METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NETWORK ASSISTED DISCOVERY OF FEMTO CELLS

• US 20120149351A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KALBAG, Rohit Satish
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Method and system for a femto serving switch system. A request for registering a wireless device with a femto cell environment is received. The wireless device is registered based on the request with respect to the femto cell environment. Information related to the femto cell environment and one or more applications is then obtained, based on which a femto discovery notification (FDN) is generated. Such generated FDN is then delivered to the wireless device to assist the wireless device to operate in the femto cell environment.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for a femto serving switch system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for registering a wireless device within a femto cell environment;

registering the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

obtaining information related to the femto cell environment and/or one or more applications that are supported by the femto cell environment;

generating a femto discovery notification (FDN) based on the obtained information; and

delivering the FDN to the wireless device to assist the wireless device to operate in the femto cell environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained information includes information about femto cells located in the femto cell environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained information includes at least one position of a femto cell in the femto cell environment or services available from the femto cell in the femto cell environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained information is related to the one or more applications and includes an indication as to which of the one or more applications can be activated in the wireless device in the femto cell environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering comprises:

generating a message to be transmitted;

incorporating the FDN in the message; and

transmitting the message with the FDN to the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a presence sensing femto cell, which performs the following steps:

detecting presence of the wireless device in the femto cell environment; and

when the presence of the wireless device is detected,

obtaining an identifier of the wireless device,

generating the request for registering the wireless device with the femto cell environment, and

transmitting the request to the femto serving switch system.

7. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for a femto serving switch system, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a femto support system, a femto discovery notification (FDN) directed to a wireless device;

analyzing the received FDN to identify a femto cell environment;

obtaining information relating to the femto cell environment;

modifying the FDN based on the obtained information to generate an updated FDN; and

delivering, to the wireless device, the updated FDN to assist the wireless device to switch between a wireless network and the femto cell environment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the obtained information includes information about femto cells located in the femto cell environment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the obtained information includes information on one or more applications supported in the femto cell environment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of delivering comprises:

generating a message to be transmitted;

incorporating the updated FDN in the message; and

transmitting the message with the updated FDN to the wireless device.

11. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for a femto support system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for registering a wireless device with a femto cell environment;

identifying a femto serving switch system associated with the femto cell environment;

obtaining information related to the femto cell environment;

registering the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

generating a femto discovery notification (FDN) based on the obtained information; and

delivering the FDN to the femto serving switch system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the obtained information includes information about a host femto cell with which the requested registration takes place.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of delivering comprises:

generating a message to be transmitted;

incorporating the FDN in the message; and

transmitting the message with the FDN to the femto serving switch system.

14. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform for a wireless device, which is capable of operating in a first and a second network environment, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message from a femto serving switch system, where the message includes a femto discovery notification (FDN) with information indicating that the wireless device is presently operating under the coverage of the second network environment;

analyzing information in the FDN related to one or more applications capable of running on the wireless device under the coverage of the second network environment;

determining that the wireless device is no longer operating in the first network environment; and

modifying the status of the one or more applications on the wireless device in accordance with the information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first network is a wireless network and the second network is a femto cell environment.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing information included in the FDN that provides identification of one or more femto cells operating in a femto cell environment.

17. A femto serving switch system, comprising:

a receiver configured for receiving a request for registering a wireless device within a femto cell environment;

a device registration unit configured for registering the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

a femto discovery notification (FDN) generator configured for obtaining information related to the femto cell environment and/or one or more applications that are supported by the femto cell environment and generating an FDN based on the obtained information; and

a transmitter configured for delivering the FDN to the wireless device to assist the wireless device to operate in the femto cell environment.

18. The femto serving switch system of claim 17, further comprising a neighbor update unit configured for obtaining information related to the femto cell environment including information about femto cells located in the femto cell environment.

19. The femto serving switch system of claim 18, further comprising a position update unit configured for obtaining the information about femto cells in the femto cell environment including at least one position of a femto cell in the femto cell environment or services available from the femto cells in the femto cell environment.

