Network infrastructure identification

• US 9,603,117 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Flynn, Paul V., Rivera-Barreto, Rafael L., Vallath, Sreevalsan, Gonzalez, Francisco J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US14/499,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 906 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 4554561-4565, 455/447
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

This disclosure relates to network infrastructure identification by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. According to one embodiment, one or more requests for infrastructure identification information may be transmitted. Each request may indicate a current location of the UE. A respective response may be received to each corresponding respective request. Each respective response may include infrastructure identification information for the current location indicated in the corresponding respective request. Features such as vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment with which the UE performs cellular communication may be identified based on the response(s), and features specific to the identified equipment may accordingly be implemented during such cellular communication.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:

by the UE;

sending a first query to a first server, wherein the first query provides location information for the UE indicating that the UE is at a first location, wherein the first query comprises a request for information identifying characteristics of cellular network infrastructure equipment in a region comprising the first location;

receiving a first response to the first query from the first server, wherein the first response comprises information identifying characteristics of cellular network infrastructure equipment in a first region comprising the first location, wherein the first response further comprises information identifying the first region;

identifying at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region based at least in part on the first response;

selecting at least one behavior modification to implement when performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region based at least in part on identifying at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region, wherein the at least one behavior modification comprises enabling workarounds for at least one identified interoperability issue specific to the cellular network infrastructure equipment; and

performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region, wherein the selected at least one behavior modification is implemented while performing the cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first server is operated by a cellular network infrastructure equipment vendor,

wherein the first response comprises information indicating whether or not cellular network infrastructure equipment provided by the cellular network infrastructure equipment vendor is deployed in the first region,

wherein first response comprises information indicating type and version information for any cellular network infrastructure equipment provided by the cellular network infrastructure equipment vendor deployed in the first region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a respective query to each of one or more additional cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors; and

receiving a respective response from each of the one or more additional cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors,

wherein identifying at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region and selecting at least one behavior modification to implement when performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region are performed also based on the respective response from each of the one or more additional cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server is operated by a cellular network operator,

wherein the first response comprises information indicating vendor, type and version information for cellular network infrastructure equipment deployed in the first region by the cellular network operator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server is operated by a cellular network infrastructure equipment vendor or a cellular network operator, wherein the method further comprises:

providing results of the first query to a server operated by a vendor of the UE.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first server is operated by a vendor of the UE, wherein the first response comprises information identifying vendor, type, model, and version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first response further comprises information indicating a time validity of the first response.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the UE is in a second location which is not in the first region;

sending a second query to the first server, wherein the second query provides location information for the UE, wherein the second query comprises a request for information identifying characteristics of cellular network infrastructure equipment in a region comprising the second location;

receiving a second response to the second query from the first server, wherein the second response comprises information identifying characteristics of cellular network infrastructure equipment in a second region comprising the second location, wherein the second response further comprises information identifying the second region;

identifying at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region based at least in part on the second response;

selecting at least one behavior modification to implement when performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region based at least in part on identifying at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region; and

performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region, wherein the selected at least one behavior modification is implemented while performing the cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the at least one behavior modification to implement when performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the second region is different than the at least one behavior modification to implement when performing cellular communication with cellular network infrastructure equipment in the first region.

10. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a radio; and

a processing element operably coupled to the radio,

wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to;

transmit one or more requests for infrastructure identification information to one or more servers, wherein each respective request indicates a current location of the UE;

receive a respective response to each corresponding respective request, wherein each respective response comprises infrastructure identification information for the current location indicated in the corresponding respective request;

determine two or more of infrastructure equipment vendor, type, model, or version of infrastructure equipment with which the UE performs cellular communication based on the infrastructure identification information; and

modify UE behavior in a manner specific to the determined two or more of infrastructure equipment vendor, type, model, or version when performing cellular communication with infrastructure equipment of the determined two or more of infrastructure equipment vendor, type, model or version, wherein modifying UE behavior comprises enabling workarounds for at least one identified interoperability issue specific to the cellular network infrastructure equipment.

11. The UE of claim 10, wherein the one or more servers comprise one or more infrastructure vendors'"'"' or cellular network operators'"'"' servers, wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:

provide information received from the one or more infrastructure vendors'"'"' or cellular network operators'"'"' servers to a system operated by a vendor of the UE.

12. The UE of claim 10,

wherein the one or more servers comprise one or more servers operated by a vendor of the UE.

13. The UE of claim 10, wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:

cache the infrastructure identification information received in each respective response to each corresponding respective request.

14. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions which, when executed at a wireless user equipment (UE) device, cause the UE to:

transmit one or more requests for cellular network infrastructure equipment identification information, wherein each respective request indicates a current location of the UE and a cell ID of a cell on which the UE is camped;

receive a respective response to each corresponding respective request, wherein each respective response comprises cellular network infrastructure equipment identification information for the current location indicated in the corresponding respective query, wherein the cellular network infrastructure equipment identification information supports identification of at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of cellular network infrastructure equipment which provides the cell on which the UE is camped;

identify at least two of vendor, type, model, or version of the cellular network infrastructure equipment which provides the cell on which the UE is camped based on responses to the one or more requests;

select one or more features for implementation while communicating with the cellular network infrastructure equipment which provides the cell on which the UE is camped based on the identified vendor, type, model, and/or version of the cellular network infrastructure equipment which provides the cell on which the UE is camped, wherein the one or more features comprise enabling workarounds for at least one identified interoperability issue specific to the cellular network infrastructure equipment; and

perform cellular communications with the cellular network infrastructure equipment which provides the cell on which the UE is camped using the selected one or more features.

15. The memory medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more requests are provided to one or more of:

one or more cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors;

one or more cellular network operators;

or

a vendor of the UE.

16. The memory medium of claim 15, wherein when executed, the program instructions further cause the UE to:

receive an indication of whether to provide the one or more requests to the one or more cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors, the one or more cellular network operators, or the vendor of the UE;

transmit the one or more requests to either the one or more cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors, the one or more cellular network operators, or the vendor of the UE based on the indication; and

provide results of the one or more requests to the vendor of the UE if the indication indicates to provide the one or more requests to the one or more cellular network infrastructure equipment vendors or the one or more cellular network operators.

17. The memory medium of claim 14,

wherein each respective response comprises an indication of an amount of time for which the respective response is valid.

18. The memory medium of claim 14,

wherein each respective response comprises cellular network infrastructure equipment identification information for a respective region comprising the current location of the UE, wherein each respective response further comprises information defining the respective region for which the respective response is valid.

19. The memory medium of claim 18,

wherein the information defining the respective region for which the respective response is valid comprises polygon information indicating boundaries of a geographic region for which the respective response is valid.