System and related methods to facilitate delivery of enhanced data services in a mobile wireless communications environment

• US 20030026220A1
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Christopher Uhlik, Neeraj Sinha, Zhifeng Cai
• Inventors: Uhlik, Christopher, Cai, Zhifeng, Sinha, Neeraj
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A system and related methods to facilitate the delivery of enhanced data services in a mobile wireless communications environment is generally described. According to one aspect of the invention, a data networking protocol is introduced generally comprising control commands and attribute-value pairs. The one or more control commands including one or more control commands selectively employed to establish, manage and tear-down a communication session by and between elements of a data network. The one or more attribute-value pair(s) (AVP), selectively employed by a network element to define one or more parameters of an accompanying control command, the AVPs including one or more mobility management AVPs to facilitate exchange of mobility information between at least a subset of the network elements of the data network participating in a point-to-point component of the communication session.

Claims

1. A data networking protocol comprising:

one or more control commands including one or more control commands selectively employed to establish, manage and tear-down a communication session by and between elements of a data network; and

one or more attribute-value pair(s) (AVP), selectively employed by a network element to define one or more parameters of an accompanying control command, the AVPs including one or more mobility management AVPs to facilitate exchange of mobility information between at least a subset of the network elements of the data network participating in a point-to-point component of the communication session.

2. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include an attribute value pair denoting whether an incoming call request is a new call or a handoff.

3. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include an attribute-value pair for each of the one or more deterministic element and/or random element comprising a communication session identifier.

4. A data networking protocol according to claim 3, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include a COOKIE AVP to communicate the deterministic element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of the point-to-point communication session.

5. A data networking protocol according to claim 3, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include a K_n AVP to communicate the random element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of the point-to-point communication session.

6. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include an authentication AVP selectively invoked by one or more of the network elements participating in the point-to-point communication session to authenticate one or more network elements during a handoff of a communication session from one network element to another network element.

7. A data networking protocol according to claim 6, wherein the authentication AVP is employed by at least a subset of point-to-point communication session network elements to authenticate an identity of a subscriber unit initiating handoff of a communication session from one servicing basestation to another servicing basestation.

8. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management attribute-value pair(s) include a certification AVP selectively invoked by a basestation element of the point-to-point communication session to obtain a security certificate from a network element to authenticate the basestation to requesting subscriber(s).

9. A data networking protocol according to claim 8, wherein the CERT AVP is selectively invoked by the basestation to a network access server (NAS), which solicits an updated certificate from a third-party certification agency on behalf of and for delivery to the basestation.

10. A machine accessible storage medium comprising a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed by an accessing machine, incorporate at least a subset of the mobility management AVP'"'"'s of claim 1 into a communication stack of the accessing machine.

11. A communication signal generated by a network element participant to a point-to-point communication session, the communication signal comprising a data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the data networking protocol includes one or more mobility management attribute-value pair(s) enabling mobility management among and between two or more network elements associated with the point-to-point communication session.