LAN user protocol
First Claim
1. A user protocol for W-LAN systems whereby the operator of each LAN administers home (H) network and Visitor (V) network authentication, authorisation and accounting (AAA) servers and wherein a subscriber to a first LAN wishing to connect for the first time to a second LAN conveys to the operator of the second LAN, by user intervention, information, identifying both the subscriber and the operator of the first LAN, sufficient to enable the V-AAA server of the second LAN to communicate with the H-AAA server of the first LAN so as to authenticate the proposed connection;
- the V-AAA storing information linking the subscriber to the operator of the first LAN for so long as the subscriber remains authorised by the operator of the first LAN, whereby subsequent connections by the subscriber to the second LAN may be made without user intervention.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides an operating protocol for Local Area Network (LAN) systems capable of coping with the problems of user-mobility between LANs. Such mobility is afforded particularly by wireless LAN (WLAN) systems, whereby a user subscribing to a LAN operated by a so-called Home Operator connects, as a “visitor”, to one or more other LAN sites; basing such connection, for charging and other operational purposes, on that user'"'"'s subscription with its Home Operator. The inventive protocol links a user'"'"'s identity with the address of the Home Operator, and stores this information at the visited LAN site, thereby permitting a visiting user, once authenticated by user-interaction, as a visitor with regard to a particular LAN, to revisit that LAN for as long as its authentication with the Home Operator remains sound, without the need for further user intervention.
31 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A user protocol for W-LAN systems whereby the operator of each LAN administers home (H) network and Visitor (V) network authentication, authorisation and accounting (AAA) servers and wherein a subscriber to a first LAN wishing to connect for the first time to a second LAN conveys to the operator of the second LAN, by user intervention, information, identifying both the subscriber and the operator of the first LAN, sufficient to enable the V-AAA server of the second LAN to communicate with the H-AAA server of the first LAN so as to authenticate the proposed connection;
- the V-AAA storing information linking the subscriber to the operator of the first LAN for so long as the subscriber remains authorised by the operator of the first LAN, whereby subsequent connections by the subscriber to the second LAN may be made without user intervention.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A W-LAN protocol substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Specification