WO2009075467A1

WO2009075467A1 - User management method and system based on identification information in femtocell

Info

Publication number: WO2009075467A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/005883
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong-Woon Kim; Jun Seob Lee; Sang Keun Yoo; Eunsook Kim; Byoung Nam Lee
Original assignee: Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute
Priority date: 2007-12-11
Filing date: 2008-10-07
Publication date: 2009-06-18

Abstract

Disclosed are a user management method and system based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell. The user management method includes receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal, determining whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell by using the received ID information, and permitting or rejecting, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal.

Description

USER MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM BASED ON IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION IN FEMTOCELL

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a user management method and system based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell, and more particularly, to a user management method and system based on ID information in a femtocell, which may restrict the use of mobile communication services through the femtocell in a femtocell mobile communication service environment by using a user ID and ID information.

[2] This work was supported by the IT R&D program of MIC/IITA. [2007-P10-07, USN

Networking and Application Technology Standards Development] Background Art

[3] Femtocell is a term combining a Femto denoting 1/10,000,000,000,000,000 and a cell denoting a service area unit covered by a single base station in mobile communication. The femtocell may denote services covering a area smaller than a service radius of the existing mobile communication, in which a single home acting as a mobile communication service unit and a femtocell base station are connected with a home wired Internet Protocol (IP) network, thereby enabling a cellular phone to use an environment capable of using wireless communication through the femtocell base station.

[4] Also, the femtocell may overcome dead spots of the mobile communication service, and may be advantageously utilized as an indoor communication infrastructure for wired/wireless convergence services.

[5] However, it is impossible for a radio wave reception distance of the femtocell base station to be completely limited to be only within a home in a femtocell mobile communication service environment, and thus the radio wave reception distance may inevitably extend to a neighbor. Accordingly, there arises a problem in that the mobile communication services may be used even by a neighbor's mobile communication terminal using the femtocell, which may be similar to problems incurred when a radio wave of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point (AP) installed in the home extends to the neighbor to thereby enable a neighbor's computer to access the WLAN AP.

[6] This may not be a problem when a user permits an external mobile communication terminal or computer to connect with the home installed-femtocell base station or the WLAN AP for the purpose using communication services, which otherwise may be a problem. Also, this may produce adverse effects on various charging policies of mobile communication service providers in the case of the femtocell mobile communication service, and therefore there is a need for preventing a non-authorized user from using the mobile communication services through the femtocell. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[7] An aspect of the present invention provides a user management method and system based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell, which may restrict a mobile communication terminal connectable with a femtocell base station in a femtocell mobile service environment based on a user ID and ID information, thereby permitting only a user previously authorized by a femtocell base station to use mobile services while preventing unspecific mobile communication terminal users from using the mobile services through the femtocell. Technical Solution

[8] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user management method based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell, the user management method including: receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal; determining whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell by using the received ID information; and permitting or rejecting, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal according to the validity/invalidity of the registration.

[9] In this instance, the user management method may further include accessing an external management system capable of controlling the femtocell, and receiving the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[10] Also, the user management method may further include accessing the external management system to provide the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal, and receiving a result obtained by determining whether the mobile communication services are available according to subscription of the femtocell mobile communication services.

[11] Also, the user management method may further include allowing the ID information to include at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[12] Also, the user management method may further include registering the mobile communication terminal for the purpose of using the mobile communication services through the femtocell.

[13] Also, the registering may include at least one of: receiving an input of the ID information through a Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID); receiving an input of the ID information through a smart card; providing a registration interface in the mobile communication terminal to receive an input of the ID information; and providing a registration interface capable of inputting the ID information in the femtocell base station to receive the ID information.

[14] Also, the user management method may further include at least one of: registering the mobile communication terminal in the external management system through the femtocell; and registering ID in the external management system by any one of a mobile communication service provider, manager, installation engineer, or operator of the femtocell using the ID information.

[15] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user management system based on ID information in a femtocell, the user management system including: an ID information receiving unit to receive ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal; a terminal registering unit to register the mobile communication terminal using the ID information of the mobile communication terminal; and a service use determining unit to determine whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell using the received ID information, and to permit or reject, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal according to the validity/invalidity of the registration.

[16] In this instance, the user management system may further include an external accessing unit to access an external management system capable of controlling the femtocell, and receive the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[17] Also, the external accessing unit may receive information for permitting or rejecting whether the femtocell mobile communication services are available to the mobile communication terminal, and the mobile communication services being determined based on the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[18] Also, the ID information may include at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[19] Also, the ID information receiving unit may perform at least one of: receiving the ID information through an RFID, receiving the ID information through a smart card, providing a registration interface in the mobile communication terminal to receive the ID information, or providing a registration interface capable of inputting the ID information in the femtocell to receive the ID information.

[20] Also, the terminal registering unit may control the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the external management system through the femtocell.

[21] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of an external management system of a femtocell, the control method including: receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal from a femtocell; determining whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information; and providing the mobile communication service through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result.

[22] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an external management system of a femtocell, the external management system including: an ID information receiving unit to receive ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal from a femtocell; a service registration determining unit to determine whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information; and a service providing unit to provide the mobile communication services through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result. Brief Description of the Drawings

[23] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network utilizing a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[24] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a user management system based on

Identification (ID) information according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[25] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a user registering method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[26] FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating a user authentication method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[27] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a user management method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Mode for the Invention

[28] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[29] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network utilizing a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The network adopting the femtocell according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention will be herein described in detail with reference to FIG. 1.

[30] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the network adopting the femtocell according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a home mobile communication terminal 110, a femtocell base station 120, an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modem 130, the Internet 140, and a mobile communication service network 150. Where the femtocell base station and ADSL model may be physically combined into a single communication device and this depends on implementations.

[31] When use of mobile communication services is requested from the mobile communication terminal 110, the femtocell 120 installed in a room passes through the Internet 140 using an existing ADSL 130 installed in a home to communicate with the mobile communication service network 150, that is, a mobile communication service provider network, thereby providing the mobile communication services to the home mobile communication terminal 110.

[32] The mobile communication service network transmits mobile communication data to the mobile communication terminal through the femtocell 120 and the Internet without passing through its mobile communication radio base station, and thus reducing costs required for mobile communication network building, reducing a Radio Frequency (RF) load, and allowing a user to use more economical mobile communication services.

[33] In this instance, the femtocell 120 may include a user management system based on

ID information.

[34] The mobile communication terminal 110 may be registered in the femtocell 120 for the purpose of using the mobile communication services through the femtocell 120.

[35] The femtocell 120 may receive ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal 110, and determine whether the mobile communication terminal 110 is registered in the femtocell 120 or an external management system (not shown) by using the received ID information. Then, the femtocell 120 may determine whether the mobile communication terminal 110 uses mobile communication services through the femtocell 120 according to the validity/invalidity of the registration, and thereby the mobile communication services through the femtocell 120 may be provided.

[36] Thus, only the mobile communication terminal 110 registered in the femtocell 120 may use the mobile communication services through the femtocell 120.

[37] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a user management system based on

Identification (ID) information according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The user management system based on ID information according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention will be herein described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[38] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the user management system according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention includes an ID information receiving unit 210, a terminal registering unit 220, a service use determining unit 230, and an external accessing unit 240. [39] The ID information receiving unit 210 receives ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal.

[40] In particular, the ID information receiving unit 210 may receive the ID information through an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or a smart card. Also, the ID information receiving unit 210 may receive the ID information by providing a registration interface to the mobile communication terminal or by implementing an interface on the femtocell base station.

[41] In this instance, the ID information may designate a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, or a user identity number of the mobile communication terminal recorded in a data recording medium (smart card) and the like built in the mobile communication terminal.

[42] The terminal registering unit 220 registers the mobile communication terminal using the ID information of the mobile communication terminal for the purpose of using mobile communication services.

[43] In this instance, the terminal registering unit 220 may control the mobile communication terminal to be registered in an external management system through the femtocell. Here, the external management system may denote a management system for mobile communication services existing in a mobile communication service network.

[44] The service use determining unit 230 determines whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell using the received ID information, and permits or rejects, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal according to the validity/invalidity of the registration.

[45] The external accessing unit 240 may access the external management system to receive the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal. Specifically, the external accessing unit 240 may access the external management system (or database of the external management system), and receive information associated with whether the mobile communication terminal intending to use mobile communication service through the femtocell is authorized.

