Global authentication continuity feature for handoff to a neighboring mobile switching center
First Claim
1. A global authentication continuity feature, operable in a cellular communication network, for providing continuity of the global authentication process executing in a serving Mobile Switching Center for a subscriber, who uses a mobile subscriber wireless communication device which has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center during the execution of the global authentication process, comprising:
- Mobile Switching Center message identification means, responsive to the receipt of a service request message in the serving Mobile Switching Center from said mobile subscriber wireless communication device, for determining whether said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process; and
handoff determination means, responsive to a determination that said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process, for determining whether the mobile subscriber wireless communication device has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center; and
global authentication message forwarding means located in said serving Mobile Switching Center for transmitting a global authentication continuity message to the other Mobile Switching Center to maintain continuity of the authentication process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The global authentication continuity feature uses a new ANSI-41 message, the AUTHENTICATION GLOBAL DATA message, to convey global authentication information to the Mobile Switching Center that has just become the serving Mobile Switching Center due to a handoff. This provides continuity of the global authentication process, even though the mobile subscriber wireless communication device hands-off to another Mobile Switching Center. The information that is passed forward from the Visited Location Register of the previous serving Mobile Switching Center to the new serving Mobile Switching Center could be RANDShared Secret Data to perform a Shared Secret Data update, RANDU/AUTH to perform an Unique Challenge, Voice Privacy Masks, and Signal Encryption Keys.
15 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A global authentication continuity feature, operable in a cellular communication network, for providing continuity of the global authentication process executing in a serving Mobile Switching Center for a subscriber, who uses a mobile subscriber wireless communication device which has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center during the execution of the global authentication process, comprising:
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Mobile Switching Center message identification means, responsive to the receipt of a service request message in the serving Mobile Switching Center from said mobile subscriber wireless communication device, for determining whether said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process; and
handoff determination means, responsive to a determination that said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process, for determining whether the mobile subscriber wireless communication device has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center; and
global authentication message forwarding means located in said serving Mobile Switching Center for transmitting a global authentication continuity message to the other Mobile Switching Center to maintain continuity of the authentication process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of executing a global authentication continuity feature, operable in a cellular communication network, for providing continuity of the global authentication process executing in a serving Mobile Switching Center for a subscriber, who uses a mobile subscriber wireless communication device which has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center during the execution of the global authentication process, comprising:
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determining, in response to the receipt of a service request message in the serving Mobile Switching Center from said mobile subscriber wireless communication device, whether said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process; and
determining, in response to a determination that said service request message requires initiation of an authentication process, whether the mobile subscriber wireless communication device has handed off to another Mobile Switching Center; and
transmitting a global authentication continuity message to the other Mobile Switching Center to maintain continuity of the authentication process. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification