Femtocell base station for controlling communication according to specified criteria

• US 8,649,823 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carmon, Rafael, Shechter, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSARIO, NELSON M
• Application Number:
  US13/116,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20110294495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/405, 455/422.1, 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 455/561
• 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 in communication with a communication device, the femtocell base station 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, wherein the geographic characteristics comprise a distance from the femtocell base station to the communication device;

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

a managing module configured to;

designate a predefined range from the femtocell base station as a protected area,

manage a resource of the femtocell base station in relation to the classifications by the device module, the geographic module, the user priority module, and the predefined range, and

initiate a generation of a message to be sent from the femtocell base station to the communication device if the communication device is within the predefined range, wherein the message includes information notifying the communication device about a blocked incoming call.

2. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to block incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.

3. The femtocell base station of claim 2, wherein the managing module is further configured to block the incoming and outgoing calls within a specified portion of the predefined range during the time window.

4. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to prevent noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.

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

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

6. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the communication device is one of a plurality of communication devices in communication with the femtocell base station.

7. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to:

initiate a generation of a second message to be sent from the femtocell base station to the communication device, wherein the second message includes information requesting that the communication device switch to a quiet mode.

8. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to:

initiate a generation of a second message to be sent from the femtocell base station to an originator of the blocked incoming call, wherein the second message includes information notifying the originator that the communication device is unavailable to receive the blocked incoming call.

9. The femtocell base station of claim 8, wherein the second message further includes information requesting the originator to send an SMS message to the communication device.

10. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to:

accumulate a plurality of blocked incoming calls received during a time window; and

initiate the generation of the message after the time window has elapsed.

11. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the managing module is further configured to determine whether to block the incoming call based on the user specification.

12. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the predefined range is determined based on a power of the femotocell base station.

13. The femtocell base station of claim 1, wherein the predefined range is determined based on a transmission delay between the communications device and the femotocell base station.

14. A method of controlling communication within a specified area on a femtocell base station, comprising:

classifying a communication device in the specified area according to its hardware characteristics;

classifying the communication device according to geographic characteristics, wherein the geographic characteristics comprise a distance from the femtocell base station to the communication device;

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

designating a predefined range from the femtocell base station as a protected area;

managing a plurality of resources of the femtocell base station; and

initiating a generation of a message to be sent from the femtocell base station to the communication device if the communication device is within the predefined range, wherein the message includes information notifying the communication device about a blocked incoming call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

blocking incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

preventing noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

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

18. A femtocell base station in communication with a communication device, the femtocell base station 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, wherein the geographic characteristics comprise a distance from the femtocell base station to the communication device;

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

means for designating a predefined range from the femtocell base station as a protected area, wherein the predefined range is determined based on a power of the femotocell base station;

means for managing a resource of the femtocell base station; and

means for initiating a generation of a message to be sent from the femtocell base station to the communication device if the communication device is within the predefined range, wherein the message includes information notifying the communication device about a blocked incoming call.

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

means for blocking incoming and outgoing calls of the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.

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

means for preventing noise emitting calls and alerts from reaching the communication device within the predefined range during a specified time window.