AUTOMATIC POPULATION OF AN ACCESS CONTROL LIST TO MANAGE FEMTO CELL COVERAGE

• US 20090288152A1
• 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 8,209,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• 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)). 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). 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. A component can implement automatic population of white list fields based at least in part on a set of received identifiers. In addition, autonomously determined identifiers can be employed to populate a white list. Identifier(s) available for automatic population are validated prior to inclusion in a white list, to ensure the identifier(s) are allowed for inclusion therein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least one of a set of identifiers or a set of coverage parameters for a set of mobile devices;

generating a white list with more than one identifier in a received set of identifiers when a white list is to be automatically populated with more than one identifier; and

based at least in part on a received set of coverage parameters, generating a white list profile associated with the white list, the white list profile determines logic for each identifier to access femto coverage.

2. The method of claim 1, generating a white list with more than one identifier in a received set of identifiers when a white list is to be automatically populated with more than one identifier further comprising:

selecting a subset of the received identifiers within the set of received identifiers when not all identifiers in the received set of identifiers are to populate the white list; and

validating each identifier in the subset of selected identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a subset of the received identifiers within the set of received identifiers when the number of received identifiers in a set of identifiers is greater than a predetermined number of fields available to a white list; and

validating each identifier in the subset of selected identifiers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting for data in a device to determine a set of identifiers for a set of mobile devices directed to a white list; and

when a positive response to the prompting for data is received, collecting the data in the device and determining the set of identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the set of identifiers contains a single identifier, validating the single identifier and generating a white list and white list profile for the single identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the set of received coverage parameters is the empty set or no coverage parameters are received, generating a default white list profile wherein each mobile station associated with an identifier in the white is allowed full access to femto coverage.

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

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting data from a set of databases and inferring a set of identifiers for mobile devices to automatically populate a white list based at least in part on the extracted data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising validating the set of inferred identifiers for mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a white list with valid inferred identifiers for mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 10, based at least in part on the extracted data, infer a white list profile to determine logic for each identifier in the generated white list to access femto coverage.

12. A system to populate an access control list, the system comprising:

a component that receives a set of identifiers for a set of mobile devices; and

a population component that automatically populates a white list with one or more identifiers in the received set of identifiers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the population component validates an identifier in the set of identifiers based at least in part on set of criteria, the set of criteria includes at least one of status of election flag for inclusion in a white list associated with the identifier, operational capabilities of a mobile device linked to the identifier, or commercial standing associated with a mobile device linked to the identifier.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the population component prompts for an indication whether to populate the white list with a single identifier in the set of received identifiers, all received identifiers in the set identifiers, or a subset of the set of received identifiers.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the population component prompts for a selection indication to determine a subset of received identifiers when the number of provided identifiers exceeds a predetermined number of fields configured for a white list.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the population component selects a subset of received identifiers when the number of provided identifiers exceeds a predetermined number of fields configured for a white list.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a component that extracts data from a set of databases and infers a set of identifiers linked to mobile devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the population component validates the set of inferred identifiers and populates a white list.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein data mining component collects information on a mobile in the inferred set of mobile devices to establish coverage parameters to be entered in a white list profile associated with the inferred white list.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the component that receives a set of identifiers for a set of mobile devices further receives a set of coverage parameters.

21. The system of claim 13, based at least in part on the received set of coverage parameters, the population component populates a white list profile associated with the white list, wherein the white list profile determines logic for each identifier to access femto coverage.

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

receiving at least one of a set of identifiers or a set of coverage parameters for a set of mobile devices;

generating a white list with more than one identifier in a received set of identifiers when a white list is to be automatically populated with more than one identifier; and

based at least in part on a received set of coverage parameters, generating a white list profile associated with the white list, the white list profile determines logic for each identifier to access femto coverage.