Unlicensed mobile access (UMA) communications using decentralized security gateway

• US 20070242672A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grayson, Mark, Nguyen, Bich, Jagadeesan, Ramanathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate efficient routing of unlicensed mobile access (UMA) communications. In one implementation, a method of providing a communication link between a first mobile station and a second mobile station through a customer premises equipment (CPE) device includes intercepting a call setup request provided by the first mobile station and received at a security gateway of the CPE device. An address associated with the second mobile station may be extracted from the call setup request and the address may be compared with a plurality of records maintained by the CPE device. A call setup request may be forwarded to the second mobile station if the address corresponds to at least one of the records. The first and second mobile stations may be in communication with the CPE device over a wireless local access network (WLAN) in accordance with an unlicensed mobile communication standard.

Claims

1. A method of providing a communication link between a first mobile station and a second mobile station through a customer premises equipment (CPE) device, the method comprising:

intercepting a call setup request received at a security gateway of the CPE device, wherein the call setup request is provided by the first mobile station;

extracting an address from the call setup request, wherein the address is associated with the second mobile station;

comparing the address with a plurality of records maintained by the CPE device, wherein the records identify a plurality of mobile stations registered with the CPE device; and

forwarding the call setup request to the second mobile station if the address corresponds to at least one of the records, wherein the first mobile station and the second mobile station are in communication with the CPE device over a wireless local access network (WLAN) in accordance with an unlicensed mobile communication standard.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing a data communication from at least one of the mobile stations to a data network in communication with the CPE device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the first and second mobile stations with the CPE device prior to the intercepting.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the call setup request to an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller if the address does not correspond to at least one of the records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile stations are adapted to support unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) network communications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlicensed mobile communication standard is an IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlicensed mobile communication standard is Bluetooth™

.

8. A communications system comprising:

a customer premises equipment (CPE) device;

a security gateway maintained by the CPE device;

a plurality of records maintained by the CPE device, wherein the records identify a plurality of mobile stations registered with the CPE device;

a processor of the CPE device in communication with the security gateway and the records; and

a memory of the CPE device in communication with the processor, the memory comprising a machine-readable medium having executable instructions adapted to instruct the processor to perform a method of providing a communication link between a first mobile station and a second mobile station through the CPE device, the method comprising;

intercepting a call setup request from the first mobile station received at the security gateway, wherein the call setup request is provided by the first mobile station,

extracting an address from the call setup request, wherein the address is associated with the second mobile station,

comparing the address with the records, and

forwarding the call setup request to the second mobile station if the address corresponds to at least one of the records, wherein the first mobile station and the second mobile station are in communication with the CPE device over a wireless local access network (WLAN) in accordance with an unlicensed mobile communication standard.

9. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the CPE device is adapted to route a data communication from at least one of the mobile stations to a data network in communication with the CPE device.

10. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises registering the first and second mobile stations with the CPE device prior to the intercepting.

11. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises forwarding the call setup request to an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller if the address does not correspond to at least one of the records.

12. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the first and second mobile stations are adapted to support unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) network communications.

13. A customer premises equipment device comprising

means for providing a wireless local access network (WLAN) in accordance with an unlicensed mobile communication standard;

means for providing a security gateway at a customer premises and in communication with the WLAN;

means for registering a plurality of mobile stations in communication with the WLAN;

a plurality of records identifying the mobile stations registered by the registering means;

means for intercepting a call setup request received at the security gateway, wherein the call setup request is provided by a first mobile station;

means for extracting an address from the call setup request, wherein the address is associated with a second mobile station;

means for comparing the address with the records; and

means for forwarding the call setup request to the second mobile station if the address corresponds to at least one of the records.

14. The customer premises equipment device of claim 13, further comprising means for routing a data communication from at least one of the mobile stations to a data network in communication with the customer premises equipment device.

15. A method of providing a communication link between a mobile station and a data network through a customer premises equipment (CPE) device, the method comprising:

intercepting a session management message received at a security gateway of the CPE device, wherein the session management message is provided by the mobile station;

extracting a domain from the session management message, wherein the domain is accessible through the data network;

comparing the domain with a plurality of records maintained by the CPE device, wherein the records identify a plurality of domains accessible by the mobile station; and

forwarding the session management message to the domain through the data network if the domain corresponds to at least one of the records, wherein the mobile station is in communication with the CPE device over a wireless local access network (WLAN) in accordance with an unlicensed mobile communication standard.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data network is the Internet.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising forwarding the session management message to an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller if the domain does not correspond to at least one of the records.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the mobile station is adapted to support unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) network communications.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the unlicensed mobile communication standard is an IEEE 802.11 standard.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the unlicensed mobile communication standard is Bluetooth™

.