Base Station Access Right Enforcement via Network Element Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in efficiently managing access rights for user equipment in radio cells, particularly in femto cells, leading to security and confidentiality issues due to the need for synchronization among base stations and the risk of unauthorized access to private user identification information.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a base station receives an access right indication from a network element to enforce limited access rights for user equipment, allowing for controlled access based on defined rights such as time, volume, bandwidth, or priority, without storing private user information, thus enhancing security and confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a base station maintains a list of allowed user equipment identifications to enforce access rights, then access control capability is improved, but synchronization complexity and security risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the access right information from the base station's local storage and relocates it to the network element (core network). The base station no longer maintains the allowed user equipment list locally, but instead receives access right indications from the network element when needed. This extraction eliminates the synchronization complexity at the base station while preserving access control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a network element (core network) as an intermediary between the base station and user equipment for access control. The network element stores the allowed user equipment list and provides access right indications to the base station. This intermediary centralizes the access control data management, eliminating synchronization issues at the base station level.
2Reliability
If a base station stores private user identification information for access control, then access right enforcement is improved, but security and confidentiality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts private user identification information from the base station's storage and relocates it to the network element. The base station only temporarily holds access right indications during user equipment registration, not the actual private identification data. This extraction eliminates the security risk of unauthorized access to private user information while maintaining access control enforcement capability.
3Extent of automation
If access control is performed in the core network based on location area code, then centralized control is improved, but flexibility to allow limited access through base station is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the access control process into two parts: centralized authentication in the core network and localized access right enforcement at the base station. The core network performs initial authentication and grants access rights, then the base station independently enforces these rights using received access right indications. This segmentation provides both centralized control and local flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the network element provide access right indications to the base station before the user equipment needs to access the network. The base station receives and stores these indications in advance, enabling flexible local enforcement without real-time core network involvement for each access decision.
Data Source
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AI summary
Components of a cellular communication system and methods for operating components of a cellular communication system are disclosed, wherein an access right indication is sent from a network element (112) to a base station (108) which access right indication defines limited access rights of a user equipment (106) to access the radio access network (104) to which the base station (108) belongs. According to embodiments, the access right indication is an access right update updating already defined access rights of the user equipment (106) to access the radio access network (104).