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COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND GATEWAY APPARATUS

  • US 20090109925A1
  • Filed: 10/23/2008
  • Published: 04/30/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A communication system comprising:

  • a first access network including plural first base stations that inter-convert a first wireless signal from a wireless terminal into a wired signal and transfer the wired signal, and a first access router that accommodates the first base stations;

    a second access network including plural second base stations that inter-convert a second wireless signal of a communication format different from that of the first wireless signal from the wireless terminal into a wired signal and transfer the wired signal, and a second access router that accommodates the second base stations, the second access network adopting a communication format different from that of the first access network;

    a wireless terminal that can access both the first access network and the second access network, which are heterogeneous access networks; and

    a gateway apparatus that accommodates both the first access router of the first access network and the second access router of the second access network, accommodates at least one of the first base stations and at least one of the second base stations, and inter-converts, when the wireless terminal moves between the first access network and the second access network, a handover procedure in the first access network and a handover procedure in the second access network and relays the handover procedures,whereinwhen the wireless terminal is connected to only the first access network and performs communication with a communication destination apparatus through the first base stations, the first access router, and the core network, the core network and the wireless terminal share an encryption key MSK according to user authentication and the wireless terminal stores first communication context information and an ID of the gateway apparatus,when the wireless terminal moves to the second access network side and determines handover to the second access network, the wireless terminal transmits a connection request for the handover including an ID of the wireless terminal,a data path between the first access router and the gate way apparatus is set by an encryption key AK_GW for protecting communication between the core network and the first access router, the encryption key AK_GW being generated by the first access router on the basis of the MSK received from the core network,data paths between the gateway apparatus and the second base stations are set by an encryption key MSK_eBS or K_eNB*+ for protecting communication between the gateway apparatus and the second base stations, the encryption key MSK_eBS or K_eNB*+ being generated by the gateway apparatus on the basis of the AK_GW transmitted from the first access router,the wireless terminal and the second base stations perform wireless data link setting on a protected communication path using an encryption key TSK_eBS or an encryption key for wireless protection for protecting communication between the wireless terminal and the second base stations, the encryption key TSK_eBS or the encryption key for wireless protection being generated by the second base stations on the basis of the MSK_eBS or the K_eNB*+ received from the gateway apparatus, and the TSK_eBS or the encryption key for wireless protection generated by the wireless terminal on the basis of the MSK or authentication information subjected to key exchange with the second base stations,the wireless terminal performs communication with the communication destination apparatus through the core network, the first access router, the gateway apparatus, and the second base stations, andthereafter, the wireless terminal performs user authentication with the second access network and executes the handover to the second access network.

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