatus;

second identification information generation means for generating second identification information based on the first identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition means, the second identification information is to identify the terminal at an service providing server and is kept even when the terminal moves out from under the management of the base station apparatus; and

terminal identification information notification means for notifying the service providing server of the second identification information generated by the second identification information generation means.