Method for attachment and authentication of a user terminal with a visited network

• US 10,028,138 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cassidian Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Cassidian Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Pison, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansari, Najeebuddin
• Application Number:
  US13/120,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120076082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,848 Days
• Field of Search: 370328, 370329, 4554041, 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method for attachment and authentication of a user terminal of a home type radiocommunication network with a visited type radiocommunication network, the home network including home means for attachment to a packet network and the visited network including: at least one visited base station able to ensure radio transmission and reception with user terminals located in at least one visited cell attached to the visited base station; visited authentication and control means of user terminals able to authenticate the user terminals attached to the network; and at least one visited distribution gateway ensuring radio reception and transmission with the at least one visited base station.

Claims

1. A method for attachment and authentication of a user terminal of a home type radiocommunication network with a visited type radiocommunication network that is separate from said home type radiocommunication network, the home network comprising home means for attachment to a packet network and the visited network comprising:

at least one visited base station configured to ensure radio transmission and reception with user terminals located in at least one visited cell attached to the visited base station;

visited authentication and control means of user terminals configured to authenticate the user terminals attached to the visited network; and

at least one visited distribution gateway ensuring radio reception and transmission with the at least one visited base station;

wherein, the home network and the visited network each have a same network identifier code that is shared by said at least home network and visited network, wherein each user terminal belonging to the home network has a first user identification code comprising the same network identifier code shared by at least the home network and the visited network, and a second home network user identification code,

wherein when the user terminal belonging to the home network is located in a visited cell of the visited base station the method comprises;

establishing an access channel between the visited network and the user terminal of the home network via the shared same network identifier code;

authenticating the user terminal in the visited network, via the second user identification code of the home network with at least one database comprising information relating to the user access rights of the user terminals for the visited network; and

if the user terminal possesses an access right to said visited network, establishing an access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network between the visited distribution gateway and the home attachment means of said home network so that, when said access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network is established, said user terminal subscribed to said home type radiocommunication network communicates with said home type radiocommunication network when said user terminal is located in said visited type radiocommunication network,

wherein the second home network user identification code comprises;

an identification code for a service area of the home network;

an identification code for a category of users of the home network; and

a third user identification code within the service area of the home network and the home network user category,

and wherein the authentication of the user terminal of the home network in the visited network is performed using at least one of the three identification codes of the second user identification code of the home network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein authentication of the home network user terminal takes place in the visited network and comprises a decoding of the second identification code of the home network user terminal in the visited base station that directs a request for attachment submitted by the user terminal to the visited network towards the visited authentication and control means that communicate with the at least one database.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein authentication of the home network user terminal is carried out by means of the visited authentication and control means that communicate with the at least one database.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database is a centralised database that communicates with the home network and the visited network.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database is a visited database belonging to the visited network and a home database belongs to the home network the home database communicating with the visited database to authenticate the user terminal of the home network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network between the visited distribution gateway and the home attachment means is an S8 interface conforming to a behaviour described in an LTE mobile radiocommunication standard.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the visited network is compliant with an LTE mobile radiocommunication standard,

the visited attachment means being formed by a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) entity,

the visited authentication and control means being formed by a Mobility Management Entity (MME),

the visited distribution gateway being formed by a Serving Gateway (S-GW),

the at least one visited base station being formed by an evolved NodeB entity,

the visited database being formed by a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising allocating a data channel passing through the access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network between the visited distribution gateway and the home attachment means once the user terminal of the home network attached to the visited network requests communication.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the same network identifier code shared by the home network and the visited network conforms to a PLMN ID type syntax.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the technology of the home network differs from that of the visited network.

12. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions that are executable by an information processing unit, the execution of the instruction sequences enabling to carry out the method according to claim 1.

11. A radiocommunication system comprising at least one radiocommunication network of a home type and one radiocommunication network of a visited type that is separate from said home type radiocommunication network, the home network comprising at least one user terminal and a home packet data network gateway, and the visited network comprising:

at least one visited base station configured to ensure radio transmission and reception with user terminals located in at least one visited cell attached to the visited base station;

a visited mobility management entity that is configured to authenticate user terminals attached to the network; and

at least one visited distribution gateway configured to ensure radio reception and transmission with at least one visited base station;

wherein, the home network and the visited network each have a same network identifier code that is shared by said at least home network and visited network, wherein each user terminal belonging to the home network has a first user identification code comprising the same network identifier code shared by at least the home network and the visited network, and a second home network user identification code,

and wherein when the user terminal belonging to the home network is located in a visited cell of the visited base station the system is configured to

establish an access channel between the visited network and the user terminal of the home network via the shared same network identifier code;

authenticate the user terminal in the visited network via the second user identification code of the home network with at least one database comprising information relating to the user access rights of the user terminals for the visited network; and

if the user terminal possesses an access right to said visited network, establish an access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network between the visited distribution gateway and the home attachment means of said home network so that, when said access channel dedicated to the user terminal of the home network is established, said user terminal subscribed to said home type radiocommunication network communicates with said home type radiocommunication network when said user terminal is located in said visited type radiocommunication network,

wherein the second home network user identification code comprises;

an identification code for a service area of the home network;

an identification code for a category of users of the home network; and

a third user identification code within the service area of the home network and the home network user category,

and wherein the authentication of the user terminal of the home network in the visited network is performed using at least one of the three identification codes of the second user identification code of the home network.