Method and system for controlling access and utilization of femtocells via a network based service
View Patent ↗Aspects of a method and system for controlling access and utilization of femtocells via a network based service are provided. In this regard, a femtocell management entity communicatively coupled to a network and operable to manage one or more femtocells may be accessed via an end-user communication device. In this manner, the femtocell(s) may be managed via the end-user device such as one of the cellular enabled communication devices. The femtocell management entity may enable establishing one or more SLAs between the femtocell(s) and the cellular enabled communication device(s). The SLA(s) may enable the cellular enabled communication device(s) to establish one or more cellular communication channels with the femtocell(s). The SLA(s) may determine when the cellular communication channels may be established. The SLA(s) may determine how a femtocell owner/operator may be compensated for providing cellular service. The femtocell(s) may be accessed utilizing Internet Protocol.
1. A method for a cellular-enabled communication device to communicate via a femtocell, comprising:
receiving at a femtocell management entity from an owner/operator entity via a network, configuration information to control access to the femtocell that is one of a first plurality of femtocells in a first list of remotely-managed femtocells;
receiving at the femtocell management entity from the cellular-enabled communication device via the network, a connection-to-service request that includes attributes of a second plurality of femtocells to which connection is desired by the cellular-enabled communication device;
selecting, by the femtocell management entity, a third plurality of femtocells from among the first plurality of femtocells that match the attributes of the connection-to-service request, from the first list of remotely-managed femtocells;
transmitting, from the femtocell management entity, a second list of femtocells having a fourth plurality of femtocells selected from among the third plurality of femtocells that are within a particular distance of a current location of the cellular-enabled communication device; and
transmitting, from the femtocell management entity, information pertaining to the fourth plurality of femtocells, the information including details of a service level agreement (SLA), comprising a monetary cost for utilizing each of the fourth plurality of femtocells and time periods to establish cellular communication channels, that is agreed upon before the cellular-enabled communication device is permitted to utilize the femtocell in the second list of femtocells,
wherein the attributes include power consumption, a second monetary cost, bandwidth, latency, and security of resulting cellular communications with the femtocell.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network includes both a wired portion and a wireless portion.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, by the femtocell management entity for a location, the femtocell from among the fourth plurality of femtocells for the cellular-enabled communication device to establish cellular communication.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, by the femtocell management entity for a current location of the cellular-enabled communication device, femtocells from among the fourth plurality of femtocells for the cellular-enabled communication device to establish cellular communication.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, by the femtocell management entity, a usage history of the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.
6. The method of claim 1 , farther comprising:
providing storage and retrieval of information pertaining to the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling, by the femtocell management entity, establishment of the SLA between one of the fourth plurality of femtocells of the second list of femtocells and the cellular-enabled communication device.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing the femtocell management entity by an interface that utilizes mark-up language.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the femtocell management entity, a location of one of the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.
10. A femtocell management entity, comprising:
a receiver configured to:
receive from an owner/operator entity via a network, configuration information to control access to a femtocell that is one of a first plurality of femtocells in a first list of remotely-managed femtocells, and
receive from a cellular-enabled communication device via the network, a connection-to-service request that includes attributes of a second plurality of femtocells to which connection is desired by the cellular-enabled communication device;
a processor configured to select a third plurality of femtocells from among the first plurality of femtocells that match the attributes of the connection-to-service request, from the first list of remotely-managed femtocells; and
a transmitter configured to:
transmit a second list of femtocells having a fourth plurality of femtocells selected from among the third plurality of femtocells that are within a particular distance of a current location of the cellular-enabled communication device; and
transmit information pertaining to the fourth plurality of femtocells, the information including details of a service level agreement (SLA), comprising a monetary cost for utilizing each of the fourth plurality of femtocells and time periods to establish cellular communication channels, that is agreed upon before the cellular-enabled communication device is permitted to utilize the femtocell in the second list of femtocells,
wherein the attributes include power consumption, a second monetary cost, bandwidth, latency, and security of resulting cellular communications with the femtocell.
11. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the network includes both a wired portion and a wireless portion.
12. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to select, for a location, the femtocell from among the fourth plurality of femtocells for the cellular-enabled communication device to establish cellular communication.
13. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to select, for a current location of the cellular-enabled communication device, femtocells from among the fourth plurality of femtocells for the cellular-enabled communication device to establish cellular communication.
14. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a usage history of the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.
15. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide storage and retrieval of information pertaining to the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.
16. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable establishment of the SLA between one of the fourth plurality of femtocells of the second list of femtocells and the cellular-enabled communication device.
17. The femtocell management entity of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of one of the first plurality of femtocells in the first list of remotely-managed femtocells.