Determining if an access terminal is authorized to use an access point
View Patent ↗A wireless access point is capable of communicating with an access terminal. The wireless access point executes instructions for receiving a first parameter from the access terminal in an attempt by the access terminal to register with the wireless access point for first service, for using the first parameter to update a failed list if the access terminal is not permitted to register with the wireless access point, for receiving a second parameter from the access terminal in an attempt by the access terminal to register with the wireless access point for second service, and for using the second parameter and the failed list to determine if the access terminal is authorized to use the wireless access point for second service.
1. A method, performed on a wireless access point that is configured to communicate with an access terminal at least some of the time, the access terminal having a hardware identifier, and the access terminal comprising a user-specific card that has a card identifier, the method comprising:
receiving the card identifier and the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using a first protocol;
adding the card identifier and the hardware identifier to a failed list, the failed list indicating that the access terminal is not authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;
receiving the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol, wherein a process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol comprises establishing one or more service paths;
determining whether the hardware identifier is on the failed list; and
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, discontinuing the process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol before establishing the one or more service paths and before determining, based on the card identifier, whether the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, redirecting the access terminal to a macro access point.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein entries in the failed list include corresponding timers, the timers for determining when corresponding entries in the failed list expire.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein, when an entry in the failed list expires, the method further comprises deleting the entry that has expired.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protocol is the 1XRTT protocol, and wherein the second protocol is the EV-DO protocol.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol, the method further comprises removing, from the failed list, any entry having a hardware identifier that corresponds to the card identifier.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the hardware identifier and the card identifier to the failed list comprises:
determining if the card identifier is already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is already in the failed list:
determining if a hardware identifier in the failed list corresponds to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal;
if the hardware identifier in the failed list does not correspond to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal, substituting the hardware identifier received from the access terminal for the hardware identifier already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is not already in the failed list:
determining if the failed list is full;
if the failed list is full, deleting an entry in the failed list and substituting therefor an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier; and
if the failed list is not full, creating an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier, and including the created entry in the failed list.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is a femtocell, and the access terminal is a dual-mode wireless service device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hardware identifier received at the wireless access point comprises a hashed value corresponding to a lower-digit identifier on the access terminal.
10. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media storing instructions that are executable on a wireless access point that is configured to communicate with an access terminal at least part of the time, the access terminal having a hardware identifier, and the access terminal comprising a user-specific card that has a card identifier, the instructions being executable by the wireless access point to perform operations comprising:
receiving the card identifier and the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using a first protocol;
adding the card identifier and the hardware identifier to a failed list, the failed list indicating that the access terminal is not authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;
receiving the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol, wherein a process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol comprises establishing one or more service paths;
determining whether the hardware identifier is on the failed list; and
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, discontinuing the process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol before establishing the one or more service paths and before determining, based on the card identifier, whether the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol.
11. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, redirecting the access terminal to a macro access point.
12. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein entries in the failed list include corresponding timers, the timers for determining when corresponding entries in the failed list expire.
13. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 12 , wherein, when an entry in the failed list expires, the operations further comprise deleting the entry that has expired.
14. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the first protocol is the 1XRTT protocol, and wherein the second protocol is the EV-DO protocol.
15. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein, if the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol, the operations further comprise removing, from the failed list, any entry having a hardware identifier that corresponds to the card identifier.
16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein adding the hardware identifier and the card identifier to the failed list comprises:
determining if the card identifier is already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is already in the failed list:
determining if a hardware identifier in the failed list corresponds to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal;
if the hardware identifier in the failed list does not correspond to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal, substituting the hardware identifier received from the access terminal for the hardware identifier already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is not already in the failed list:
determining if the failed list is full;
if the failed list is full, deleting an entry in the failed list and substituting therefor an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier; and
if the failed list is not full, creating an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier, and including the created entry in the failed list.
17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the wireless access point is a femtocell, and the access terminal is a dual-mode wireless service device.
18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the hardware identifier received at the wireless access point comprises a hashed value corresponding to a lower-digit identifier on the access terminal.
19. A wireless access point that is configured to communicate with an access terminal at least part of the time, the access terminal having a hardware identifier, and the access terminal comprising a user-specific card that has a card identifier, the wireless access point comprising:
memory storing instructions that are executable; and
one or more processing devices to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving the card identifier and the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using a first protocol;
adding the card identifier and the hardware identifier to a failed list, the failed list indicating that the access terminal is not authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;
receiving the hardware identifier from the access terminal as part of an attempt by the access terminal to register for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol, wherein a process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol comprises establishing one or more service paths;
determining whether the hardware identifier is on the failed list; and
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, discontinuing the process for registering for service with the wireless access point using the second protocol before establishing the one or more service paths and before determining, based on the card identifier, whether the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol.
20. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
if the hardware identifier is on the failed list, redirecting the access terminal to a macro access point.
21. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein entries in the failed list include corresponding timers, the timers for determining when corresponding entries in the failed list expire.
22. The wireless access point of claim 21 , wherein, when an entry in the failed list expires, the operations further comprise deleting the entry that has expired.
23. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein the first protocol is the 1XRTT protocol, and wherein the second protocol is the EV-DO protocol.
24. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein, if the access terminal is authorized to communicate with the wireless access point using the second protocol, the operations further comprise removing, from the failed list, any entry having a hardware identifier that corresponds to the card identifier.
25. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein adding the hardware identifier and the card identifier to the failed list comprises:
determining if the card identifier is already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is already in the failed list:
determining if a hardware identifier in the failed list corresponds to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal;
if the hardware identifier in the failed list does not correspond to the hardware identifier received from the access terminal, substituting the hardware identifier received from the access terminal for the hardware identifier already in the failed list;
if the card identifier is not already in the failed list:
determining if the failed list is full;
if the failed list is full, deleting an entry in the failed list and substituting therefor an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier; and
if the failed list is not full, creating an entry comprised of the card identifier and the hardware identifier, and including the created entry in the failed list.
26. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein the wireless access point is a femtocell, and the access terminal is a dual-mode wireless service device.
27. The wireless access point of claim 19 , wherein the hardware identifier received at the wireless access point comprises a hashed value corresponding to a lower-digit identifier on the access terminal.