Telecommunication System and Method for Controlling Switching of User Terminal Between Two Networks

• US 20090052396A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Groting, Wolfgang, Bucker, Wolfgang, Riegel, Maximilian, Horn, Gunther, Kross, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/087 for preserving data network PoA address despite hand-offs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A user terminal is switched between a cellular network and a worldwide interoperability for microwave access radio network within a telecommunication system. An authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server which is designed for use with both of these networks is disposed in the telecommunication system in such a way that user data of the user terminal stored in the AAA server can be accessed from both of these networks, thereby advantageously ensuring uninterrupted switching between the two networks free of loss.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A telecommunication system operating with a first network which is a cellular mobile radio network and a second network which is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access radio network, and communicating with at least one user terminal equipped to use both the first network and the second network, said telecommunication system comprising:

an authentication, authorization and accounting server storing user data of a user terminal and making the user data accessible to both the first network and the second network.

15. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 14, wherein when a connection is established between the user terminal and one of the first and second networks, said authentication, authorization and accounting server checks whether the user terminal is already connected to the other of the first and second networks and, if so, the user data of the user terminal is retrieved by said authentication, authorization and accounting server.

16. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 15, wherein if the user terminal is not already connected to the other of the first and second networks, the user data created when the connection is established is stored in said authentication, authorization and accounting server.

17. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said authentication, authorization and accounting server assists in a switchover of the user terminal between the first and second networks by a mobility protocol.

18. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a mobile client for the user terminal is defined in the mobility protocol and is equipped for signaling by the user terminal on execution of the switchover of the user terminal between the first and second networks.

19. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a proxy mobile client is defined in the mobility protocol and is embodied as a proxy for the user terminal for executing signaling when switching the user terminal between the first and second networks.

20. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the proxy mobile client is implemented in the first network.

21. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a home agent for a home network assigned to the user terminal and a foreign agent for a foreign network able to be used by the user terminal which is not its home network are defined in the mobility protocol, with the foreign agent being embodied so that it receives signaling and payload data coming from the home network of the user terminal directed to the user terminal.

22. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the foreign agent is present in the first network, forwards mobility-protocol-specific signaling data between the proxy mobile client and the home agent and forwards actual user payload data between the user terminal and the home agent.

23. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the user data in said authentication, authorization and accounting server contains at least one of information needed for a Mobile Security association for protecting a transmission of mobility-protocol-specific signaling data between the user terminal and the home agent, a common privacy key to create a Message Authentication Code, information about an algorithm to create the Message Authentication Code, copy protection information, an address of the home agent of the user terminal and a home address of the user terminal in its home network.

24. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 23, wherein when switching of the user terminal between the first and second networks, a connection of the user terminal to one of the first and second networks which existed before the switching is maintained for a predeterminable duration, after a new connection of the user terminal to the other of the first and second networks has been established.

25. The telecommunication system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first network is a network in accordance with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System standard.

26. A method for controlling switching of a user terminal between a first network, which is a cellular mobile radio network, and a second network, which is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access radio network, comprising:

storing user data of the user terminal in an authentication, authorization and accounting server; and

providing access to the user data stored in the in authentication, authorization and accounting server by both the first network and the second network.