Enterprise Controller Picocell Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile communication infrastructure lacks efficient mechanisms to provide differentiated services to enterprise users within picocell deployments, limiting the ability to optimize traffic routing and resource allocation for authorized users.
Innovation Solution
The system manages radio access points by utilizing a policy database to identify and authorize enterprise users, enabling optimal routing of IP packets through an enterprise network instead of the macro service provider, and employing an enterprise controller to manage picocell deployments and communicate with the Home Node B Gateway and macro service provider.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If picocell access points are deployed to extend mobile communication capabilities in enterprise buildings, then coverage and service availability are improved, but the ability to provide differentiated services to authorized enterprise users versus general users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an enterprise controller as an intermediary component that sits between the picocell access points and the macro service provider network. This controller receives user equipment registration requests, queries a policy database to determine whether users are authorized enterprise users, and then routes traffic appropriately through IP address matching. This intermediary layer enables differentiated service delivery without requiring complex modifications to individual access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the enterprise controller continuously monitors user equipment registration requests, compares IP addresses against the policy database, and dynamically adjusts traffic routing decisions. The policy database provides feedback information about authorized enterprise users, enabling the controller to make real-time decisions about service differentiation and traffic routing.
2Productivity
If all user traffic is routed through the macro service provider network, then network management is simplified, but network efficiency and bandwidth availability for enterprise users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by enabling enterprise users to receive optimal routing services locally through the enterprise controller, while non-enterprise users continue to use standard macro network routing. The system recovers IP addresses from user equipment and compares them against enterprise IP address ranges stored in the policy database, creating differentiated service quality based on user identity and location without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The traffic routing mechanism is segmented into two distinct paths: one for enterprise users that routes traffic locally through the enterprise controller for optimal performance, and another for general users that continues to use the macro service provider network. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for enterprise productivity while maintaining simplicity for general service delivery.
3Reliability
If picocell equipment monitors and routes IP packets through enterprise network, then authorized users receive enhanced services, but processing overhead and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enterprise controller implements partial action by monitoring only the IP address field in user equipment registration requests and data traffic, rather than performing deep packet inspection of all traffic. The system recovers IP addresses from GTP messages and compares them against the policy database, providing sufficient authorization accuracy without the excessive processing overhead of examining entire packet contents.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing access class based picocell policy enforcement includes determining whether user equipment registered with a radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro telecommunications service provider and eligible for differentiated services, recovering an internet protocol (IP) address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment, confirming that the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment is within a predetermined range, determining whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro telecommunications service context, and when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, causing IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to an enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the radio access point.