Method of configuring a mobile node

• US 20050228893A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Mohan, Patil, Basavaraj, Devarapalli, Vijay, Sahasrabudhe, Meghana, Flinck, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 9,686,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method of communication that includes sending a first message from user equipment to a server, requesting a home agent and/or a home address. The method also includes authenticating the user equipment and providing the home agent and/or home address only when the user equipment is authenticated. Also, a communication system, a server, and user equipment that are configured to implement the method.

Claims

1. A method of communication comprising the steps of:

sending a first message from user equipment to a server requesting at least one of a home agent and a home address;

authenticating said user equipment; and

providing said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending step further comprises sending said first message during a link control protocol phase of a point to point protocol.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending step further comprises sending said first message requesting that at least one of said home agent and said home address be dynamically assigned.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending step further comprises providing mobile Internet Protocol attributes for indicating the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in said sending step, said mobile Internet Protocol attributes comprise predetermined values for indicating the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said sending step, said first message comprises requesting said home agent and said home address at a same time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said providing step further comprises providing said home agent and said home address at a same time.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of assigning at least one of said home agent and said home address to the user equipment, said assigning step taking place at a same time as said authenticating step.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing at said server information relating to said first message.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of sending from said server to an authentication entity an authentication message and information relating to the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said step of sending from said server to said authentication entity, said authentication message comprises an Extensible Authentication protocol message.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of sending from said server to said authentication entity further comprises sending said information relating to the requested at least one of said home agent and said home address as one of a RADIUS attribute and a DIAMETER attribute.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of sending from said server to said authentication entity further comprises sending said information relating to the requested at least one of said home agent and said home address as at least one EAP attribute.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of providing an EAP message indicating authentication is successful, wherein said EAP message comprises at least one EAP attribute.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of sending a second message from an authentication entity to said server indicating that authentication is successful and at least one of the home agent and the home address.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing in said server at least one of the home agent and the home address.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of sending a second message indicating authentication is successful to said user equipment prior to said providing step.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said providing step takes place in a CP phase of a point to point protocol.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said providing step further comprises providing at least one of a CP option for the home agent and a CP option for the home address.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said providing step is carried out during said authentication step.

49. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of generating said home address.

50. A method as claimed in claim 49, wherein said generating step comprises generating said home address from at least one a home prefix and a random interface identifier.

51. A method as claimed in claim 49, comprising the step of checking that the generated home address is unique.

52. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of assigning a home agent to said user equipment.

21. A communication system comprising:

user equipment;

a server; and

authentication means, said user equipment comprising means for sending a message from said user equipment to said server requesting at least one of a home agent and a home address, said authentication means being arranged to authenticate said user equipment and to provide said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said user equipment is arranged to send said message during a link control protocol phase of a point to point protocol.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said user equipment comprises said means for sending said message, and wherein said message comprises a request that at least one of said home agent and said home address be dynamically assigned.

24. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said user equipment comprises said means for sending said message, and wherein said message provides mobile Internet Protocol attributes for indicating the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said user equipment comprises said means for sending said message, wherein said message provides said mobile Internet Protocol attributes, and wherein said mobile Internet Protocol attributes comprises predetermined values for indicating the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

26. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said user equipment is arranged to request said home agent and said home address at a same time.

27. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said authentication means is arranged to provide said home agent and said home address at a same time.

28. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of said home agent and said home address is assigned to the user equipment at a same time as said authentication means authenticates said user equipment.

29. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said server comprises a memory for storing information relating to said message.

30. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said server is arranged to send to the authentication means an authentication message and information relating to the at least one of said home agent and said home address.

31. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein said server is arranged to send said authentication message, and wherein said authentication message comprises an Extensible Authentication protocol message.

32. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein said server is arranged to send said information, said information relating to the requested at least one of said home agent and said home address comprises one of a RADIUS attribute and a DIAMETER attribute.

33. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein said server is arranged to send said information, said information relating to the at least one of said home agent and said home address and comprising at least one EAP attribute.

34. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said authentication means is arranged to provide an EAP message indicating authentication is successful and including at least one EAP attribute.

35. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the authentication means is arranged to send a message to said server indicating that authentication is successful and at least one of the home agent and the home address.

36. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said server comprises a memory for storing at least one of the home agent and the home address.

37. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said server is arranged to send a message indicating authentication is successful to said user equipment prior to providing said requested at least one of said home agent and said home address.

38. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said user equipment comprises said means for sending said message to said server requesting said at least one of said home agent and said home address, wherein said at least one of said home agent and said home address is provided in a CP phase of a point to point protocol.

39. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein said user equipment is configured to provide at least one of a CP option for the home agent and a CP option for the home address.

40. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said server comprises a packet data support node.

41. A server for use in a communication system, the server comprising:

user equipment; and

authentication means operably connected to said user equipment, said server further comprising means for receiving from said user equipment a request for at least one of a home agent and a home address, said server being arranged to store information relating to said request.

42. The server as claimed in claim 41, wherein said server further comprises a packet data support node operably connected to said user equipment.

43. The server as claimed in claim 41, wherein said server is arranged to store information received from said authentication means relating to said requested at least one of said home agent and said home address.

44. User equipment for use in a communication system comprising said user equipment, a server and authentication means, said user equipment comprising:

means for sending a message from said user equipment to said server requesting at least one of a home agent and a home address; and

means for receiving said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated.

45. A method of communication comprising the steps of:

sending a message from user equipment to a server requesting home network information;

authenticating said user equipment; and

providing said home network information only if said user equipment is authenticated.

46. A communication system comprising:

user equipment;

a server; and

a processor, said user equipment comprising a transmitter configured to send a message from said user equipment to said server requesting at least one of a home agent and a home address, said processor being arranged to authenticate said user equipment and to provide said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated.

47. A server for use in a communication system, the server comprising:

user equipment; and

a processor operably connected to said user equipment, said server further comprising a receiver configured to receive from said user equipment a request for at least one of a home agent and a home address, said server being arranged to store information relating to said request.

48. User equipment for use in a communication system comprising said user equipment, a server, and a processor, said user equipment comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a message from said user equipment to said server requesting at least one of a home agent and a home address; and

a receiver configured to receive said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated.

53. A method of communication comprising the steps of:

determining the need for assigning at least one of a home agent and a home address to a user equipment;

authenticating said user equipment; and

providing said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated and if the step of determining the need indicated that assigning of at least one of a home agent and a home address is needed.

54. A method according to claim 53, further comprising the step of

determining the need for assigning at least one of a home agent and a home address to a user equipment based on a request received from the user equipment.

55. A method according to claim 53, further comprising the step of

determining the need for assigning at least one of a home agent and a home address to a user equipment based on profile information of the user equipment.

56. A method of communication comprising the steps of:

determining whether a user equipment is capable of mobile IPv6 operation;

authenticating said user equipment; and

providing said at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated and if the step of determining indicated that said user equipment is capable of mobile IPv6 operation.

57. A method according to claim 56, further comprising the step of

determining whether a user equipment is capable of mobile IPv6 operation based on profile information of the user equipment.

58. A node for a communication system comprising:

authentication means,

means for obtaining profile information of a user equipment;

means for determining whether a user equipment is capable of mobile IPv6 operation based on profile information of the user equipment;

said authentication means being arranged to authenticate a user equipment and to provide at least one of said home agent and said home address only if said user equipment is authenticated and if said user equipment is capable of mobile IPv6 operation.