Controlling user equipments
View Patent ↗A system and method controls the use of user equipments within an access network configured to allow user equipments to access a communication system in an environment, wherein wireless access to the communication system is restricted. The system includes a detector network configured for receiving requests for wireless access from user equipments and for detecting such user equipments that seek to use the detector network for communication instead of an allowed access network.
1. A system comprising:
a detector network configured to receive requests for wireless access from a plurality of user equipments and to detect such user equipments that seek to use the detector network for communication instead of an allowed access network; and
a controller configured to determine signal strengths of different frequencies of available communication networks, each providing a plurality of access networks, to determine neighboring access networks for at least one of strongest access networks of each available communication network, and to select at least one common frequency for the neighboring access networks such that a first signal strength of the at least one frequency is relatively low compared to a second signal strength of the allowed access network.
2. An apparatus, comprising:
a controller configured to control a detector network covering at least partially an area of an allowed access network;
an analyzer configured to analyze requests for wireless access from a plurality of user equipments; and
a detector configured to detect such user equipments that seek to use the detector network for communication instead of the allowed access network,
wherein the controller is configured to determine signal strengths of different frequencies of available communication networks, each providing a plurality of access networks, to determine neighboring access networks for at least one of strongest access networks of each available communication network, and to select at least one common frequency for the neighboring access networks such that a first signal strength of the at least one frequency is relatively low compared to a second signal strength of the allowed access network.
3. A method comprising:
receiving requests for wireless access from a plurality of user equipments within a first access network configured to allow the plurality of user equipments to access a communication system in an environment wherein said wireless access to the communication system is restricted;
monitoring, by a detection network, for user equipments that are seeking for communication via another access network than the first access network based on wireless signals transmitted by the user equipments; and
determining signal strengths of different frequencies of available communication networks, each providing a plurality of access networks, determining neighboring access networks for at least one of strongest access networks of each available communication network, and selecting at least one common frequency for the neighboring access networks such that a first signal strength of the at least one frequency is relatively low compared to a second signal strength of the allowed access network.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising serving, by the first access network, such a set of said plurality of user equipments that are in a predefined mode of operation.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising offering, by the detector network, an option for said wireless access for another set of the plurality of user equipments in the first access network and a mode of operation that is other than the predefined mode of operation.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising offering, by the detector network, better radio characteristics for wireless communication than what is offered by the first access network.
7. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising offering, by the detector network, said wireless access for a user equipment through the detector network to a communication network to which said user equipment was connected to before the user equipment attached to the first access network.
8. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising determining an identity of a user equipment accessing the detector network.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said determining comprises determining the identity of the user equipment based on information from at least one of a subscriber data base and a passenger database.
10. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising directing a user equipment to seek for attachment with the first access network.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the user equipment, that the first access network needs to be selected.
12. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising controlling a user equipment through the first access network.
13. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising wireless communication between a user equipment and a wireless access system of an aircraft.
14. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, said program configured to control a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving requests for wireless access from a plurality of user equipments within a first access network configured to allow the plurality of user equipments to access a communication system in an environment wherein said wireless access to the communication system is restricted; and
monitoring, by a detection network, for user equipments that are seeking for communication via another access network that the first access network based on wireless signals transmitted by the user equipments; and
determining signal strengths of different frequencies of available communication networks, each providing a plurality of access networks, determining neighboring access networks for at least one of strongest access networks of each available communication network, and selecting at least one common frequency for the neighboring access networks such that a first signal strength of the at least one frequency is relatively low compared to a second signal strength of the allowed access network.
15. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the allowed access network is configured to serve only a set of said plurality of user equipments that are in a predefined mode of operation.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the detector network to provide a preferred option for said wireless access for another set of said plurality of user equipments that are in the allowed access network and in a mode of operation that is other than the predefined mode of operation.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the detector network to provide better radio characteristics than the allowed access network.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the detector network to offer said wireless access for a user equipment through the detector network to a communication network to which said user equipment was connected to before the user equipment entered the allowed access network.
19. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the allowed access network comprises an access network provided on an aircraft.
20. An apparatus, comprising:
controller means for controlling a detector network covering at least partially an area of an allowed access network;
analyzing means for analyzing requests for wireless access from a plurality of user equipments;
detecting means for detecting such user equipments that seek to use the detector network for communication instead of the allowed access network;
means for determining signal strengths of different frequencies of available communication networks, each providing a plurality of access networks;
means for determining neighboring access networks for at least one of strongest access networks of each available communication network; and
means for selecting at least one common frequency for the neighboring access networks such that a first signal strength of the at least one frequency is relatively low compared to a second signal strength of the allowed access network.