# US 9,002,356 B2 · Access mode-based access control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,002,356 B2 - Document ID: US9002356B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/771,706 - Filed: 2010-04-30 - Published: 2010-11-04 - Granted: 2015-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-04 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Gavin Bernard Horn; Parag Arun Agashe; Rajarshi Gupta; Rajat Prakash - Inventors: Gavin Bernard Horn; Parag Arun Agashe; Rajarshi Gupta; Rajat Prakash - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9002356B2 ## CPC - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 36/0038: {of security context information} - H04W 36/08: Reselecting an access point - H04W 8/20: Transfer of user or subscriber data - H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Access control for an access point (e.g., a cell of the access point) may be based on an access mode associated with the access point. For example, depending on the access mode, access control may involve performing a membership check for the access point. Such a membership check may be performed at a network entity, a source access point, or some other suitable location in a network. In some aspects, access control may involve performing a membership check for an access point in conjunction with a context fetch procedure. Such a procedure may be performed, for example, when an access terminal arrives at the access point after experiencing RLF at another access point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of communication, comprising: receiving, at a network entity of a communication system configured to provide wireless communication service to one or more access terminals, a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell; determining, by the network entity, whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals; determining, by the network entity, whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal; and sending, by the network entity, a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a subscriber group identifier, wherein the determination of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group comprises determining whether the subscriber group list includes the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier in the first handover message. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier from the cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second handover message includes the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first handover message is received from an access point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether to include the indication in the second handover message based on the access mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode in the first handover message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode from the cell. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first handover message comprises a handover required message; and the second handover message comprises a handover request message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first handover message comprises a relocation required message; and the second handover message comprises a relocation request message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity is a mobility management entity. ### Claim 13 A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising: a receiver of the network entity configured to receive a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell; an access controller of the network entity coupled to the receiver to obtain information contained in the first handover message and configured to determine whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal, and further configured to determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals; and a transmitter of the network entity configured to send a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The network entity of claim 13, wherein the access controller is further configured to: determine whether to include the indication in the in the second handover message based on the access mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The network entity of claim 13, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode in the first handover message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The network entity of claim 13, wherein the second handover message includes an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 17 A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising: means for receiving, at the network entity, a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell; means for determining, at the network entity, whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal, wherein the means for determining is coupled to the means for receiving to obtain information contained in the first handover message, and wherein the means for determining is further configured to determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals; and means for sending, by the network entity, a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The network entity of claim 17, further comprising: means for determining whether to include the indication in the second handover message based on the access mode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The network entity of claim 17, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode in the first handover message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The network entity apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second handover message includes an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 21 A non-transitory computer-program product, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer at a network entity of a wireless communication system to: receive a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell; determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals; determine whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal and on information received in the first handover message; and send a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to: determine whether to include the indication in the message based on the access mode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode in the first handover message. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the second handover message includes an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 25 A method of communication, comprising: determining, by a network entity of a communication system configured to provide wireless communication services to one or more access terminals, an access mode of a cell, wherein the access mode indicates whether the cell is a hybrid cell that provides a different level of service for member access terminals than is provided for non-member access terminals, a closed cell that does not provide service to non-member access terminals, or neither a hybrid cell nor a closed cell; and sending, by the network entity, a message to initiate handover of an access terminal to the cell, wherein the message comprises an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode from the access terminal. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises determining the access mode based on a physical cell identifier of the cell. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises determining the access mode based on a cell global identifier of the cell. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises obtaining an indication of the access mode via at least one of the group consisting of: neighbor relations, configuration by an operations, administration, and maintenance network entity, and direct transfer. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising determining a subscriber group identifier associated with the cell, wherein the message further comprises the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier from the access terminal. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises obtaining the subscriber group identifier via at least one of the group consisting of: neighbor relations, configuration by an operations, administration, and maintenance network entity, and direct transfer. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the message comprises a handover required message. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the message comprises a relocation required message. ### Claim 35 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the message is sent by an access point. ### Claim 36 A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising: an access controller of the network entity configured to determine an access mode of a cell, wherein the access mode indicates whether the cell is a hybrid cell that provides a different level of service for member access terminals than is provided for non-member access terminals, a closed cell that does not provide service to non-member access terminals, or neither a hybrid cell nor a closed cell; and a transmitter of the network entity configured to send a message to initiate handover of an access terminal to the cell, wherein the message comprises an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The network entity of claim 36, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode from the access terminal. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The network entity of claim 36, wherein: the access controller is further configured to determine a subscriber group identifier associated with the cell; and the message further comprises the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The network entity of claim 38, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier from the access terminal. ### Claim 40 A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising: means for determining, by the network entity, an access mode of a cell, wherein the access mode indicates whether the cell is a hybrid cell that provides a different level of service for member access terminals than is provided for non-member access terminals, a closed cell that does not provide service to non-member access terminals, or neither a hybrid cell nor a closed cell; and means for sending, by the network entity, a message to initiate handover of an access terminal to the cell, wherein the message comprises an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The network entity of claim 40, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode from the access terminal. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The network entity of claim 40, further comprising means for determining a subscriber group identifier associated with the cell, wherein the message further comprises the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The network entity of claim 42, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier from the access terminal. ### Claim 44 A non-transitory computer-program product, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer of a network entity of a wireless communication system to: determine an access mode of a cell, wherein the access mode indicates whether the cell is a hybrid cell that provides a different level of service for member access terminals than is provided for non-member access terminals, a closed cell that does not provide service to non-member access terminals, or neither a hybrid cell nor a closed cell; and send a message to initiate handover of an access terminal to the cell, wherein the message comprises an indication of the access mode. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The computer-program product of claim 44, wherein the determination of the access mode comprises receiving an indication of the access mode from the access terminal. ### Claim 46 (depends on 44) The computer-program product of claim 44, wherein: the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to determine a subscriber group identifier associated with the cell; and the message further comprises the subscriber group identifier. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The computer-program product of claim 46, wherein the determination of the subscriber group identifier comprises receiving the subscriber group identifier from the access terminal.