Methods of authenticating electronic devices in mobile networks

• US 20060129813A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narayanan, Vidya, Popovich, George
• Application Number:
  US11/013,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of authenticating an electronic device in a mobile network. A method of authenticating an electronic device comprises a first mobile network controller receiving an authentication request from the electronic device in a mobile network 105; searching for an authentication credential 110 at a first mobile network controller by searching in a local database of the first mobile network controller; and, searching for an alternate authentication server to fulfill the authentication request 115, if the authentication credential is not found in the local database of the first mobile network controller.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an electronic device, the method comprising steps of:

receiving an authentication request from the electronic device in a mobile network;

searching for an authentication credential at a first mobile network controller by searching in a local database of the first mobile network controller; and

searching for an alternate authentication server to fulfill the authentication request, if the authentication credential is not found in the local database of the first mobile network controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the searching for an alternate authentication server step further comprises:

the first mobile network controller finding connectivity to a network infrastructure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alternate authentication server is stored.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the searching for an alternate authentication server step further comprises:

scanning for an alternate authentication server in other mobile networks.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the authentication request is fulfilled by providing restricted access to the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing an information about the alternate authentication server in the first mobile network controller.

7. A method of authenticating an electronic device, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a query for an authentication request from the electronic device in a mobile network;

detecting a need for scanning at least one mobile network controller in the mobile network; and

,

fulfilling the authentication request.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of detecting further comprises:

searching for an authentication credential at a first mobile network controller by searching in a local database of the first mobile network controller;

if the authentication credential is not found in the local database, then

finding a connectivity to a network infrastructure,

searching for a stored alternate authentication server at the first mobile network controller; and

searching for at least one mobile network controller multicast group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

finding a second mobile network controller within a timeout window;

determining whether there is a secure communication channel with the second mobile network controller; and

sending the query to the second mobile network controller, if the secure communication channel exists;

receiving an affirmative response from the second mobile network controller.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

sending the query to the mobile network controller multicast group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

receiving at least one positive response for the query sent to the mobile network controller multicast group; and

selecting at least one mobile network controller from a response received from the mobile network controller multicast group.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

finding a second mobile network controller within a timeout window;

determining whether there is a secure communication channel with the second mobile network controller;

sending the query to the second mobile network controller, if the secure communication channel exists;

receiving an affirmative response from the second mobile network controller.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

providing restricted access to the electronic device, if an alternate authentication server is not found within the timeout period.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of storing an information about an alternate authentication server in the first mobile network controller.

15. A method of authenticating an electronic device, the method comprising steps of:

at a second mobile network controller;

receiving a query for an authentication request for the electronic device in a mobile network from a first mobile network controller;

determining whether the first mobile network controller is included in an untrusted list; and

,

fulfilling the authentication request.

16. The method of claim of 15, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

returning a negative response to the first mobile network controller, if the first mobile network controller is included in the untrusted list.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

searching for an authentication credential in a local database;

returning a positive response to the first mobile network controller, if the authentication credential is found in the local database;

determining whether there exists a communication channel with the first mobile network controller;

receiving the authentication request from the first mobile network controller, if the communication channel exists;

performing authentication; and

,

returning a successful result to the first mobile network controller.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

searching for an authentication credential in a local database;

returning a positive response to the first mobile network controller, if the authentication credential is found;

determining whether there is a communication channel with the first mobile network controller;

attempting to establish a communication channel with the first mobile network controller, if the communication channel does not exist; and

,

placing the first mobile network controller on the untrusted list, if unable to establish the communication channel.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

finding connectivity to a network infrastructure;

returning a positive response to the first mobile network controller, if the connectivity is found;

determining whether there is a communication channel with the first mobile network controller;

receiving the authentication request from the first mobile network controller, if the communication channel exists;

performing authentication; and

,

returning a successful result to the first mobile network controller.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the fulfilling step further comprises:

finding an alternate authentication server;

storing an information of the alternate authentication server, if the alternate authentication server is found within a timeout period;

returning a positive response to the first mobile network controller;

determining whether there is a communication channel with the first mobile network controller;

receiving the authentication request from the first mobile network controller, if the communication channel exists;

performing authentication; and

,

returning a successful response to the first mobile network controller.