Wireless communication system using access points that can be freely set up by users

• US 7,075,912 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Suda, Hirohito, Umehira, Masahiro, Nakayama, Masayoshi, Kubota, Syuji, Yoshino, Shuichi, Kudo, Eisuke, Nidaira, Katsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Jung
• Application Number:
  US10/099,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20020151300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

In a wireless communication system formed by a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses, and at least one control station configured to control the access points, public access points are systematically set up by a manager of the control station, while user'"'"'s personal access points to be freely set up by users at desired locations according to needs of users are accommodated by operating the control station to measure a utilization level of each user'"'"'s personal access point and charge an owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to a measured utilization level and set up relay routes using the public access points and the user'"'"'s personal access points.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses; and

at least one control station configured to control the access points;

wherein public access points which are systematically set up by a manager of the control station are included among the plurality of access points,

the control station is adapted to accommodate user'"'"'s personal access points that are freely set up and connected to the wireless network by users at desired locations according to needs of users such that the user'"'"'s personal access points are included among the plurality of access points, the control station having;

a server unit configured to measure a utilization level of each user'"'"'s personal access point and charge an owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to a measured utilization level; and

a router unit configured to set up relay routes using the public access points and the user'"'"'s personal access points; and

the server unit of the control station is configured to determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the server unit is adapted to charge the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point by accounting for a frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the control station is adapted to enable the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point and users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point to share a whole of a part of wireless resources of each user'"'"'s personal access point and a bandwidth of an access link between each user'"'"'s access point and the control station.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the router unit of the control station is adapted to control the bandwidth inside the control station or each user'"'"'s personal access point by exchanging a bandwidth setting signal with each user'"'"'s personal access point.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the server unit of the control station is also configured to authenticate each user and a user'"'"'s personal access point set up by each user, and determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and an access point according to an authentication result.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the server unit of the control station is configured to determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and the user'"'"'s personal access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the user'"'"'s personal access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the user'"'"'s personal access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the user'"'"'s personal access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the user'"'"'s personal access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the server unit of the control station is also configured to set up service classes with respect to the users, and to control a connection priority level and a relay route communication quality according to a service class of each user.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the control station is interconnected with a plurality of other control stations and the router unit of each control station is also configured to carry out inter-control station communications with other control stations.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the server unit of the control station is also configured to give a benefit to the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to the frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein the server unit of the control station is configured to give the benefit in a form of discounting a utilization fee of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

11. A control station apparatus for use in a wireless communication system formed by a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses, and at least one control station configured to control the access points, public access points which are systematically set up by a manager of the control station are included among the plurality of access points, the control station apparatus being adapted to accommodate user'"'"'s personal access points that are freely set up and connected to the wireless network by users at desired locations according to needs of users such that the user'"'"'s personal access points are included among the plurality of access points, and the control station apparatus comprising:

a server unit configured to measure a utilization level of each user'"'"'s personal access point and charge an owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to a measured utilization level; and

a router unit configured to set up relay routes using the public access points and the user'"'"'s personal access points; and

wherein the server unit is configured to determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

12. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the server unit is adapted to charge the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point by accounting for a frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

13. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control station apparatus is adapted to enable the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point and users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point to share a whole or a part of wireless resources of each user'"'"'s personal access point and a bandwidth of an access link between each user'"'"'s access point and the control station apparatus.

14. The control station apparatus of claim 13, wherein the router unit is adapted to control the bandwidth inside the control station apparatus or each user'"'"'s personal access point by exchanging a bandwidth setting signal with each user'"'"'s personal access point.

15. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the server unit is also configured to authenticate each user and a user'"'"'s personal access point set up by each user, and determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and an access point according to an authentication result.

16. The control station apparatus of claim 15, wherein the server unit is configured to determine whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and the user'"'"'s personal access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the user'"'"'s personal access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the user'"'"'s personal access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the user'"'"'s personal access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the user'"'"'s personal access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

17. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the server unit is also configured to set up service classes with respect to the users, and control a connection priority level and a relay route communication quality according to a service class of each user.

18. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one control station is interconnected with a plurality of other control stations and the router unit is also configured to carry out inter-control station communications with other control stations.

19. The control station apparatus of claim 11, wherein the server unit is also configured to give a benefit to the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to the frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

20. The control station apparatus of claim 19, wherein the server unit is configured to give the benefit in a form of discounting a utilization fee of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

21. An access point apparatus for use as a user'"'"'s personal access point in a wireless communication system formed by a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses, and at least one control station configured to control the access points, public access points which are systematically set up by a manager of the control station are included among the plurality of access points, the control station being adapted to accommodate user'"'"'s personal access points that are freely set up and connected to the wireless network by users at desired locations according to needs of users such that the user'"'"'s personal access points are included among the plurality of access points, and the access point apparatus comprising:

an authentication processing unit configured to carry out a mutual authentication with the control station, a mutual authentication with the user terminal after the mutual authentication wit to control station is successfully completed, and relay information for a mutual authentication between the user terminal and the control station after the mutual authentication wit the control station is successfully completed and the mutual authentication with the user terminal is successfully completed; and

a router unit configured to set up relay routes using the public access points and the user'"'"'s personal access points.

22. The access point apparatus of claim 21, wherein the router unit is also configured to count a frequency by which the user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than an owner of the user'"'"'s personal access point, such that the owner of the user'"'"'s personal access point will be charged according to a utilization level of the user'"'"'s personal access point based on the frequency by which the user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of the user'"'"'s personal access point.

23. The access point apparatus of claim 21, wherein the router unit controls a bandwidth inside the user'"'"'s personal access point or the control station by exchanging a bandwidth setting signal with the user terminal or the control station.

24. A method for operating a wireless communication system formed by a plurality of access points constituting a wireless network, through which user terminals make accesses, and at least one control station configured to control the access points, the method comprising the steps of:

systematically setting up public access points by a manager of the control station such that the public access points are included among the plurality of access points, and

accommodating user'"'"'s personal access points that are freely set up and connected to the wireless network by users at desired locations according to needs of users such that the user'"'"'s personal access points are included among the plurality of access points, by operating the control station to measure a utilization level of each user'"'"'s personal access point and charge an owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to a measured utilization level, and set up relay routes using the public access points and the user'"'"'s personal access points;

wherein at the accommodating step, the control station determines whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the another user'"'"'s personal access point or public access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at the accommodating step, the control station charges the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point by accounting for a frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein at the accomodatig step, the control station is operated to enable the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point and users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point to share a whole of a part of wireless resources of each user'"'"'s personal access point and a bandwidth of an access link between each user'"'"'s access point and the control station.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of operating the control station to control the bandwidth inside the control station or each user'"'"'s personal access point by exchanging a bandwidth setting signal with each user'"'"'s personal access point.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein at the accommodating step, the control station authenticates each user and a user'"'"'s personal access point set up by each user, and determines whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and an access point according to an authentication result.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at the accommodating step, the control station determines whether or not to permit a connection between a user terminal of each user and the user'"'"'s personal access point according to an authentication result obtained by carrying out a mutual authentication with the user'"'"'s personal access point, and carrying out a mutual authentication with the user terminal of each user through the user'"'"'s personal access point after a mutual authentication between the control station and the user'"'"'s personal access point is successfully completed and a mutual authentication between the user'"'"'s personal access point and the user terminal of each user is successfully completed.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

setting up service classes with respect to the users; and

operating the control station to control a connection priority level and a relay route communication quality according to a service class of each user.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein one control station is interconnected with a plurality of control stations and the method further comprises the step of carrying out inter-control station communications at each control station with other control stations.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein at the accommodating step, the control station is operated to give a benefit to the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point according to the frequency by which each user'"'"'s personal access point is utilized by users other than the owner of each user'"'"'s personal access point.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein at the accommodating step, the control station gives the benefit in a form of discounting a utilization fee of each user'"'"'s personal access point.