Methods and apparatus for providing selective access to wireless network resources using detailed information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10117069-B2
Application number	US-201615148128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2009
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing enhanced access options for wireless access points (e.g., cellular femtocells). These access options in one embodiment include various grades or levels of private and public access to available femtocell services. Each service may be separately assigned a various access type, such that a femtocell may service multiple users both within the “closed” group authorized by the femtocell white list, and non-members. In one variant, a femtocell broadcasts enhanced system information to all terminals (regardless of member/non-member status) such that a non-CSG (Closed Subscriber Group) member terminal or UE is capable of obtaining partial service access within the femtocell. Broadcast multimedia or other services can be delivered to both CSG members and non-members, advantageously without having to establish a dedicated connection for the non-member users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at a user terminal that is connected to a public cellular network via a dedicated connection to a base station;
receiving an indication of a plurality of services offered by a femtocell of a private network, wherein;
the private network comprises a group of user terminals approved for access to the femtocell; and
the user terminal is not a member of the private network; and

receiving, from the femtocell, at least one service from the plurality of services offered by the femtocell, wherein the dedicated connection between the user terminal and the base station is maintained and a connection to the femtocell is not established during the receiving of the at least one service from the femtocell and wherein the receiving the at least one service improves at least one aspect of service quality for the user terminal over that when the services are provided by the base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises cellular device battery duration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises wireless link quality.

4. The method of claim 1 , the femtocell comprises a Home evolved Node B (HeNB).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user terminal receives the selected services simultaneously with a further user terminal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the further user terminal is part of a private group approved for access to the femtocell.

7. A user terminal comprising:
a transceiver configured to establish a dedicated connection to a base station; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive an indication of a plurality of services offered by a femtocell of a private network, wherein;
the private network comprises a group of user terminals approved for access to the femtocell; and
the user terminal is not a member of the private network; and

receive, from the femtocell, at least one service from the plurality of services offered by the femtocell, wherein the dedicated connection between the user terminal and the base station is maintained and a connection to the femtocell is not established during the receiving of the at least one service from the femtocell and wherein the receiving the at least one service improves at least one aspect of service quality for the user terminal over that when the services are provided by the base station.

8. The user terminal of claim 7 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises cellular device battery duration.

9. The user terminal of claim 7 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises wireless link quality.

10. The user terminal of claim 7 , wherein the femtocell comprises a Home evolved Node B (HeNB).

11. The user terminal of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving the selective services simultaneously with a further user terminal without placing undue additional burden on the femtocell.

12. The user terminal of claim 11 , wherein the further user terminal is part of the private group approved for access to the femtocell.

13. An integrated circuit included in a user terminal that has established a dedicated connection with a base station, comprising:
circuitry to determine a plurality of services offered by a femtocell of a private network, wherein,
the private network comprises a group of user terminals approved for access to the femtocell and the user terminal is not a member of the private network; and

circuitry to receive, from the femtocell, at least one service from the plurality of services offered by the femtocell, wherein the dedicated connection between the user terminal and the base station is maintained and a connection to the femtocell is not established during the receiving of the at least one service from the femtocell and wherein the receiving the selected services improves at least one aspect of service quality for the user terminal over that when the services are provided by the base station.

14. The user terminal of claim 13 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises cellular device battery duration.

15. The user terminal of claim 13 , wherein the at least one aspect of service quality comprises wireless link quality.

16. The user terminal of claim 13 , wherein the femtocell comprises a Home evolved Node B (HeNB).

17. The user terminal of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving the selective services simultaneously with a further user terminal without placing undue additional burden on the femtocell.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Schmidt Andreas
• Hans Martin
• Bienas Maik

Classifications

• Y02D70/1244

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W4/06 Primary

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title

• Y02D70/146

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D70/1246

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic