Inter-working function for a communication system
First Claim
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1. A Inter-Working Function (IWF) apparatus comprising:
- a processing unit;
a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interface unit coupled to the processing unit and adapted for communication with a WLAN; and
an Access Control (AC) interface unit coupled to the processing unit and adapted for communication with a cellular communication network.
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Abstract
Inter-Working Function (IWF) for interfacing between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a communication system. The IWF may contain sufficient information to authenticate a user access to the WLAN, or the IWF may need to request authentication from the communication system. In one embodiment, the IWF sends an access challenge to the WLAN for a user. The IWF may then pass a response to the challenge on to the communication system for authentication. The IWF allows the WLAN to use the authentication capability of the communication system for local authentication.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A Inter-Working Function (IWF) apparatus comprising:
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a processing unit;
a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interface unit coupled to the processing unit and adapted for communication with a WLAN; and
an Access Control (AC) interface unit coupled to the processing unit and adapted for communication with a cellular communication network. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for interfacing a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) with a communication system, comprising:
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requesting an access request from the WLAN for a user of the communication system;
determining an authentication status of the user; and
providing a response indicating the authentication status to the WLAN. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for interfacing a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) with a communication system, comprising:
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means for requesting an access request from the WLAN for a user of the communication system;
means for determining an authentication status of the user; and
means for providing a response indicating the authentication status to the WLAN.
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Specification