ACCESS CONTROL LISTS AND PROFILES TO MANAGE FEMTO CELL COVERAGE

• US 20090288140A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• 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

System(s) and method(s) provide access management to femto cell service through access control list(s) (e.g., white list(s), or black list(s)). White list(s) includes 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). Values of attribute fields that determine white list(s), black list(s), or white list profile(s) can be generated through various sources. An access list management component facilitates generation and maintenance of white list(s), black list(s), or white list profile(s). Values for identifier attribute field(s) available for inclusion in a white list are validated prior to inclusion therein. Various example aspects such as white list(s) management, maintenance and dissemination; automatic population or pre-configuration; and inclusion of wireless device(s) or subscriber(s) are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a set of access field indications associated with a set of mobile devices, each access field indication in the set of received access field indications intended for at least one of an access control list or a white list profile, wherein the access control list grants or denies femto coverage and the white list profile establishes access privileges to the femto coverage; and

validating the received set of access field indications, and updating the at least one of an access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control list is one of a white list to grant access or a black list to deny access.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a white list and a white list profile are relational tables related through a primary key in the white list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of access field indications convey at least in part a set of unique identifiers for each mobile device in the set of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of access field indications further convey access field values that establish access privileges to femto coverage, the access privileges include at least one of type of service, time span of coverage, technologies allowed to be employed within a femto coverage area, quality of service, or relative priority of access to a femto service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein validating the received set of access field indications includes verifying a mobile device associated with an access field that identifies the mobile device is flagged to opt in for inclusion in femto access service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein validating the received set of access field indications further includes identifying commercial standing of the mobile device associated with the access field that identifies the mobile device allows the access field to be entered in a white list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the at least one of the access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields includes at least one of adding an access field to the access list or removing an access field from the access list based at least in part on a received directive to configure the access list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein updating the at least one of an access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields further includes at least one of adding an access field to the white list profile or removing an access field from the white list profile based at least in part on a received directive to configure a white list profile.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting data from a set of databases and establishing a femto access point to include thereon at least one of the access list or white list profile.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising requesting authorization to the at least one of the access list or white list profile in the identified femto access point and, when authorization is granted, negotiating level of access to femto coverage through the identified femto access point.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising conveying the at least one of an access list or white list profile to the identified femto access point.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a set of tracking criteria for transactions in a server and retaining the set of criteria in a memory;

receiving signaling that a transaction meets tracking criteria for transactions and determining whether a provisioned femto access point is associated with the transaction; and

when it is determined the femto access point is associated with the transaction, request a field indication associated with a party in the transaction.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an access field indication associated with a party in the transaction; and

based at least in part on the received access field indication, update at least one of an access list or a white list profile linked to the femto access point.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying the updated at least one of the access list or white list profile to a provisioned femto access point.

17. A system comprising:

a component that validates content identified in a received set of access field indications directed to at least one of an access list or white list profile, wherein the access control list grants or denies femto coverage and the white list profile establishes access privileges to the femto coverage;

a component that generates at least one of an access list or a white list profile based at least in part on valid content identified in the received set of access field indication(s); and

a memory that retains the generated at least one of an access list or a white list profile.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the access list is one of a white list to grant access or a black list to deny access.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a white list and a white list profile are relational tables related through a primary key in the white list.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of access field indications convey at least in part a set of unique identifiers for each mobile device in the set of mobile devices.

21. The system of claim 18, the component that validates content identified in a received set of access field indications directed to at least one of the access list or white list profile applies a set of criteria to the content, the criteria includes at least one of valid mobile device identifier, active mobile device identifier, status of election or non-election flags for inclusion in a white list list, operational capabilities of an identified mobile device, or commercial standing of an identified mobile device.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a format component that formats at least one of the access list or the white list profile in accordance with at least one of a hypertext markup language (HTML) format or an extensible markup language (XML) and variants thereof.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the format component compresses or indexes, or any combination thereof, aggregated access lists for efficient storage thereof.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data mining component that gathers information related to one or more criterion on the set of criteria through networked access to at least one of a subscriber database or data storage accessible to a mobile network that facilitates coverage through a femto access point.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a component that secures data exchange among access data mining component and an accessible database.

26. The system of claim 17, further comprising a tracker component that monitors changes to subscribed service and identifier numbers for a served subscriber.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the component that generates at least one of an access list or a white list profile based at least in part on valid content identified in the received set of access field indications receives signaling to manipulate at least one of an access control list or a white list profile, wherein manipulation includes at least one of removal of a specific attribute field, or update of an attribute field.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein signaling to manipulate at least one of an access control list or a white list profile can be received securely.

29. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a component that configures a set of tracking criteria for transactions in a server and retains the set of criteria in a memory;

a component that receives a signal a transaction meets tracking criteria for transactions and determines whether a provisioned femto access point is associated with the transaction; and

a component that requests a field indication associated with a party in the transaction when the component determined the femto access point is associated with the transaction.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein based at least in part on the received access field indication, a component that generates at least one of an access list or a white list profile based at least in part on valid content identified in the received set of access field indication(s) updates at least one of the access list or the white list profile linked to the femto access point.

31. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the following acts:

receiving a set of access field indications associated to a set of mobile devices, each access field indication in the set of received access field indications intended for at least one of an access control list or a white list profile, wherein the access control list grants or denies femto coverage and the white list profile establishes access privileges to the femto coverage; and

validating the received set of access field indications, and updating the at least one of an access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 further having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the act of updating the at least one of an access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields includes at least one of adding an access field to the access list or removing an access field from the access list based at least in part on a received directive to configure an access list.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 further having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the act of updating the at least one of an access list or white list profile with one or more valid access fields further includes at least one of adding an access field to the white list profile or removing an access field from the white list profile based at least in part on a received directive to configure a white list profile.