METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MOBILITY OF AN ACCESS TERMINAL IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING MOBILE IP

• US 20080293376A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-Ho, Suh, Kyung-Joo
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method for managing mobility of an AT in a mobile communication system using Mobile IPv4. The AAA and the AT generate a first key for mutual authentication between the AT and a HA, and the AAA and the AG generate a second key for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA. The AG generates a third key for mutual authentication between the AG and the AT. The AT acquires a CoA that it will use in a foreign network. The AT sends an RRQ message to the AG. The AG verifies the RRQ message received from the AT, using a third authentication key. The AG then sends to the HA an RRQ message. The HA verifies the AT and the AG, and allocates an HoA of the AT. The HA sends an RRP message including the allocated HoA of the AT in response to the RRQ message.

Claims

1. A method for managing mobility of an Access Terminal (AT) in a mobile communication system using Mobile Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), the mobile communication system including an AT, an Access Network (AN), a Signaling Radio Network controller (SRNC), an Access Gateway (AG), and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting server (AAA), the method comprising:

generating, during an Access Authentication process, by the AAA and the AT, a first key for mutual authentication between the AT and a Home Agent (HA);

generating, by the AAA and the AG, a second key for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA;

generating, by the AG, a third key for mutual authentication between the AG and the AT;

acquiring, by the AT, a Care-of-Address (CoA) that the AT will use in a foreign network, from the AG;

sending, by the AT to the AG, a Registration Request message including at least one of a first Authentication Extension generated with the first key, a third Authentication Extension generated with the third key, a Home-of-Address (HoA) of the AT, an address of the HA, and the CoA;

verifying, by the AG, the third Authentication Extension included in the Registration Request message received from the AT, using the third authentication key;

sending, by the AG to the HA, a Registration Request message including a second Authentication Extension generated with the second key;

upon receipt of the Registration Request message from the AG, performing, by the HA, verification on the AT and the AG using the first and the second Authentication Extensions, respectively;

allocating an HoA of the AT, when the verification is successfully completed and the HA is assigned to the AT; and

sending, by the HA, a Registration Response message including the allocated HoA of the AT, in response to the Registration Request message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while performing the Access Authentication process, generating, by the AAA, a first root key to be used for a Mobile IP authentication process, and generating the first key using the first root key;

generating, from the first root key, a second root key used for generating the second key;

generating a third root key with which the AG generates the third key; and

sending, to the AG, the third root key and an Access Accept message, in response to an Access Request message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while performing the Access Authentication process, generating, by the AT, a first root key to be used for a Mobile IP authentication process;

generating the first key from the first root key; and

generating a third root key used for generating the third key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating, by the HA, the HoA of the AT comprises:

verifying first authentication information generated by the AT, received from the AG, using the first key received from the AAA;

when the first authentication information is verified, verifying second authentication information included in the received Registration Request message, using the second key received from the AAA; and

when the second authentication information is verified, determining if the HA itself is an HA to be assigned to the AT, based on an HA address included in the Registration Request message, and allocating an HoA of the AT to the AT, when the HA itself is the HA to be assigned to the AT.

5. A system for managing mobility of an Access Terminal (AT) in a mobile communication system using Mobile Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), the system comprising:

a Home Agent (HA);

an Access Network (AN);

an Access Gateway;

a Signaling Radio Network controller (SRNC);

an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting server (AAA) for generating a first key for mutual authentication between the HA and the AT, and generating a second key for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA, during an Access Authentication process in which the AT, the AN, the SRNC, the AG, and the AAA are involved;

wherein the AG for generates a third key for mutual authentication between the AG and the AT, sends a Care-of-Address (CoA) to be used in a foreign network to the AT, and upon receiving from the AT a Registration Request message including at least one of the CoA, a first Authentication Extension generated with the first key, a third Authentication Extension generated with the third key, a Home-of-Address (HoA) of the AT, and an HA address, verifies the third Authentication Extension included in the Registration Request message using the third key, and sends a second Authentication Extension for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA, and the Registration Request message;

wherein the HA, upon receiving the Registration Request message via the AG, verifies the first Authentication Extension using the first key acquired from the AAA, verifies the second Authentication Extension using the second key, and allocates an HoA of the AT to the AT; and

wherein the AT generates the first key for mutual authentication between the AT and the HA, generates the third key for mutual authentication between the AT and the AG, receives, from the AG, a CoA that the AT will use in a foreign network, sends, to the AG, a Registration Request message including at least one of the CoA, the first Authentication Extension generated with the first key, a third Authentication Extension generated with the third key, the HoA of the AT, and the HA address, and receives, from the AG, a Registration Response message, in response to the Registration Request message including the HoA allocated to the AT.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the AAA generates a first root key to be used for a Mobile IP authentication process, generates the first key using the first root key, generates from the first root key a second root key used for generating the second key, generates a third root key with which the AG generates the third key, and sends, to the AG, the third root key and an Access Accept message, in response to an Access Request message.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the AT generates a first root key to be used for a Mobile IP authentication process, generates the first key from the first root key, and generates a third root key used for generating the third key.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the HA verifies first authentication information generated by the AT, received from the AG, using the first key received from the AAA, verifies second authentication information included in the received Registration Request message using the second key received from the AAA, when the first authentication information is verified, determines if the HA itself is an HA to be assigned to the AT based on the HA address in the Registration Request message, when the second authentication information is verified, and allocates an HoA to the AT when the HA itself is the HA to be assigned to the AT.

9. A method for managing mobility of an Access Terminal (AT) in a Home Agent (HA) of a mobile communication system using Mobile Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), the method comprising:

receiving, from the AT, a Registration Request message including at least one of a first Authentication Extension that an Access Gateway (AG) that received the Registration Request message has generated using a first key for mutual authentication between the AT and the HA, a second Authentication Extension generated using a second key for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA, a Home-of-Address (HoA) of the AT, an HA address, and a Care-of-Address (CoA) allocated from the AG;

acquiring the first key and the second key from an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting server (AAA);

verifying the first Authentication Extension included in the Registration Request message using the first key acquired from the AAA;

verifying the second Authentication Extension included in the Registration Request message using the second key;

registering mobility-related information of the AT after verification of the first Authentication Extension and the second Authentication Extension; and

sending, to the AT, a Registration Response message including at least one of an HoA to be used by the AT and the CoA, in response to the Registration Request message.

10. A method for managing mobility of an Access Terminal (AT) in a mobile communication system that includes the AT, an Access Gateway (AG) through which the AT accesses a packet data network, and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting server (AAA) for authenticating the AT, and uses Mobile Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), the method comprising:

performing an Access Authentication process utilizing the AAA;

receiving, by the AG, a Registration Request message including relevant information for authentication check and mobility management for the AT, from the AT;

relaying, by the AG to the HA, the Registration Request message of the AT;

verifying, by the HA, authentication-related information of the AT;

registering relevant information for mobility management of the AT; and

sending, by the HA to the AT, via the AG, a Registration Response message indicating the registration of the AT, in response to the Registration Request message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the Registration Request message that the AG receives from the AT includes at least one of a first Authentication Extension generated using a first key for mutual authentication between the AT and the HA, a third Authentication Extension generated using a third key for mutual authentication between the AG and the AT, a Home-of-Address (HoA) of the AT, an HA address, and a Care-of-Address (CoA) allocated from the AG.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the Registration Request message of the AT, that the AG relays to the HA, includes at least one of a first Authentication Extension generated using a first key for mutual authentication between the AT and the HA, a second Authentication Extension generated using a second key for mutual authentication between the AG and the HA, an HoA of the AT, an HA address, and a CoA allocated from the AG.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the Registration Response message includes at least one of a CoA, and a HoA of the AT, allocated to the AT.