Distributed mobile access point acquisition

A Femto base station (BS) configured to facilitate remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

• a receiver that obtains data identifying a user terminal (UT);
• a communication processor that employs the data to determine access capabilities of the UT that are indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate;
• a system determination list (SDL) provisioning module that generates a custom SDL for the UT comprising a preferred access point with an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and determined based at least in part on the access capabilities, wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT;
• and
• a CSG employed to allow or deny network access to the UT,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

An apparatus for facilitating remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

• means for obtaining access capabilities of a user terminal (UT) from UT ID data, wherein the access capabilities of the UT are indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate;
• means for generating a custom system determination list (SDL) for the UT comprising a preferred access point with an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and determined based at least in part on the access capabilities, wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT;
• and
• means for allowing or denying network access to the UT,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A processor configured to facilitate remote access to a mobile network, comprising:

• a first module that obtains data identifying a user terminal (UT);
• a second module that employs the data to determine access capabilities of the UT that are indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate;
• a third module that generates a custom system determination list (SDL) for the UT comprising a preferred access point with an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and determined at least in part based on the access capabilities, wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT;
• and
• a fourth module that allows or denies network access to the UT,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the program code comprising:

• a first set of codes for causing a computer to obtain data identifying a user terminal (UT);
• a second set of codes for causing the computer to employ the data to determine access capabilities of the UT that are indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate;
• a third set of codes for causing the computer to generate a custom system determination list (SDL) for the UT comprising a preferred access point with an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and determined based at least in part on the access capabilities, wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT;
• and
• a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to allow or deny network access to the UT,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A method of selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

• obtaining user terminal (UT) data from memory or user input;
• providing the UT data to a network access point;
• and
• obtaining a custom system determination list (SDL) specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, wherein the preferred access point has an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT for wireless communication,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A user terminal (UT) configured for accessing a mobile network, comprising:

• a processor that obtains UT data from memory or user input;
• a transmitter that provides the UT data to a network access point;
• and
• a base station re-selection module that obtains a custom system determination list (SDL) specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, wherein the preferred access point has an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and
• wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT for wireless communication,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A user terminal (UT) configured for selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

• means for obtaining a bootstrap system determination list (SDL);
• means for coupling to an access point via a bootstrap channel of an access point that is specified in the bootstrap SDL, wherein the bootstrap channel is a provisioning channel that is used by the access point to provide information to UTs while the UTs are not camped on the access point;
• and
• means for obtaining a custom SDL from the access point over the bootstrap channel, wherein the custom SDL specifies at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT,
• wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, and
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the custom SDL specifies the at least one preferred mobile network access point as at least one Femto cell if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the custom SDL specifies the at least one preferred mobile network access point as at least one macro cell if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the custom SDL specifies the at least one preferred mobile network access point as the at least one macro cell irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A processor configured for selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

• a first module that obtains UT data from memory or user input;
• a second module that provides the UT data to a network access point;
• and
• a third module that obtains a custom system determination list (SDL) specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, wherein the preferred access point has an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT for wireless communication,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the program code comprising:

• a first set of codes for causing a computer to obtain user terminal (UT) data from memory or user input;
• a second set of codes for causing the computer to provide the UT data to a network access point;
• and
• a third set of codes for causing the computer to obtain a custom system determination list (SDL) specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, wherein the preferred access point has an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT for wireless communication,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating
• in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.

An apparatus configured for selective access to a mobile network, comprising:

• means for obtaining user terminal (UT) data from memory or user input;
• means for providing the UT data to a network access point;
• and
• means for obtaining a custom system determination list (SDL) specifying at least one preferred mobile network access point based on an access capability of the UT, wherein the access capability of the UT is indicative of one or more of (i) a first set of access point types to which the UT is configured to communicate, and (ii) a second set of access point types to which the UT is not configured to communicate, wherein the preferred access point has an access point type that belongs to the first set of access point types and wherein the custom SDL facilitates preferential selection of the preferred access point by the UT for wireless communication,
• wherein:
• if the first set of access point types includes Femto cells and macro cells, the Femto cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is operating in a home geographic area (GEO), and the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL if the UT is not operating in the home GEO, or
• if the first set of access point types includes the macro cells and the second set of access point types includes the Femto cells, the macro cells are the preferred type of access point in the SDL irrespective of whether the UT is operating in the home GEO.