# US 11,445,466 B2 · Base station configured to provide distance filtering > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,466 B2 - Document ID: US11445466B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/969,820 - Filed: 2019-02-07 - Published: 2020-11-26 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-23 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Fabian Wiacek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445466B2 ## CPC - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - H04W 64/003: {locating network equipment} - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 28/084: among network function virtualisation [NFV] entities; among edge computing entities, e.g. multi-access edge computing - H04W 74/0833: Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A base station may be configured to support distance filtering. When the distance filtering is on, a base station may, when it receives a service request from a device, determine from timing information in the service request at least a distance to the device, then determine a filtering sub-area for the device based on the distance; and to apply one or more filtering rules defined for the filtering sub-area to determine how to process the service request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: detect that a distance filtering is on; determine, from timing information in a service request received from a device, at least a distance to the device; identify a filtering sub-area for the device based on the distance, wherein the filtering sub-area is associated with one or more filtering rules; and apply the one or more filtering rules associated with the filtering sub-area to determine how to process the service request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service request is a random access channel preamble and the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine at least the distance to determine the distance based on guard time in the service request, or based on timing advance information calculated based on the random access channel preamble. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one memory and computer program code further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: detect one or more areas with an extensive demand on resources; set the distance filtering on in response to detecting an area with an extensive demand; and indicate for each area with an extensive demand a minimum range and a maximum range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to detect one or more areas with an extensive demand on resources to be responsive to one or more of the following: detecting that demand for radio resources exceeds a threshold for capacity, detecting that number of service requests received from a relative small area exceeds a corresponding threshold, detecting a jamming device attack, detecting that a base station providing a smaller cell that is at least partly within a coverage area associated with the apparatus is out of order. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one memory and computer program code further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive filtering sub-area configurations including filtering sub-area definitions for one or more layers and one or more rules to apply. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the filtering sub-area configurations are for preventive coverage deployment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the preventive coverage deployment is for interoperability between GSM and/or LTE and/or 5G. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one memory and computer program code further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to set the distance filtering on in response to receiving corresponding instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one memory and computer program code further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine, in response to an indication of a filtering sub-area with an extensive demand on resources that the rule to apply for the filtering sub-area is not to send a response to the response request. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more filtering rules comprise filtering sub-area-specific logical values and the apparatus is configured to multiply an input message received from the device using the logical value of the determined filtering sub-area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one or more memories for storing two or more filtering rules and information on which one of the filtering rules to apply to a filtering sub-area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one memory and computer program code further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to collect statistical data on service request filtering sub-area-specifically. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is comprised in an (e/g)NodeB base station. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: detecting that a distance filtering is on; determining from timing information in a service request received from a device at least a distance to the device; identifying a filtering sub-area for the device based on the distance, wherein the filtering sub-area is associated with one or more filtering rules; and applying the one or more filtering rules associated with the filtering sub-area to determine how to process the service request. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the service request is a random access channel preamble and the method further comprises determining the distance based on guard time in the service request, or based on timing advance information calculated based on the random access channel preamble decoding. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: detecting one or more areas with an extensive demand on resources; setting the distance filtering on in response to detecting an area with an extensive demand; and indicating for each area with an extensive demand a minimum range and a maximum range. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein detecting one or more areas with an extensive demand on resources are to be responsive to one or more of the following: detecting that demand for radio resources exceeds a threshold for capacity, detecting that number of service requests received from a relative small area exceeds a corresponding threshold, detecting a jamming device attack, detecting that a base station providing smaller cell that is at least partly within a coverage area is out of order. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving filtering sub-area configurations including filtering sub-area definitions for one or more layers and one or more rules to apply. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering sub-area configurations are for preventive coverage deployment. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for performing, in response to a distance filtering being on, at least the following: determining from timing information in a service request received from a device at least a distance to the device; identifying a filtering sub-area for the device based on the distance, wherein the filtering sub-area is associated with one or more filtering rules; and applying the one or more filtering rules associated with the filtering sub-area to determine how to process the service request. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions for performing, when the service request is a random access channel preamble, determining the distance based on guard time in the service request, or based on timing advance information calculated based on the random access channel preamble.