METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROTECT WIRELESS NETWORKS FROM UNSOLICITED PACKETS TRIGGERING RADIO RESOURCE CONSUMPTION

• US 20090097469A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A wireless communication method and wireless gateway device are provided for wireless communication between a wireless mobile station and a remote device. An unsolicited data packet is received from a remote device in which the data packet is addressed to the wireless mobile station. A determination is made as to whether to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device. The determination is based at least in part on the unsolicited data packet. A communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is performed without transmitting the received data packet to the mobile station upon determining to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device. A communication session is established with the wireless mobile station when the communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful. Data packets are forwarded between the wireless mobile station and the remote device when communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful and when communication with the wireless mobile station is established.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication between a wireless mobile station and a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving an unsolicited data packet from a remote device, the data packet being addressed to the wireless mobile station;

determining whether to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device, the determination being based at least in part on the unsolicited data packet;

engaging in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device without transmitting the received data packet to the mobile station upon determining to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device;

establishing a communication session with the wireless mobile station when the communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful; and

forwarding data packets between the wireless mobile station and the remote device when communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful and when communication with the wireless mobile station is established.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication synchronization handshake is a TCP handshake.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received unsolicited data packet is a TCP SYN packet, wherein successfully engaging in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device includes transmitting a TCP SYN-ACK packet to the remote device and receiving an acknowledgement thereto.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined not to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device when the received unsolicited data packet is not a communication synchronization handshake packet, and wherein the method further comprises dropping the received unsolicited data packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received unsolicited data packet is a UDP packet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring logical communication ports used by the mobile station; and

blocking the establishment of the communication session when the communication session corresponds to a port other than logical communication ports used by the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting failure of establishment of the communication session between the mobile station and the remote device, the failure being based on lack of support by the mobile terminal for a service corresponding to the communication session; and

blocking the establishment of a future communication session between the remote device and the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

logging the detected failure; and

blocking the establishment of future communication sessions between the remote device and the mobile station when a quantity of logged detected failures exceeds a predetermined amount.

9. A gateway apparatus providing data communication between a remote device and a wireless mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

at least one communication interface receiving a data packet from the remote device, the data packet being addressed to a wireless mobile station; and

a central processing unit in communication with the at least one communication interface, the central processing unit operating to determine whether to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device, the determination being based at least in part on the unsolicited data packet, the central processing unit using the at least one communication interface to;

engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device without transmitting the received data packet to the mobile station upon determining to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device;

establish a communication session with the wireless mobile station when the communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful; and

forward data packets between the wireless mobile station and the remote device when communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful and when communication with the wireless mobile station is established.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the communication synchronization handshake is a TCP handshake.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the received unsolicited data packet is a TCP SYN packet, wherein successfully engaging in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device includes transmitting a TCP SYN-ACK packet to the remote device and receiving an acknowledgement thereto.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein it is determined not to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device when the received unsolicited data packet is not a communication synchronization handshake packet, and wherein the central processing unit drops the received unsolicited data packet.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the central processing unit further operates to:

monitor logical communication ports used by the mobile station; and

block the establishment of the communication session when the communication session corresponds to a port other than logical communication ports used by the mobile station.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the central processing unit further operates to:

detect failure of establishment of the communication session between the mobile station and the remote device, the failure being based on lack of support by the mobile terminal for a service corresponding to the communication session; and

block the establishment of a future communication session between the remote device and the mobile station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the central processing unit further operates to:

log the detected failure; and

block the establishment of future communication sessions between the remote device and the mobile station when a quantity of logged detected failures exceeds a predetermined amount.

16. A storage medium storing programmatic code that when executed by a computing device performs a method for wireless communication between a wireless mobile station and a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving an unsolicited data packet from a remote device, the data packet being addressed to the wireless mobile station;

determining whether to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device, the determination being based at least in part on the unsolicited data packet;

engaging in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device without transmitting the received data packet to the mobile station upon determining to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device;

establishing a communication session with the wireless mobile station when the communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful; and

forwarding data packets between the wireless mobile station and the remote device when communication synchronization handshake with the remote device is successful and when communication with the wireless mobile station is established.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the received unsolicited data packet is a TCP SYN packet, wherein successfully engaging in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device includes transmitting a TCP SYN-ACK packet to the remote device and receiving an acknowledgement thereto.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein it is determined not to engage in a communication synchronization handshake with the remote device when the received unsolicited data packet is not a communication synchronization handshake packet, and wherein the method further comprises dropping the received unsolicited data packet.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring logical communication ports used by the mobile station; and

blocking the establishment of the communication session when the communication session corresponds to a port other than logical communication ports used by the mobile station.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting failure of establishment of the communication session between the mobile station and the remote device, the failure being based on lack of support by the mobile terminal for a service corresponding to the communication session; and

blocking the establishment of a future communication session between the remote device and the mobile station.