Capability exchange during an authentication process for an access terminal

• US 20070208855A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Jayaraman, Yegani, Parviz, Sastry, Venkateshwara
• Granted Patent: US 9,130,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 : adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In one embodiment, during an authentication process between a network device and an access terminal, an authentication message for access to the network is received. The network device is configured to allow access to an IP network. The network device determines one or more capabilities of the access terminal from the authentication message. An action is then performed based on the one or more capabilities of the access terminal. The action may include using the capabilities to set up a session with the access terminal. Also, the network device may send its own capabilities to the access terminal in an authentication response. Accordingly, a capability negotiation between the access terminal and network device may be provided during an authentication process. This may facilitate a faster session setup as capabilities are exchanged during authentication can be used in the configuration of the session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during an authentication process with an access terminal, receiving an authentication message for access to a network;

determining one or more capabilities of the access terminal, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message received during the authentication process; and

performing an action based on the one or more capabilities of the access terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action comprises using the one or more capabilities in a setup of a session with the access terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a second authentication message to the access terminal, the second authentication message including one or more capabilities for the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication message comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) message that is used in the authentication process for access to the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more capabilities comprise capabilities for layer 3 access.

6. A method comprising:

during an authentication process with a network device, determining, at an access terminal, one or more capabilities for the access terminal;

generating an authentication message for access to a network, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message; and

sending the authentication message to the network device, wherein the one or more capabilities of the access terminal are useable to set up a session between the network device and the access terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a second authentication message to the access terminal, the second authentication message including one or more capabilities for the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using the one or more capabilities for the network to set up a session with the network device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the authentication message comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) message that is used in the authentication process for access to the network.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more capabilities comprise capabilities for layer 3 access.

11. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to;

receive an authentication message for access to a network during an authentication process with an access terminal;

determine one or more capabilities of the access terminal, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message received during the authentication process; and

perform an action based on the one or more capabilities of the access terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to use the one or more capabilities in a setup of a session with the access terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to send a second authentication message to the access terminal, the second authentication message including one or more capabilities for the network.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the authentication message comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) message that is used in the authentication process for access to the network.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more capabilities comprise capabilities for layer 3 access.

16. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to;

determine one or more capabilities for the apparatus during an authentication process with a network device;

generate an authentication message for access to a network, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message; and

send the authentication message to the network device, wherein the one or more capabilities of the apparatus are useable to set up a session between the apparatus and the network device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to receive a second authentication message to the access terminal, the second authentication message including one or more capabilities for the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to use the one or more capabilities for the network to set up a session with the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the authentication message comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) message that is used in the authentication process for access to the network.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more capabilities comprise capabilities for layer 3 access.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an authentication message for access to a network during an authentication process with an access terminal;

means for determining one or more capabilities of the access terminal, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message received during the authentication process; and

means for performing an action based on the one or more capabilities of the access terminal.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining, at an access terminal, one or more capabilities for the access terminal during an authentication process with a network device;

means for generating an authentication message for access to a network, wherein information for the one or more capabilities is included in the authentication message; and

means for sending the authentication message to the network device, wherein the one or more capabilities of the access terminal are useable to set up a session between the network device and the access terminal.