Wireless access control method and wireless access system

• US 20040005888A1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Taketsugu, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A newly developed IP layer technology can be applied to a wireless access network without a wireless base station adding or amending the new IP layer technology to a wireless region specific signal. The wireless base station transfers to a wireless access gateway a communications establishment request signal from a mobile terminal without conversion. When the mobile terminal which is the source of the communications establishment request signal is not permitted to communicate with equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway transfers the communications establishment request signal to an access network control station. The access network control station continues communications with the mobile terminal, determines whether or not the communications between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network is to be permitted based on the communications between the access network control station and the mobile terminal. When the communications between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network is permitted, it transmits a communications establishment permission signal to instruct the wireless access gateway to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network.

Claims

1. A wireless access control method using a mobile terminal, a wireless base station for communications with the mobile terminal through a wireless channel, an access network control station for control of a wireless access network by communications with the mobile terminal, and a wireless access gateway for establishing a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, comprising the steps of:

the mobile terminal transmitting to the wireless base station a wireless control signal to be transmitted to equipment external to the wireless access network;

the wireless base station transferring the wireless control signal to the wireless access gateway without converting the signal;

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless access gateway, the access network control station communicating with the mobile terminal through the wireless base station, and determining whether or not communications with equipment external to the wireless access network of the mobile terminal is allowed based on the communications between the station and the mobile terminal;

when the access network control station allows the communications of the mobile terminal with the equipment external to the wireless access network, the access network control station instructing the wireless access gateway to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and the wireless access network; and

upon receipt of the instruction from the access network control station to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway establishing the channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmitting the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

2. The wireless access control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

when the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway instructing the wireless base station to establish a dedicated channel between the mobile terminal and the wireless access gateway in a wireless region.

3. The wireless access control method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when the wireless access gateway determines that a source of the wireless control signal is not allowed to communicate with equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway changing a destination of the wireless control signal to the access network control station, and transferring the wireless control signal to the access network control station.

4. The wireless access control method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when the wireless access gateway determines that a source of the wireless control signal is allowed to communicate with equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway not changing a destination of the wireless control signal to the access network control station, establishing a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmitting the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

5. The wireless access control method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when the wireless access gateway determines that a shared control channel different from the dedicated channel is used in communications of the wireless control signal, the wireless access gateway changing the destination of the wireless control signal into the access network control station, and transferring the wireless control signal into the access network control station.

6. The wireless access control method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when the wireless access gateway determines that the dedicated channel is used in communications of the wireless control signal, the wireless access gateway not changing the destination of the wireless control signal into the access network control station, establishing a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmitting the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

7. A wireless access system, comprising:

a mobile terminal for transmitting a wireless control signal to be transmitted to equipment external to the wireless access network;

a wireless base station for transferring the wireless control signal from the mobile terminal without conversion;

a wireless access gateway for further transferring the wireless control signal when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when it is determined that a source of the wireless control signal is not allowed to communicate with equipment external to the wireless access network; and

an access network control station for instructing the wireless access gateway to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network when communications are performed with the mobile terminal through the wireless base station when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless access gateway, and when communications between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network is allowed based on the communications performed with the mobile terminal, wherein

when the wireless access gateway is instructed to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network by the access network control station, the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmits the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

8. The wireless access system according to claim 7, wherein

when the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway instructs the wireless base station to establish a dedicated channel between the mobile terminal and the wireless access gateway in a wireless region.

9. The wireless access system according to claim 8, wherein

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when the wireless access gateway determines that a source of the wireless control signal is allowed to communicate with equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmits the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

10. A wireless access system, comprising:

a mobile terminal for transmitting a wireless control signal to be transmitted to equipment external to the wireless access network;

a wireless base station for transferring the wireless control signal from the mobile terminal without conversion;

a wireless access gateway for further transferring the wireless control signal depending on a channel used in communications of the wireless control signal when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station; and

an access network control station for instructing the wireless access gateway to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network when communications are performed with the mobile terminal through the wireless base station when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless access gateway, and when communications between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network is allowed based on the communications performed with the mobile terminal, wherein

when the wireless access gateway is instructed to establish a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network by the access network control station, the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmits the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.

11. The wireless access system according to claim 10, wherein

when the wireless access gateway establishes a channel between the mobile terminal and the equipment external to the wireless access network, the wireless access gateway instructs the wireless base station to establish a dedicated channel between the mobile terminal and the wireless access gateway in a wireless region.

12. The wireless access system according to claim 11, wherein

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when a channel used in communications of the wireless control signal is a shared control channel different from the dedicated channel, the wireless access gateway transfers the wireless control signal to the access network control station.

13. The wireless access system according to claim 12, wherein

when the wireless control signal is transferred from the wireless base station, and when a channel used in communications of the wireless control signal is the dedicated channel, the wireless access gateway established a channel between the mobile terminal and equipment external to the wireless access network, and transmits the wireless control signal to the equipment external to the wireless access network.