Fixed access point for a terminal device

• US 20060291448A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pichna, Roman, Grech, Sandro, Hellgren, Vesa
• Granted Patent: US 7,733,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The invention allows providing a fixed access point for a terminal device. One of multiple access points is assigned to serve as a fixed access point for a terminal device based on a received identifier of the terminal device. A notification about the assignment of the fixed access point is transmitted to at least one of the terminal device and a gateway node serving the terminal device. As a result, Mobile IP based handover between GPRS and WLAN will be seamless. Furthermore, the invention allows using a dedicated gateway for infected terminals to provide quarantined access to network services.

Claims

1. A method of providing a fixed access point for a terminal device, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier of a terminal device;

assigning one of multiple access points to serve as a fixed access point for said terminal device based on said received identifier of said terminal device, each of said multiple access points configured to interface at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network; and

transmitting, to at least one of said terminal device and a gateway node serving said terminal device, a notification about said assignment of said fixed access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said identifier of said terminal device in a request to forward data traffic from said terminal device to a network node comprising said fixed access point in order to test software disposed in said network node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said identifier of said terminal device in a message about said terminal device being infected.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of assigning comprises assigning an access point comprised in a network node configured to quarantine infected terminal devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said identifier of said terminal device in a request by said terminal device to access said packet data network via one of said multiple mobile access systems.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

assigning, before said step of assigning said fixed access point, one of said multiple access points to serve as an arbitrary access point for said terminal device;

sending, to said assigned arbitrary access point, a session initiation request comprising said identifier of said terminal device;

forwarding said session initiation request from said assigned arbitrary access point to said assigned fixed access point; and

initiating the requested session with said assigned fixed access point in response to receiving said forwarded session initiation request.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting said notification in a session initiation response.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting said notification via said assigned arbitrary access point.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of forwarding comprises forwarding said session initiation request via an Internet Protocol tunnel, and

wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting said notification until said assigned arbitrary access point via said Internet Protocol tunnel.

10. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

binding said identifier of said terminal device to an address of one of said multiple access points,

wherein said step of assigning the fixed access point comprises assigning, to serve as said fixed access point, said one of said multiple access points to the address of which said received identifier of said terminal device is bound.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of binding comprises binding said identifier of said terminal device to an address of an access point comprised in a network node which further comprises a home agent associated with said terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of assigning the fixed access point comprises searching for a network node comprising a home agent associated with said terminal device, and, if said network node is found, assigning an access point comprised in said found network node to serve as said fixed access point.

13. A network node comprising:

at least one access point configured to interface at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network;

a fixed access point assigner configured to assign one of said at least one access point comprised in said network node and another access point comprised in another network node to serve as a fixed access point for a terminal device, based on a received identifier of said terminal device; and

a notification transmitter configured to transmit to at least one of said terminal device and a gateway node serving said terminal device a notification about said assignment of said fixed access point.

14. The network node according to claim 13, wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to assign, to serve as said fixed access point, an access point comprised in a network node configured to quarantine infected terminal devices, in response to said received identifier of said terminal device received in a message about said terminal device being infected.

15. The network node according to claim 13, wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to assign said one of said at least one access point comprised in said network node and said another access point comprised in said another network node to serve as said fixed access point in response to said identifier of said terminal device received in a request by said terminal device to access said packet data network via one of said multiple mobile access systems.

16. The network node according to claim 15, wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to bind said received identifier of said terminal device to an address of said one of said at least one access point comprised in said network node and said another access point comprised in said another network node, and

wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to assign, to serve as said fixed access point, the access point to the address of which said received identifier of said terminal device is bound.

17. The network node according to claim 16, wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to bind said received identifier of said terminal device to an address of an access point comprised in a network node which further comprises a home agent associated with said terminal device.

18. The network node according to claim 15, wherein said fixed access point assigner is further configured to search for a network node comprising a home agent associated with said terminal device, and, when said network node is found, assigning an access point comprised in said found network node to serve as said fixed access point.

19. A system of providing a fixed access point for a terminal device, the system comprising:

a terminal device;

a packet data network;

multiple mobile access systems; and

multiple network nodes, each network node comprising at least one access point, each access point configured to interface at least one of said mobile access systems with said packet data network;

wherein at least one of said multiple network nodes further comprises

a fixed access point assigner configured to assign one of said access points to serve as a fixed access point for said terminal device based on a received identifier of said terminal device, and

a notification transmitter configured to transmit to at least one of said terminal device and a gateway node serving said terminal device a notification about said assignment of said fixed access point.

20. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing a fixed access point for a terminal device, the computer program controlling a data-processing device to perform the steps of:

receiving an identifier of a terminal device;

assigning one of multiple access points to serve as a fixed access point for said terminal device based on said received identifier of said terminal device, each of said multiple access points configured to interface at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network; and

transmitting, to at least one of said terminal device and a gateway node serving said terminal device, a notification about said assignment of said fixed access point.

21. A network node comprising:

at least one access point means for interfacing at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network;

a fixed access point assigning means for assigning one of said at least one access point means comprised in said network node and another access point means comprised in another network node to serve as a fixed access point means for a terminal device, based on a received identifier of said terminal device; and

a notification transmitting means for transmitting to at least one of said terminal device and a gateway node serving said terminal device a notification about said assignment of said fixed access point means.

22. A gateway node serving a terminal device, said gateway node comprising:

a notification receiver configured to receive a notification about assignment of one of multiple access points to serve as a fixed access point for said terminal device, each of said multiple access points configured to interface at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network; and

a forwarder arranged to forward data traffic from said terminal device to said fixed access point in response to said received notification.

23. A terminal device comprising:

a notification receiver configured to receive a notification about assignment of one of multiple access points to serve as a fixed access point for said terminal device, each of said multiple access points configured to interface at least one of multiple mobile access systems with a packet data network; and

a transmitter configured to transmit data traffic from said terminal device to said fixed access point in response to said received notification.