Patent ID: 8023472

Claim:
A method for identifying a home cell that provides a differentiated service in a mobile communication system where public cells and home cells coexist, the method comprising the steps of: searching for a plurality of pilots having a strength greater than a minimum pilot strength; comparing strengths of the pilots, and designating a pilot having the greatest strength as an active pilot; determining whether a corresponding cell of the active pilot transmits a cell classifier of the home cell for providing the differentiated service along with an overhead message; when the corresponding cell transmits the cell classifier of the home cell, determining whether the cell classifier of the home cell matches one among cell classifiers stored in an access terminal; and when the cell classifier of the home cell matches with the one among the cell classifiers stored in the access terminal, receiving the differentiated service under the control of the corresponding cell, wherein each of the home cells corresponding to the cell classifiers stored in the access terminal provides the differentiated service to an access terminal registered and provides a non-differentiated service for the non-registered access terminal, wherein the differentiated service is at least one of per-call permission, call barring, differentiated accounting, and virtual zone using home solution of the access terminal.