Exchange of access control lists to manage femto cell coverage

• US 10,225,733 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• 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): Tran, Phuc H
• Application Number:
  US15/068,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20160205621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• 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 network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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

Access management to femto cell service is provided through access control list(s), e.g., white list(s), or black list(s). White list(s) include a set of subscriber station(s) identifier numbers, codes, or tokens, and also can include additional fields for femto cell access management based on desired complexity. White list(s) can have associated white list profile(s) therewith to establish logic of femto coverage access based on the white list(s). Access lists exchange among subscribers that posses provisioned femto access points and elect to share access lists also is provided. Transference of access list(s) among subscribers is secured and based at least in part on subscriber privacy policy. Subscribers can be prompted to opt in access list sharing, or to update privacy policies to allow reciprocate sharing and update privacy settings. Based at least in part on association criteria, a component identifies femto access points with which a subscriber accesses lists.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining pattern data indicative of a pattern of locations likely to be visited by a user equipment;

determining that respective locations of femto access point devices satisfy a location criterion associated with the pattern data; and

facilitating a transmission of a data signal that represents notification data to the user equipment, wherein the notification data is indicative of identification information of the femto access point devices, and wherein the notification data is employable to initiate a transfer of access control data, associated with the user equipment, between the user equipment and a group of the femto access point devices.

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

selecting the femto access point devices based on relevancy scores assigned to the locations associated with the user equipment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the relevancy scores are also assigned to an association criterion and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the femto access point devices based on determining that a relationship between the femto access point devices satisfies the association criterion.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the locations of the user equipment are first locations, and wherein the association criterion is determined based on location data representative of second locations of the femto access point devices.

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

determining the pattern data based on analysis of data received from network data stores.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the relevancy scores differ based on the locations of the user equipment being associated with different defined geographical areas.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pattern data is first pattern data, the pattern is a first pattern, the locations are first locations, the user equipment is a first user equipment, and the operations further comprise:

determining second pattern data indicative of a second pattern of second locations associated with a second user equipment, and wherein the first user equipment and the second user equipment are associated with a common subscriber account; and

determining that the respective locations of the femto access point devices satisfy the location criterion associated with second pattern data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification data is transmitted to the user equipment via a text message server device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the pattern data comprises determining the pattern data based on a pattern of call activity associated with the user equipment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the location criterion comprises the respective locations of the femto access point devices being within a defined distance from the locations of the user equipment.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device comprising a processor, pattern data indicative of a pattern of locations that have been visited by a user equipment;

selecting, by the device, femto access point devices that are determined to satisfy a location criterion associated with the pattern data; and

facilitating, by the device, a transmission a data signal to a user equipment, wherein the data signal is indicative of identifying information for femto access point devices that is employable to initiate a transfer of access control data, associated with the user equipment, between the user equipment and a femto access point device of the femto access point devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying information comprises a multimedia message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying information comprises a text message.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the pattern data comprises determining the pattern data based on data accessed from a network data store.

15. The method of claim 11,

wherein the pattern is a first pattern, the locations are first locations, the user equipment is a first user equipment, the determining the pattern data comprises determining the pattern data based on a second pattern of second locations that have been visited by a second user equipment that is related to the first user equipment.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining pattern data indicative of a pattern of locations, at which a user equipment is likely to be located;

determining a femto access point device located within an area that satisfies a location criterion associated with the pattern data; and

facilitating a transmission of a data signal that represents notification data to the user equipment, wherein the notification data is indicative of an identification of the femto access point device, and wherein the notification data is to be utilized to initiate a transfer of access control data, associated with the user equipment, between the user equipment and the femto access point device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the transfer of the access control data is initiated in response to input data received via the user equipment.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the notification data is transmitted to the user equipment via a text message server.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the locations comprise a previous locations of the user equipment.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the determining the femto access point device comprises determining the femto access point device based on determining that a relevancy associated with the area satisfies a relevancy criterion.