Femto-cell Access Control for Privileged Terminal Priority

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Solution Overview

Problem

Femto-cells operating in open or community access modes face capacity saturation issues, leading to denied access for subscribers when the maximum number of connections is reached, resulting in underutilization of radio resources, with existing solutions like maintaining a permanent channel vacancy only using 75% of the cell's capacity.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for controlling access to a femto-cell that conserves a minimum amount of connection management resources, prioritizes privileged terminals by recognizing user identifiers, and forcibly interrupts non-privileged connections to ensure optimal capacity utilization, allowing privileged terminals to connect while maintaining sufficient resources for location updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a femto-cell operates in open or community access mode with maximum connection capacity, then the radio resource utilization is maximized, but privileged terminals cannot connect when the cell is saturated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradio resource utilizationVSAvoidprivileged terminal connection guarantee
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of privileged terminals before connection saturation occurs. When a privileged terminal attempts to connect, the femto-cell checks its privilege status in advance and proactively manages resource allocation, ensuring privileged terminals can connect by preemptively handling their connection requests before the cell becomes fully saturated with non-privileged terminals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connection capacity allocation is made dynamic rather than static. The femto-cell continuously monitors connection status and dynamically adjusts the number of available channels for non-privileged terminals based on whether privileged terminals need to connect. This dynamic management allows the system to maintain high overall utilization while guaranteeing capacity for privileged terminals when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a permanent channel is kept vacant for privileged terminals, then privileged terminal connection is guaranteed, but the femto-cell operates at only 75% capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivileged terminal connection guaranteeVSAvoidradio resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of maintaining a permanently vacant channel, the system dynamically allocates connection channels based on actual needs. When no privileged terminal needs connection, all channels are available to non-privileged terminals, achieving 100% utilization. When a privileged terminal needs to connect, the system then reserves appropriate capacity. This eliminates the permanent 25% capacity waste while maintaining connection guarantees.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameter from static channel reservation to dynamic channel allocation. The number of available channels for non-privileged terminals is adjusted as a variable parameter based on the connection status and privilege checks, rather than being fixed at a reduced level. This parameter change enables the system to achieve both high utilization and privileged terminal guarantees.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the femto-cell accepts all connection requests without priority management, then the access openness is maximized, but privileged terminals may be denied access during saturation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess opennessVSAvoidprivileged terminal access
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality levels of service to different terminal types locally. Non-privileged terminals receive standard access treatment maintaining openness, while privileged terminals receive preferential treatment with priority processing and guaranteed capacity allocation. This local differentiation in service quality allows the system to maintain overall access openness while ensuring privileged terminal access through targeted priority management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2252113B1System and method of managing access from a privileged mobile terminal to a femto-cell
Publication Date: 2012.04.25 SOC FR DU RADIOTELEPHONE SFR
  • EP2252113B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2252113B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2252113B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The system has a recognition device for recognizing a non-privileged terminal and integrating a memory unit containing a database with a recognized user identifier i.e. international mobile subscriber identity, in connection with a femto-cell. An interruption device interrupts connection between the femto-cell and the terminal whose communication is in progress on the femto-cell. A selection device selects the non-privileged terminal and integrates another memory unit containing a selection parameter for determining a section of the non-privileged terminal to withdraw the femto-cell. An independent claim is also included for a method for controlling access from a privileged mobile terminal to a femto-cell.