20. The femto serving switch system of claim 17, further comprising an application update unit configured for obtaining information related to the one or more applications including an indication as to which of the one or more applications can be activated in the wireless device in the femto cell environment.

21. A femto serving switch system, comprising:

a femto discovery notification (FDN) receiver configured for receiving, from a femto support system, an FDN directed to a wireless device;

an FDN analyzer configured for analyzing the received FDN to identify a femto cell environment;

one or more information retrieval units configured for obtaining information relating to the femto cell environment;

an FDN modifier configured for modifying the FDN based on the obtained information to generate an updated FDN; and

a transmitter configured for delivering, to the wireless device, the updated FDN to assist the wireless device to switch between a wireless network and the femto cell environment.

22. The femto serving switch system of claim 21, wherein the one or more information retrieval units comprises:

a neighbor update unit configured for obtaining information related to the femto cell environment including information about femto cells located in the femto cell environment;

a position update unit configured for obtaining the information about the femto cells in the femto cell environment including at least one position of a femto cell in the femto cell environment or services available from the femto cells in the femto cell environment; and

an application update unit configured for obtaining information related to the one or more applications including an indication as to which of the one or more applications can be activated in the wireless device in the femto cell environment.

23. A femto support system, comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving a request for registering a wireless device with a femto cell environment;

a femto switch identifier configured for identifying a femto serving switch system associated with the femto cell environment;

a femto cell identifier configured for obtaining information related to the femto cell environment;

a device registration unit configured for registering the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

a femto discovery notification (FDN) generator configured for generating an FDN based on the obtained information; and

a transmitter configured for delivering the FDN to the femto serving switch system.

24. The femto support system of claim 23, further comprising an application update unit configured for obtaining information related to one or more applications that are capable of running on the wireless device, which can be incorporated in the FDN.

25. A wireless device, comprising:

a femto discovery notification (FDN) receiver configured for receiving a message from a femto serving switch system, where the message includes an FDN with information indicating that the wireless device is presently operating under the coverage of a first network environment;

an FDN analyzer configured for analyzing information in the FDN related to one or more applications capable of running on the wireless device under the coverage of the second first network environment and determining that the wireless device is no longer operating in a second network environment; and

a device interface controller configured for modifying the status of the one or more applications on the wireless device in accordance with the information.

26. A machine readable and non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for a femto serving switch system, where when the information is read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receive a request for registering a wireless device within a femto cell environment;

register the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

obtain information related to the femto cell environment and/or one or more applications that are supported by the femto cell environment;

generate a femto discovery notification (FDN) based on the obtained information; and

delivering deliver the FDN to the wireless device to assist the wireless device to operate in the femto cell environment.

27. A machine readable and non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for a femto serving switch system, where when the information is read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receive, from a femto support system, a femto discovery notification (FDN) directed to a wireless device;

analyze the received FDN to identify a femto cell environment;

obtain information relating to the femto cell environment;

modify the FDN based on the obtained information to generate an updated FDN; and

deliver, to the wireless device, the updated FDN to assist the wireless device to switch between a wireless network and the femto cell environment.

28. A machine readable and non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for a femto support system, where when the information is read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receive a request for registering a wireless device with a femto cell environment;

identify a femto serving switch system associated with the femto cell environment;

obtain information related to the femto cell environment;

register the wireless device with the femto cell environment;

generate a femto discovery notification (FDN) based on the obtained information; and

deliver the FDN to the femto serving switch system.

29. A machine readable and non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for a wireless device, where when the information is read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receive a message from a femto serving switch system, where the message includes a femto discovery notification (FDN) with information indicating that the device is presently operating under the coverage of a first network environment;

analyze information in the FDN related to one or more applications capable of running on the wireless device under the coverage of the first network environment;

determine that the wireless device is no longer operating in a second network environment; and

modify the status of the one or more applications on the wireless device in accordance with the information.