Authenticating a user's location in a femtocell-based network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9408025-B2
Application number	US-201114347394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2011
Priority date	Oct 11, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A method for authenticating a user's location in a femtocell-based network is disclosed. A user is associated to a femtocell connected to a connection point in the wireless network. An indication of the user's location is provided to a remote user. A characteristic of a connection between the femtocell and the connection point is monitored. The monitored characteristic is provided to the remote user to verify user's location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for authenticating a user's location in a femtocell-based network, comprising:
associating, by a processor of a service provider, the user to a femtocell connected to a connection point in the network;
providing, by the processor of the service provider, an indication of the user's location to a remote user;
monitoring, by the processor of the service provider, a characteristic of a connection between the femtocell and the connection point˜
wherein the connection comprises a traffic signature unique to the remote user, identifiable only by the remote user, and located in the connection between the femtocell and the connection point; and upon receiving a request from the remote user, providing the monitored characteristic from the service provider to the remote user to verify the user's location based on the traffic signature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is located within a range of the femtocell.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing an indication of the user's location to a remote user comprises communicating with the remote user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the remote user comprises engaging in a communication with the remote user selected from a group consisting of a voice call, a text message, an e-mail, and a data communication.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring a characteristic of a connection between the femtocell and the connection point comprises monitoring a bandwidth of the connection.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the monitored characteristic to the remote user.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a communication from the remote user after providing the monitored characteristic to the remote user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the communication is reflected in the monitored characteristic.

9. A method for authenticating a user's location in a femtocell-based network, comprising:
receiving at a remote user, from a service provider, an indication of a user's location associated with a femtocell connected to a connection point in the network;
upon receiving the indication of the user's location, accessing the service provider, by the remote user, to receive a monitored characteristic of a connection between the femtocell and the connection point;
engaging, by the remote user, in a communication with the user˜
wherein engaging comprises placing a traffic signature unique to the remote user and identifiable only by the remote user in the connection between the femtocell and the connection point; and
verifying, by the remote user, that the communication received from the user corresponds to the monitored characteristic received from the service provider to authenticate the user's location based on the traffic signature.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user is located within a range of the femtocell.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein engaging in a communication with the user includes engaging in a communication selected from a group consisting of a voice call, a text message, an e-mail, and a data communication.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring a characteristic of a connection between the femtocell and the connection point comprises monitoring a bandwidth of the connection.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring a characteristic of the connection comprises monitoring the characteristic in a display.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring a characteristic of the connection comprises verifying the traffic signature in the monitored characteristic.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising identifying the traffic signature in a packet sent to the user.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising employing a detection mechanism to authenticate the traffic signature in the monitored characteristic.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor of a service provider to: associate the user to a femtocell connected to a connection point in a network; provide, from the service provider to a remote user, an indication of the user's location; monitor a characteristic of a connection between a femtocell and a connection point˜
wherein the connection comprises a traffic signature unique to the remote user, identifiable only by the remote user, and located in the connection between the femtocell and the connection point;
receive a request for the monitored characteristic from the remote user; and
provide the monitored characteristic from the service provider to the remote user for verifying a user's location associated with the femtocell based on the traffic signature.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the monitored characteristic comprises a bandwidth of the connection between the femtocell and the connection point.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the request comprises a request for a web page.

20. The method of claim 9 , further comprising identifying the traffic signature in a packet header of a packet sent to the user by a unique code in a field of the packet header.

Assignees

• Brassil John T
• Haber Stuart
• Manadhata Pratyusa Kumar
• Netravali Ravi Arun
• Rao Prasad V
• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Brassil John T
• Haber Stuart
• Manadhata Pratyusa Kumar
• Netravali Ravi Arun
• Rao Prasad V

Classifications

• H04W4/043

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W12/10

  Integrity · CPC title

• H04W84/045

  using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B · CPC title