[46] According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the ID information receiving unit 210, the terminal registering unit 220, and the service use determining unit 230 may be constructed to be positioned within the external management system of the mobile communication service, and thereby a user may be authorized to use the external management system through the external accessing unit 240 when the user uses the mobile communication services using a cellular phone.

[47] Also, the external management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may include an ID information receiving unit for receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal from a femtocell, a service registration determining unit for determining whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information, and a service providing unit for providing the mobile communication services through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result.

[48] Also, the external management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may further include a service registering unit for controlling the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the femtocell based on the ID information.

[49] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a user registering method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[50] The user registering method according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention will be herein described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[51] In operation S310, the user registering method may determine whether a femtocell manages a mobile communication terminal using mobile communication services through a femtocell, and thereby either the femtocell or a management system of the mobile communication service provider may register the mobile communication terminal.

[52] In the case where the femtocell handles registration of the mobile communication terminal, the user registering method may determine whether to provide a registration interface or to automatically register the mobile communication terminal in a wireless and contactless manner in operation S320. In the case where the management system handles registration of the mobile communication terminal in operation S315, various femtocell mobile communication service managers such as a femtocell mobile communication service, a manager, an installation engineer, an operator, and the like may register a user ID or ID information in the management system.

[53] Also, in operation S330, the user registering method may register the user ID or the

ID information in a radio by applying an RFID or contactless smart card technique to the mobile communication terminal. Also, the femtocell may provide an interface for registration of the user ID or ID information in operation S335, and the user registering method may directly register the user ID or ID information through the interface in operation S336.

[54] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a user authentication method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The user authentication method according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention will be herein described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[55] Since the method in which the femtocell authenticates a user attempting communication may be performed through the user ID or ID information, authenticated user ID or ID information may be first required to be registered in order to restrict the use of the femtocell mobile communication service.

[56] The user ID or ID information of a cellular phone may selectively adopt any one of a physical serial number of the cellular phone, a phone number of the cellular phone, a user identity number recorded somewhere in the cellular phone, and the like, which are ok as long as a subscriber identification is successfully carried out in response to a communication service request of the cellular phone by a femtocell base station.

[57] When registration and management of a service user is carried out in the femtocell in operation S410, the user ID or ID information is transmitted to the femtocell when the mobile communication terminal is about to use communication services, and thereby the femtocell may verify whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in operation S420.

[58] The subscriber may be permitted to continuously use the communication service in operation S440 in a case of the subscriber previously registered after undergoing a user authentication process S430, and then the communication service request may be rejected when the subscriber is not registered.

[59] When a management system of a mobile communication service provider may carry out the registration and management with respect to the user ID or ID information while the femtocell does not carry out the registration and management with respect to the mobile communication terminal using the mobile communication service through the femtocell, the user ID or ID information may be transmitted to the management system when the mobile communication terminal is about to use the communication service, and whether the mobile communication terminal is registered is determined in operation S425. In a case of the mobile communication terminal registered in the femtocell, the use of the communication service may be permitted to thereby transmit a permitting response to the femtocell in operation S440. Also, in a case of the mobile communication terminal not registered in the femtocell, a non-permitting response may be transmitted to the femtocell base station in operation S445, thereby controlling the use of the femtocell mobile communication service.

[60] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a user management method based on ID information in a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The user management method according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention will be herein described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

[61] For using the mobile communication service through the femtocell, in operation

S510, the mobile communication terminal may be registered in the femtocell. In this instance, the ID information may be received through an RFID or a smart card, or a registration interface may be provided to the mobile communication terminal to thereby directly receive the ID information. Also, a registration interface capable of inputting the ID information on the femtocell may be directly provided to the mobile communication terminal to thereby receive the ID information.

[62] Also, the mobile communication terminal may be constructed to be registered in the external management system through the femtocell instead of being registered in the femtocell.

[63] Then, ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal may be received in operation S520, and whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell may be determined using the received ID information in operation S530. In this instance, the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal may be received by accessing the external management system, and the ID information may include at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[64] Also, the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal may be provided by accessing the external management system, whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to the mobile communication services through the femtocell may be determined, and a result obtained by determining whether the mobile communication service is available may be received.

[65] Then, according to the validity/invalidity of the registration, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal may be permitted or rejected by the femtocell. In this instance, only the user previously registering in the femtocell may be permitted to use the communication service, and an external user terminal not registering in the femtocell may be prevented from using the communication service.

[66] Meanwhile, a control method of an external management system of a femtocell according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may receive the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal from the femtocell, determine whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information, and provide the mobile communication service through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result.

[67] Also, the control method of the external management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may control the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the femtocell based on the ID information.

[68] As described above, there is provided the user management method and system based on ID information in a femtocell, which may restrict a mobile communication terminal connectable with a femtocell base station in a femtocell mobile service environment based on a user ID and ID information, thereby permitting only a user previously authorized by a femtocell base station to use mobile services while preventing unspecific mobile communication terminal users from using the mobile services through the femtocell. [69] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

[1] A user management method based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell, the user management method comprising: receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal; determining whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell by using the received ID information; and permitting or rejecting, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal according to the validity/invalidity of the registration.

[2] The user management method of claim 1, further comprising: accessing an external management system capable of controlling the femtocell depending on whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell, and receiving the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[3] The user management method of claim 2, further comprising: accessing the external management system to provide the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal, and receiving a result obtained by determining whether the mobile communication services are available according to subscription of the femtocell mobile communication services.

[4] The user management method of claim 1, further comprising: allowing the ID information to include at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[5] The user management method of claim 1, further comprising: registering the mobile communication terminal for the purpose of using the mobile communication services through the femtocell.

[6] The user management method of claim 5, wherein the registering includes at least one of: receiving an input of the ID information through a Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID); receiving an input of the ID information through a smart card; providing a registration interface in the mobile communication terminal to receive an input of the ID information; and providing a registration interface capable of inputting the ID information in the femtocell to receive the ID information.

[7] The user management method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: registering the mobile communication terminal in the external management system through the femtocell; and registering ID in the external management system by any one of a mobile communication service provider, manager, installation engineer, or operator of the femtocell using the ID information.

[8] A user management system based on identification (ID) information in a femtocell, the user management system comprising: an ID information receiving unit to receive ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal; a terminal registering unit to register the mobile communication terminal using the ID information of the mobile communication terminal for the purpose of using mobile communication services; and a service use determining unit to determine whether the mobile communication terminal is registered in the femtocell using the received ID information, and to permit or reject, by the femtocell, the use of mobile communication services of the mobile communication terminal according to the validity/invalidity of the registration.

[9] The user management system of claim 8, further comprising: an external accessing unit to access an external management system capable of controlling the femtocell, and receive the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[10] The user management system of claim 9, wherein the external accessing unit receives information for permitting or rejecting whether the mobile communication services are available, and the mobile communication services are determined based on the ID information associated with the mobile communication terminal.

[11] The user management system of claim 8, wherein the ID information includes at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[12] The user management system of claim 8, wherein the ID information receiving unit performs at least one of: receiving the ID information through a RFID, receiving the ID information through a smart card, providing a registration interface to the mobile communication terminal to receive the ID information, or providing a registration interface capable of inputting the ID information in the femtocell to receive the ID information.

[13] The user management system of claim 8, wherein the terminal registering unit controls the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the external management system through the femtocell.

[14] A control method of an external management system of a femtocell, the control method comprising: receiving ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal from a femtocell; determining whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information; and providing the mobile communication service through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result.

[15] The control method of claim 14, wherein the ID information includes at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[16] The control method of claim 14, further comprising: controlling the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the femtocell based on the ID information.

[17] An external management system of a femtocell, the external management system comprising: an ID information receiving unit to receive ID information associated with a mobile communication terminal from a femtocell; a service registration determining unit to determine whether the mobile communication terminal is subscribed to mobile communication services through the femtocell based on the received ID information; and a service providing unit to provide the mobile communication services through the femtocell to the mobile communication terminal based on the determined result.

[18] The external management system of claim 17, wherein the ID information includes at least one of a serial number of the mobile communication terminal, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal, and a subscriber identity number stored in the mobile communication terminal.

[19] The external management system of claim 17, further comprising a service registering unit to control the mobile communication terminal to be registered in the femtocell based on the ID information.