System and method for seamless handoff of WLAN-UMTS interworking

• US 20060146803A1
• Filed: 11/25/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-Ho, Cho, Dong-Ho, Bae, Eun-Hui, Song, O-Sok, Choi, Hyun-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A seamless handoff system and method reduces delay and packet loss during handoff of user equipment (UE) from a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) network to a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network. The handoff system and method performs pre-registration and pre-authentication processes before the occurrence of a handoff, buffers packets being delivered to a UE during a handoff period, and forwards the buffered packets to the UE after completion of the handoff, thereby reducing packet loss that can occur during handoff.

Claims

1. A method for performing handoff of user equipment (UE) connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a mobile communication network in an interworking system between the WLAN and the mobile communication network including a gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (GGSN) and a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), the method comprising:

receiving, by the SGSN, a pre-registration request message including a home IP address and an international mobile station identifier (IMSI) of the UE from the UE via the WLAN when the UE determines handoff in response to a link layer trigger while it communicates with the WLAN using a first temporary Internet protocol (IP) address;

performing, between the UE and the SGSN, authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes based on the IMSI;

generating, by the GGSN, a second temporary IP address to be used by the UE in the mobile communication network, and transmitting a first message for requesting registration of the second temporary IP address to a home agent (HA) of the UE;

receiving, by the GGSN, a second message indicating registration of the second temporary IP address from the HA of the UE, and transmitting a third message to the UE via the WLAN indicating completion of pre-authentication for the UE and registration of the second temporary IP address; and

transmitting, by the UE, a fourth message indicating completion of pre-registration handoff for the UE to the HA of the UE when the handoff of the UE to the mobile communication network is completed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising buffering, by the HA of the UE, packets targeted to the UE having the first temporary IP address from a time when the HA of the UE registers the second temporary IP address until a time when the HA of the UE receives the fourth message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising delivering, by the HA of the UE, the buffered packets to the UE using the second temporary IP address upon receiving the fourth message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises the home IP address of the UE and the second temporary IP address.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising searching, by the HA of the UE, an address management table using the home IP address of the UE upon receiving the first message, and setting a next IP address field corresponding to the home IP address searched from the address management table as the second temporary IP address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein upon receiving the fourth message, the HA searches the address management table using the home IP address of the UE, sets the second temporary IP address of the next IP address field searched from the address management table in a current IP address field corresponding to the home IP address of the address management table, and sets the next IP address field with a null value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein upon receiving the third message, the UE activates a packet data protocol (PDP) context by generating a PDP context having the second temporary IP address between the UE and the GGSN.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the GGSN, a PDP address request message for requesting generation of the second temporary IP address from the SGSN after performing the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, by the GGSN, the second temporary IP address in response to the PDP address request message; and

transmitting, by the GGSN, a PDP address response message including the second temporary IP address to the SGSN.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering, by the SGSN, a fifth message indicating completion of the pre-authentication process to the UE via the WLAN, after performing the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes; and

transmitting, by the GGSN, a request for pre-registration to the UE after the fifth message is transmitted and receiving a sixth message for requesting generation of the second temporary IP address via the WLAN.

11. A method for performing handoff of user equipment (UE) connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a mobile communication network by a gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (GGSN) in an interworking system between the WLAN and the mobile communication network including the GGSN and a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), the method comprising:

performing authentication for the UE and encryption key distribution processes between the UE and the SGSN based on an international mobile station identifier (IMSI) of the UE after the UE determines handoff in response to a link layer trigger while it communicates with the WLAN using a first temporary Internet protocol (IP) address, and authentication vector generation;

generating, by the UE, a second temporary IP address to be used in the mobile communication network;

transmitting a first message for requesting registration of the second temporary IP address to a home agent (HA) of the UE; and

transmitting a third message indicating completion of pre-authentication for the UE and registration of the second temporary IP address to the UE via the WLAN upon receiving a second message indicating registration of the second temporary IP address from the HA of the UE so that the UE performs handoff to the mobile communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising buffering, by the HA of the UE, packets targeted to the UE having the first temporary IP address until the UE completes handoff to the mobile communication network, after registering the second temporary IP address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the HA of the UE delivers the buffered packets to the UE using the second temporary IP address when the handoff of the UE to the mobile communication network is completed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first message comprises the home IP address of the UE and the second temporary IP address.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising searching, by the HA of the UE, its address management table using the home IP address of the UE upon receiving the first message, and setting a next IP address field corresponding to the home IP address searched from the address management table as the second temporary IP address.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the HA of the UE searches the address management table using the home IP address of the UE when the handoff of the UE to the mobile communication network is completed, sets the second temporary IP address of the next IP address field searched from the address management table in a current IP address field corresponding to the home IP address of the address management table, and sets the next IP address field with a null value.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a packet data protocol (PDP) address request message for requesting generation of the second temporary IP address from the SGSN after performing the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating the second temporary IP address in response to the PDP address request message;

, and

transmitting a PDP address response message including the second temporary IP address to the SGSN.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a message for requesting pre-registration and generation of the second temporary IP address from the UE via the WLAN after the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes are performed.

20. A mobile communication system comprising:

user equipment (UE) connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) through interworking between a mobile communication network and the WLAN;

a serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN) for receiving a pre-registration request message including a home IP address and an international mobile station identifier (IMSI) of the UE from the UE via the WLAN when the UE determines handoff in response to a link layer trigger while it communicates with the WLAN using a first temporary Internet protocol (IP) address, and performing authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes with the UE based on the IMSI;

a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) for generating a second temporary IP address to be used by the UE in the mobile communication network, transmitting a first message for requesting registration of the second temporary IP address, receiving a second message indicating registration of the second temporary IP address, and transmitting a third message indicating completion of pre-authentication for the UE and registration of the second temporary IP address to the UE via the WLAN; and

a home agent (HA) for registering the second temporary IP address upon receiving the first message from the GGSN, and transmitting the second message to the GGSN in response to the first message;

wherein the UE performs handoff to the mobile communication network upon receiving the third message, and transmits a fourth message indicating completion of pre-registration handoff for the UE to the HA.

21. The mobile communication system of claim 20, wherein the HA buffers packets targeted to the UE having the first temporary IP address from a time when the HA registers the second temporary IP address until a subsequent time when the HA receives the fourth message.

22. The mobile communication system of claim 21, wherein upon receiving the fourth message, the HA delivers the buffered packets to the UE using the second temporary IP address.

23. The mobile communication system of claim 21, wherein the first message comprises the home IP address of the UE and the second temporary IP address.

24. The mobile communication system of claim 23, wherein the HA searches an address management table using the home IP address of the UE, and sets a next IP address field corresponding to the home IP address searched from the address management table as the second temporary IP address.

25. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the HA searches the address management table using the home IP address of the UE upon receiving the fourth message, sets the second temporary IP address of the next IP address field searched from the address management table in a current IP address field corresponding to the home IP address of the address management table, and sets the next IP address field with a null value.

26. The mobile communication system of claim 20, wherein the GGSN receives a packet data protocol (PDP) address request message for requesting generation of the second temporary IP address from the SGSN after performing the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes.

27. The mobile communication system of claim 26, wherein the GGSN generates the second temporary IP address in response to the PDP address request message, then transmits a PDP address response message including the second temporary IP address to the SGSN.

28. The mobile communication system of claim 20, wherein the GGSN receives a message for requesting pre-registration and generation of the second temporary IP address from the UE via the WLAN after the authentication vector generation, authentication for the UE, and encryption key distribution processes are performed.