FEMTOCELL BASE STATION FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION ACCORDING TO SPECIFIED CRITERIA

• US 20110294495A1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shechter, Alon, CARMON, Rafael
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed to restrict access services to a communication device. The services may be restricted based upon hardware characteristics, geographic characteristics, user specifications of the communication device and/or specified rules. The method and apparatus may restrict its service to only specific applications suitable for the environment and the time. Upon a request for a service that is now restricted, the method and apparatus may notify an end user that the service was requested. Further, the method and apparatus may notify an originator of the request that the service is not available and may ask for a short message to be delivered to the end user.

Claims

1. A femtocell base station having a communication device camped thereon, comprising:

a device module configured to classify the communication device according to its hardware characteristics;

a geographic module configured to classify the communication device according to geographic characteristics of the communication device;

a user priority module configured to classify the communication device according to a user specification relating thereto; and

a managing module configured to manage a resource of the femtocell base station in relation to the classifications by the device module, the geographic module, and the user priority module as well as in relation to specified rules.

2. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the managing module is configured to block incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the area during the time window.

3. The femtocell base station of claim 2, wherein the managing module is further configured to notify the communication device about its incoming calls during the time window.

4. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the managing module is configured to prevent noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the area during the time window.

5. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a distance dependent resource allocation pattern.

6. The femtocell base station of claim 1, further comprising:

a service conversion module configured to convert an original service addressing a communication device camped on the femtocell base station into a target service deliverable to the camped communication device based on conversion settings.

7. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the geographic characteristics of the communication device comprise:

a location and a distance from the femtocell base station

8. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the communication device is from among a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices being camped on the femtocell.

9. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device.

10. A method of controlling communication within a specified area, comprising:

establishing a femtocell base station and camping a communication device in the specified area on the femtocell base station;

classifying the communication device according to its hardware characteristics;

classifying the communication device according to geographic characteristics;

classifying the communication device according to a plurality of user specifications relating thereto; and

managing a plurality of resources of the femtocell base station in relation to the classifications and in relation to specified rules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the method further comprises;

blocking incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the area during the time window.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the method further comprises;

prevent noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the area during the time window

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a distance dependent resource allocation pattern.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

converting an original service addressing a communication device camped on the femtocell base station into a target service deliverable to the camped communication device based on conversion settings.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the geographic characteristics of the communication device comprise:

a location and a distance from the femtocell base station

12. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

notifying each communication device about its incoming calls during the time window.

17. A femtocell base station having a communication device camped thereon, comprising:

means for classifying the communication device according to its hardware characteristics;

means for classifying the communication device according to geographic characteristics of the communication device;

means for classifying the communication device according to a user specification relating thereto; and

means for managing a resource of the femtocell base station in relation to the classifications by the device module, the geographic module, and the user priority module as well as in relation to specified rules.

18. The femtocell base station of claim 17, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the means for managing comprises;

means for blocking incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the area during the time window.

19. The femtocell base station of claim 18, wherein the means for managing further comprises:

means for notify the communication device about its incoming calls during the time window.

20. The femtocell base station of claim 17, wherein the specified rules comprise:

a time window and an area, and

wherein the means for managing comprises;

means for preventing noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the area during the time window.