# US 8,787,251 B2 · Method and apparatus for provisioning of information in a cellular communication network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,251 B2 - Document ID: US8787251B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/487,717 - Filed: 2009-06-19 - Published: 2009-12-24 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-06-23 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.; ip.access Limited - Applicants: Joshua B. Littlefield; Anton Okmyanskiy; Archie Hensley; Edward Haynes; Ian McPherson; David Neil; Alan Whitehead - Inventors: Joshua B. Littlefield; Anton Okmyanskiy; Archie Hensley; Edward Haynes; Ian McPherson; David Neil; Alan Whitehead - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787251B2 ## CPC - H04W 12/086: using security domains - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04W 24/04: Arrangements for maintaining operational condition - H04L 2463/121: Timestamp - H04W 16/32: Hierarchical cell structures - H04W 84/045: {using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B} - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W 88/12: Access point controller devices - H04W 88/18: Service support devices; Network management devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A network management system for managing communications in a cellular communication network comprising an access point operably coupled to an access controller. The network management system comprises an access controller configuration logic module arranged to configure the access controller with configuration information. The network management system further comprises an access point configuration logic module arranged to configure the access point with configuration information comprising, at least in part, configuration information intended for the access controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: an access point configured to facilitate communication from a wireless subscriber communication unit to a cellular communication network, the access point comprising access point configuration logic arranged to configure the access point with access point configuration information, wherein the access point is a femto-cell wireless access point device; an access controller configured to control access to the cellular communication network, wherein the access controller is operably coupled to the access point, wherein the access controller comprises access controller configuration logic arranged to receive access controller configuration information from the access point and to configure the access controller with the access controller configuration information; wherein the access point configuration logic is arranged to configure the access point with access point configuration information comprising, at least in part, the access controller configuration information received by the access point intended for the access controller for configuration of the access controller to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, and further comprising a network management unit that is configured to generate a provisioning signature for at least a portion of the access controller configuration information to form signed information, and wherein the access controller logic is configured to determine whether the access controller configuration information has been modified based on received signed information received from the access point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the network management unit is configured to authenticate with the access controller by routing the signed information via the access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the network management unit is configured to generate the signed information comprising one or more information elements from a group of: (i) an access point serial number; (ii) an access point list of subscriber unit identifiers that are allowed access to a communication network via the access point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the network management unit is configured to generate the provisioning signature for substantially each entry in the access point list by performing at least one from a group of: (i) using one of at least one parameter name and at least one parameter value; (ii) concatenating two or more of: at least one parameter name and at least one parameter value; (iii) appending a signature timestamp. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the network management unit is configured to apply the provisioning signature to at least one from a group of: (i) all of the configuration information as a set; (ii) a subset of the whole configuration information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein network management unit is configured to generate at least a portion of the configuration information that is arranged to be used in configuring the access point as well as configuring the access controller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the network management unit is arranged to generate a new provisioning signature associated with the access controller configuration information together with a new timestamp at each reset of the access point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the access controller is configured to reject the configuration information provided by the access point upon at least one from a group of: (i) receipt of an incorrect provisioning signature; (ii) receipt of an unknown key identifier; (iii) an expired provisioning signature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the access controller is arranged to validate the provisioning signature prior to updating at least one configuration parameter of the access controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the access point configuration information comprises one or more from the group of: (i) a subset of the access controller configuration information; (ii) substantially all of the access controller configuration information as provided to the access controller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the access point is configured to forward the access controller configuration information to the access controller during connection setup of the access point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the access controller comprises memory arranged to store previous access controller configuration information and comparison logic arranged to determine whether a change in the configuration information has occurred based on a comparison of the previously stored configuration information with received configuration information from the access point. ### Claim 14 Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution and when executed operable to: receive at an access point operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device associated with a cellular communication network, configuration information intended for an access controller that controls access to the cellular communication network for configuration of the access controller; and configure the access point with configuration information comprising, at least in part, the configuration information received by the access point intended for configuration of the access controller to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An integrated circuit comprising the logic of claim 14. ### Claim 16 Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution and when executed operable to: receive access controller configuration information from a network management unit via an access point operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device, wherein the access controller configuration information comprises a provisioning signature for at least a portion of the access controller configuration information to create signed information such that the access controller can ultimately use the configuration information for access controller configuration; configure the access controller with the received access controller configuration information comprising the signed information to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point; and determine whether the access controller configuration information has been modified by the access point based on the received signed information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The logic of claim 16, wherein the logic that determines is configured to analyze the signed information to determine whether the access controller information has been modified, wherein the signed information comprises one or more information elements from a group of: (i) an access point serial number; (ii) an access point list of subscriber unit identifiers that are allowed access to a communication network via the access point. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The logic of claim 16, and further comprising logic arranged to reject the configuration information provided by the access point in response to at least one from a group of: (i) receipt of an incorrect provisioning signature; (ii) receipt of an unknown Key identifier; (iii) an expired provisioning signature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) An integrated circuit comprising the logic of claim 16. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: at an access point associated with a cellular communication network and operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device, receiving configuration information intended for an access controller to which the access point is operably coupled and that is ultimately used by the access controller for configuration of the access controller; and configuring the access point with configuration information comprising, at least in part, the configuration information received by the access point intended for configuration of the access controller to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point. ### Claim 21 A method comprising: receiving at an access controller that controls access to a cellular communication network, access controller configuration information from a network management unit via an access point operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device, wherein the access controller configuration information comprises a provisioning signature for at least a portion of the access controller configuration information to create signed information such that the access controller can ultimately use the configuration information for access controller configuration; configuring the access controller with the received access controller configuration information comprising the signed information to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point; and determining whether the access controller configuration information has been modified based on the received signed information. ### Claim 22 A non-transitory computer-readable storage element having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming signal processing logic to perform a method for configuring an access point operably coupled to an access controller, wherein the code is operable for at an access point to: receive configuration information intended for an access controller that is ultimately used by the access controller for configuration of the access controller, wherein the computer-readable storage element is characterized by code operable to: configure the access point operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device with configuration information comprising, at least in part, the configuration information received by the access point intended for the access controller for configuration of the access controller to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point. ### Claim 23 A non-transitory computer-readable storage element having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming signal processing logic to perform a method for facilitating communication from a wireless subscriber communication unit to a cellular communication network via an access point operably coupled to an access controller, wherein the code is operable for at an access controller to: receive access controller configuration information from a network management system via the access point operating as a femto-cell wireless access point device, wherein the access controller configuration information comprises a provisioning signature for at least a portion of the access controller configuration information to create signed information such that the access controller can ultimately use the configuration information for configuration of the access controller; configure the access controller with the received access controller configuration information comprising the signed information to provision the access controller to exchange communications with the access point; and determining whether the access controller configuration information has been modified by the access point based on the received signed information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage element of claim 23, wherein the computer readable storage element comprises at least one of: a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a Read Only Memory, ROM, a Programmable Read Only Memory, PROM, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, EPROM, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, EEPROM, and a Flash memory.