Geographical restriction of services in a packet data telecommunications network

• US 20070230440A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Joong, Donald, Tran, Hung, Savoli, Shohreh
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• 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 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A method and a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) of restricting geographical use of a service for a mobile terminal (MT) in a packet data telecommunications network. The PDSN receives from an access node (AN), a registration request message having a cell information for requesting. The PDSN translates the cell information into a zone ID, stores the zone ID in a first table and sends to a AAA server, an access request message for authenticating the MT. PDSN further receives from the AAA server, an access accept message for authorizing the MT to receive packet data service, wherein the access accept message includes an allowance information. Afterwards the PDSN compares the allowance information with the zone ID. If the allowance information is different from the zone ID in the first table, the PDSN set up a filter for the MT and rejects packet data for the requested packet data service.

Claims

1. A method of restricting geographical use of a service for a mobile terminal (MT) in a packet data network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a packet data service node (PDSN) from an access node (AN), a registration request message for requesting packet data service, wherein the registration request includes a cell information;

translating, at the PDSN, the cell information into a zone ID;

storing, at the PDSN, the zone ID, wherein the zone ID is stored in a first table;

sending, from the PDSN to an Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA) server, an access request message for authenticating the MT;

receiving, at the PDSN from the AAA server, an access accept message for authorizing the MT to receive packet data service, wherein the access accept message includes an allowance information;

comparing, at the PDSN, the allowance information with the zone ID;

if the allowance information is different from the zone ID in the first table;

setting up, at the PDSN, a filter for the MT; and

rejecting, at the PDSN, the packet data for the requested packet data service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the following steps are executed prior the step of receiving the registration request message for requesting packet data service:

sending, from the MT to the AN, an origination request for requesting a packet data service to the packet data network, wherein the registration request includes the cell information; and

receiving, at the AN, the origination request sent from the AN.

3. The method of claim 1, step of receiving the registration request message for requesting packet data service includes the steps of:

processing, at the PDSN, the MT information;

accessing, at the PDSN, a first table for correlating the cell information and zone ID.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of translating includes a step of correlating the cell information with zone ID of a second table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending an access request message from the PDSN to the AAA server includes the steps of:

receiving, at the AAA server, the access request;

verifying, at the AAA server, that the MT is allowed to received services in the packet data network; and

sending, from the AAA server to the PDSN from the AAA server, an access accept message for authorizing the MT to receive packet data service, the access accept message includes the allowance information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending from the PDSN to the AN the registration response indicating that the service is allowed includes the steps of:

receiving, at the AN, the registration response;

sending from the AN to the MT an origination response;

establishing, between the MT and the PDSN, a packet data connection for transmitting packet data for the MT.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting up a filter includes the steps of:

applying, at the PDSN, the filter based on condition and action stored in a third table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the allowance information corresponds to the translated cell information in a first mapping table during the step of comparing:

sending, from the PDSN to the AN, a registration response message indicating that the service is allowed;

sending, from the AN to the MT, an origination response message indicating that the service is allowed; and

establishing, between the MT and the PDSN, a packet data connection for transmitting packet data for the MT.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending, from the MT to the AN, the origination request includes the steps of:

sending, from the AN to the PDSN, a service code for identifying the requested service;

if the allowance information is different from the zone ID in the first table;

terminating, at the PDSN, the packet data service;

rejecting, at the PDSN, the registration request message;

sending, from the PDSN to the AN, a registration message indicating that the requested service is rejected; and

sending, from the AN to the PDSN, a registration message indicating that the requested service is rejected.

10. A Packet Date Service Node (PDSN) for providing packet data service to a Mobile Terminal (MT) in a packet data network, wherein the PDSN comprises:

an Input/Output unit for receiving a registration request message for requesting packet data service, wherein the registration request includes a cell information, receiving an access accept message for authorizing the MT to receive packet data service, wherein the access accept message includes an allowance information;

a processor for translating the cell information into a zone ID, comparing, at the PDSN, the allowance information with the zone ID and if the allowance information is different from the zone ID in the first table the processor set up a filter for the MT and reject the packet data for the requested packet data service; and

a database for storing the zone ID in a first table.

11. The PDSN of claim 10, wherein the database further comprises a second database for correlating the cell information with zone ID.

12. The PDSN of claim 10, wherein the processor further applies the filter based on condition and action stored in a third table of the database.

13. The PDSN of claim 10, wherein the I/O unit PDSN receives from the AN the registration request message with a service code for identifying the requested service and if the allowance information is different from the zone ID in the first table:

the processor;

terminates, the packet data service;

rejects the registration request message;

the I/O unit;

sends a registration message indicating that the requested service is rejected.