Home network-assisted selection of intermediary network for a roaming mobile terminal

• US 20060077926A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lm Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Rune, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Home network-assisted selection of an intermediary service network for a roaming mobile terminal is disclosed. The selection is based on a list of desired intermediary service networks generated using information associated with the mobile terminal'"'"'s home service network. In one example embodiment, the list is provided to a central access server, which provides this information to a local access network to which the mobile terminal is requesting access. The local access network selects one of the networks included on the list of desired intermediary service networks obtained from the central access server. This example embodiment uses existing protocols without modification, and can be used in conjunction with other intermediary service network selection procedures, if desired.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing a roaming user of a mobile terminal access to communications services, comprising:

receiving from the mobile terminal an access request that requires authentication or authorization with a home service network of the mobile terminal;

providing a list of intermediary service networks generated or provided by the home service network;

selecting from the list generated or provided by the home service network an intermediary service network to be used in authenticating or authorizing the mobile terminal with the home service network; and

using the selected intermediary service network to convey the access request towards the home service network.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the listed intermediary service networks are listed by priority, the method further comprising:

selecting the intermediary service network with a highest priority on the list for which a route is known.

3. The method in claim 1, further comprising:

after the receiving step, forwarding the access request to a central server, and

then receiving from the central server the list of intermediary service networks,

wherein each intermediary service network is identified in the list using a domain name or a fully-qualified domain name of an authentication server of the intermediary service network.

4. The method in claim 3, wherein the central server is a Diameter redirect agent used by a local access network at which the access request is received to route the access request from the mobile terminal for which access request no other route is known by the local access network, and

wherein the access request is in a Diameter format, and domain names or fully-qualified domain names are included in Redirect-Host attribute value pairs (AVPs) in a Diameter answer message sent to the local access network in response to the Diameter access request.

5. The method in claim 4, wherein the Diameter answer message includes a bit in a header and a result code AVP both set to indicate redirection.

6. The method in claim 4, wherein the access request includes an identity having a name part and a realm part, the realm part having a specific ending used by the local access network to send the access request to the redirect agent.

7. The method in claim 6, wherein the local access network selects from the list an intermediary service network with which the local access network is associated and forwards the access request to the selected intermediary service network, which intermediary service network recognizes the realm part and forwards the access request to the home service network.

8. The method in claim 7, wherein subsequent Diameter messages are conveyed between the local access network and the home service network by the selected intermediary service network.

9. The method in claim 4, wherein the list is updated in real time, manually, or semi-automatically.

10. The method in claim 1 used in combination with another scheme for selecting an intermediary cellular communication network based on input from the mobile terminal.

11. Apparatus in a local access network for use in providing a roaming mobile terminal access to communications services, comprising:

an access entity for receiving from the mobile terminal an access request that requires authentication or authorization with a home service network of the mobile terminal, and

a server, associated with the access entity, for obtaining a list of intermediary service networks provided by the home service network, selecting from the list provided by the home service network an intermediary service network to be used in authenticating or authorizing the mobile terminal with the home service network, and using the selected intermediary service network to convey the access request towards the home service network.

12. The apparatus in claim 11, wherein the listed intermediary service networks are listed by priority, the server being configured to select the intermediary service network with a highest priority on the list, for which intermediary service network a route is known.

13. The apparatus in claim 11, wherein the server is configured to forward the access request to another server and to receive from the other server the list of intermediary service networks, and wherein each intermediary service network is identified in the list using a domain name or a fully-qualified domain name of an authentication or authorization server of the intermediary service network.

14. The apparatus in claim 13, wherein the access request includes an identity having a name part and a realm part, with the realm part having a specific ending, and wherein the server is configured to detect the specific ending and to then send the access request message to the other server.

15. The apparatus in claim 14, wherein the server is configured to select from the list an intermediary service network with which the local access network is associated and forward the access request to the selected intermediary service network which recognizes the realm part and forwards the access request to the home service network.

17. The apparatus in claim 11, wherein the list is updateable in real time, manually, or semi-automatically.

16. The apparatus in clam 15, wherein the server is configured to convey subsequent authentication, authorization, or accounting messages between the local access network and the home service network through the selected intermediary service network.

18. A node for use in providing a roaming mobile terminal access to communications services, comprising:

a memory for storing a list of intermediary service networks generated or provided by a home service network of the mobile terminal, where the listed intermediary service networks are associated with the home service network, and

a server for receiving from a local access network an access request message associated with the mobile terminal that requires authentication with the home service network of the mobile terminal or the user of the mobile terminal, and in response, providing the stored list of intermediary service networks to the local access network,

wherein from which list an intermediary service network is selectable for use in authenticating the mobile terminal with the home service network.

19. The node in claim 18, wherein the list is updateable in real time, manually, or semi-automatically.

20. The node in claim 18, wherein the access request message is a Diameter access request message and the server is a Diameter redirect agent configured to redirect the access request message associated with the mobile terminal for which access request message the local access network has no other known route, and

wherein the Diameter redirect agent is configured to include domain names or fully-qualified domain names in Redirect-Host attribute value pairs (AVPs) in a Diameter answer message sent to the local access network in response to the Diameter access request message.

21. The node in claim 20, wherein the Diameter answer message includes a bit in a header and a result code AVP both set to indicate redirection.

22. A system for providing mobile terminals access to communications services, comprising:

a roaming mobile terminal associated with a network access identifier (NAI);

a home public land mobile network (PLMN) including a home PLMN access server and a list of intermediary PLMNs with which the home PLMN is associated;

multiple intermediary PLMNs, at least one of which is included in the list;

a central access server;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) including an access client and a WLAN access server for receiving an access request message from the mobile terminal that requires authentication with the home PLMN, and in response, forwarding the access request message to the central access server;

wherein;

the central access server is configured to obtain the list of intermediary PLMNs with which the home PLMN is associated and provide the list to the WLAN access server;

the WLAN access server is configured to select from the provided list an intermediary PLMN to be used in authenticating the mobile terminal with the home PLMN and forward the access request message to the selected intermediary PLMN; and

the selected intermediary PLMN is configured to convey the access request message towards the home PLMN.

23. The system in claim 22, wherein the listed intermediary PLMNs are listed by priority, and the WLAN access server is configured to select the intermediary PLMN with a highest priority on the list, for which intermediary PLMN a route is known.

24. The system in claim 22, wherein after the receiving step, the WLAN access server is configured to forward the access request message to the central access server and then receive from the central access server the list of intermediary PLMNs,

wherein each intermediary PLMN is identified in the list using a domain name or a fully-qualified domain name of an access server of the intermediary PLMN.

25. The system in claim 24, wherein the PLMNs are universal mobile telecommunications systems (UMTSs) and the authentication server, the central access server, the WLAN access server, and the home PLMN access server are authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) servers and the access client is an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) client.

26. The system in claim 24, wherein the central access server is a Diameter Redirect-Agent used by the WLAN access server to route the access request message which is not routable by the WLAN access server, and

wherein the access request message is in a Diameter format and domain names or fully-qualified domain names are included in Redirect-Host attribute value pairs (AVPs) in a Diameter answer message sent to the WLAN access server in response to the access request message.

27. The system in claim 26, wherein the Diameter answer message includes a bit in a header and a result code AVP set to indicate redirection.

28. The system in claim 22, wherein the WLAN access server is configured to select an intermediary PLMN using the list of intermediary PLMNs in combination with another scheme for selecting an intermediary PLMN based on input from the mobile terminal.