Systems and methods for supporting multiple access point names for trusted wireless local area network

• US 10,123,368 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gundavelli, Srinath, Grayson, Mark, Kumar, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasia, Redentor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mak, Peter K
• Application Number:
  US13/568,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: 370235, 370254, 370331, 370334-338
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for supporting multiple access point names for trusted wireless local area network (LAN.) In one method, the method includes receiving a packet at a mobile access gateway from a UE operating in a trusted wireless LAN, determining at the mobile access gateway an access point name (APN) associated with the received packet, and analyzing a binding update list (BUL) table to identify an IP address of the UE used by the determined APN. The method further includes modifying a source IP address of the received packet to the IP address of the UE used by the determined APN, and transmitting the packet to a home network associated with the APN.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of implementing mediation in a mobile access gateway, comprising, for each access point name (APN) of a plurality of APNs:

receiving a respective packet at the mobile access gateway from a user equipment (UE), the UE operating in a trusted wireless local area network (LAN), the packet having a source Internet Protocol (IP) address;

determining, at the mobile access gateway, the respective APN, of the plurality of APNs, associated with the respective packet based on a type of a respective user application sending the respective packet to the mobile access gateway, wherein the respective user application runs on the UE;

creating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a binding update list (BUL) entry in a BUL table maintained by the mobile access gateway, including identifying a respective, distinct IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, wherein the respective IP address is different from the source IP address, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining at least one of (i) that the UE is newly associated with the mobile access gateway and (ii) that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with;

the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet;

enabling concurrent access to the plurality of APNs via the respective IP address identifying the UE, despite the UE having a wireless LAN interface restricted to only a single assigned IP address at a time via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), by mediating communications between (i) the UE in the trusted wireless LAN and (ii) a respective home network having the respective APN, wherein mediating communications includes modifying, at the mobile access gateway, the respective source IP address of the respective packet to be the respective IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, the single assigned IP address comprising the source address; and

transmitting the respective packet to the respective home network associated with the respective APN with the modified respective source IP address, including transmitting the respective packet to the respective APN via a 3GPP S2a interface;

wherein the respective IP address of the UE used by each APN is distinct and is not assigned to the wireless LAN interface of the UE.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new packet at the mobile access gateway from a new home network associated with a new APN, the new packet having a destination IP address;

analyzing the BUL table in order to identify at the mobile access gateway an IP address of a wireless LAN interface of the UE, based on the new APN;

modifying the destination IP address of the new packet to be the IP address of the wireless LAN interface of the UE; and

transmitting the new packet to the UE with the modified destination address.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with:

the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining that the UE is newly associated with the mobile access gateway.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a policy profile of the UE from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, the policy profile including rules for determining the respective APN associated with the respective packet.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the packet is transmitted to a local mobility anchor associated with the home network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein communications involving the UE in the trusted wireless LAN is extended beyond merely a single home network having an APN, to multiple home networks each having a respective APN, wherein the packet comprises a first packet, wherein the home network comprises a first home network, wherein the APN comprises a first APN, wherein the computer-implemented further comprises:

receiving a second packet at the mobile access gateway from a second home network associated with a second APN, the second packet having a destination IP address; and

analyzing the BUL table to identify at the mobile access gateway an IP address of a wireless LAN interface of the UE, based on the second APN.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

modifying the destination IP address of the second packet to be the identified IP address of the wireless LAN interface of the UE, in order to mediate communications between;

the UE in the trusted wireless LAN, and the multiple home networks each having the respective APN; and

transmitting the second packet to the UE with the modified destination address;

wherein analyzing the BUL table in order to identify the IP address of the UE used by the first APN includes searching for a BUL entry associated with;

the first APN and the source IP address of the first packet.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a policy profile of the UE from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, the policy profile including rules for determining the first APN associated with the first packet;

wherein the first packet is transmitted, via the 3GPP S2a interface, to a local mobility anchor associated with the first home network.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the BUL table maintained by the mobile access gateway maps multiple different APN-specific IP addresses to the source IP address of the respective packet, wherein each APN-specific IP address specifies a different IP address of the UE used by a particular APN, wherein the IP address of the UE used by the first APN is an IP address assigned to the UE by the first APN.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a third packet comprising a return packet from the first APN at the mobile access gateway for the UE, the return packet having a destination address that is the IP address of the UE used by the first APN;

modifying the destination address of the third packet to be the source IP address of the first packet received from the UE; and

transmitting the return packet with the modified destination address to the UE.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the 3GPP S2a interface uses, in respective instances, a Proxy Mobile IP v6 (PMIPv6) protocol tunnel and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the 3GPP S2a interface uses at least one of a Proxy Mobile IP v6 (PMIPv6) protocol tunnel and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel.

14. A network device implementing mediation, the network device, comprising:

one or more interfaces; and

one or more computer processors, in communication with the one or more interfaces and configured to run a module stored in memory that is configured to perform an operation comprising, for each access point name (APN) of a plurality of APNs;

receiving a respective packet from a user equipment (UE), the UE operating in a trusted wireless local area network (LAN), wherein the packet includes a source Internet Protocol (IP) address;

determining the respective APN associated with the respective packet based on a type of a respective user application sending the respective packet to the network device, wherein the respective user application runs on the UE;

creating a binding update list (BUL) entry in a BUL table stored in the network device, including identifying a respective, distinct IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, wherein the respective IP address is different from the source IP address, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining at least one of (i) that the UE is newly associated with the network device and (ii) that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with;

the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet;

enabling concurrent access to the plurality of APNs via the respective IP address identifying the UE, despite the UE having a wireless LAN interface restricted to only a single assigned IP address at a time via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), by mediating communications between (i) the UE in the trusted wireless LAN and (ii) a respective home network having the respective APN, wherein mediating communications includes modifying the respective source IP address of the respective packet to be the respective IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, the single assigned IP address comprising the source address; and

transmitting the respective packet to the respective home network associated with the respective APN with the modified respective source IP address, including transmitting the respective packet to the respective APN via a 3GPP S2a interface;

wherein the respective IP address of the UE used by each APN is distinct and is not assigned to the wireless LAN interface of the UE.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with:

the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet.

16. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device comprises a mobile access gateway, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining that the UE is newly associated with the mobile access gateway.

17. The network device of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a policy profile of the UE from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, the policy profile including rules for determining the respective APN associated with the respective packet.

18. The network device of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises:

receive a new packet from one of a plurality of home networks associated with a new APN, the new packet having a destination IP address;

analyze the BUL table in order to identify an IP address of a wireless LAN interface of the UE, based on the new APN;

modify the destination IP address of the new packet to be the IP address of the wireless LAN interface of the UE; and

transmit the new packet to the UE with the modified destination address.

19. The network device of claim 14, wherein the 3GPP S2a interface uses at least one of a Proxy Mobile IP v6 (PMIPv6) protocol tunnel and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel.

20. Logic encoded on one or more non-transitory media and executable to perform an operation to implement mediation in a mobile access gateway, the operation comprising, for each of a plurality of APNs:

receiving a respective packet at the mobile access gateway from a user equipment (UE), the UE operating in a trusted wireless local area network (LAN), the packet having a source Internet Protocol (IP) address;

determining, at the mobile access gateway, the respective APN, of the plurality of APNs, associated with the respective packet based on a type of a respective user application sending the respective packet to the mobile access gateway, wherein the respective user application runs on the UE;

creating, by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the logic, a binding update list (BUL) entry in a BUL table stored in the mobile access gateway, including identifying a respective, distinct IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, wherein the respective IP address is different from the source IP address, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining at least one of (i) that the UE is newly associated with the mobile access gateway and (ii) that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with;

the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet;

enabling concurrent access to the plurality of APNs via the respective IP address identifying the UE, despite the UE having a wireless LAN interface restricted to only a single assigned IP address at a time via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), by mediating communications between (i) the UE in the trusted wireless LAN and (ii) a respective home network having the respective APN, wherein mediating communications includes modifying, at the mobile access gateway, the respective source IP address of the respective packet to be the respective IP address of the UE used by the respective APN, the single assigned IP address comprising the source address; and

transmitting the respective packet to the respective home network associated with the respective APN with the modified respective source IP address, including transmitting the respective packet to the respective APN via a 3GPP S2a interface;

wherein the respective IP address of the UE used by each APN is distinct and is not assigned to the wireless LAN interface of the UE.

21. The logic of claim 20, wherein the BUL entry is created upon determining that the BUL table does not include any BUL entry associated with the respective APN and the source IP address of the respective packet.

22. The logic of claim 20, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a policy profile of the UE from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, the policy profile including rules for determining the respective APN associated with the respective packet.

23. The logic of claim 20, wherein the 3GPP S2a interface uses at least one of a Proxy Mobile IP v6 (PMIPv6) protocol tunnel and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel.