GATEWAY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING ACCESS TO VARIOUS MEDIA

• US 20090113539A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: ZHONG, Hui, SHU, Guiming
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices

Abstract

A gateway system for implementing access to various media is provided in the invention, and the gateway system includes: a communication media access module, for establishing a communication link with the corresponding media access network; a Media Independent Handover Functions module, for seamless handover between accesses to various media; and a handover decision module, for selecting a target network for the seamless handover. The gateway system may also include an authentication module, for sharing the authentication information of the User Equipment. Two methods for implementing access to various media are further disclosed in the invention. By the provided gateway system and methods, the User Equipment can access various media via the gateway system, seamlessly hand over between accesses to various media and achieve the access to a service network using the shared authentication information.

Claims

1. A gateway system for implementing access to various media, comprising:

a communication media access module, adapted to provide an authentication module or a User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information with a communication link to the current access network; and

the authentication module, adapted to obtain and store the authentication information from at least one User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information, query for and select the authentication information satisfying service requirements of a second User Equipment from the stored authentication information, according to an access request sent by the second User Equipment, and implement the access from the second User Equipment to the service network via the communication media access module, according to the selected authentication information;

or

wherein the authentication module forwards the access request to the first User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information which corresponds to the selected authentication information, and the access from the second User Equipment to the service network is implemented by the first User Equipment via the communication media access module.

2. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the authentication module further comprises:

an authenticating information obtaining sub-module, adapted to obtain the authentication information from the at least one User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information, and send the obtained authentication information;

an authentication information management sub-module, adapted to store and manage the obtained authentication information, query for and select the stored authentication information, according a query request from the authentication proxy sub-module, and send the selected authentication information; and

an authentication proxy sub-module, adapted to send the query request to the authentication information management sub-module, according to an access request sent by the second User Equipment, send an access request or re-access request to the communication media access module, according to the authentication information sent by the authentication information management sub-module, and send to the second User Equipment information of unauthorization or authorization returned by the communication media access module, to complete the access from the second User Equipment to the service network.

3. A method for implementing access to various media, comprising:

establishing, by a gateway system, a communication link to the current access network, and implementing the access from a User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information to a service network;

obtaining and storing, by the gateway system, authentication information used for the access from at least one User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information to the service network, and sharing the stored authentication information; and

implementing, by the gateway system, the access from a second User Equipment to the service network using the shared authentication information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the access from the User Equipment supporting sharing of authentication information to the service network comprises access authentication or registration with the service network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network using the shared authentication information comprises:

receiving, by the gateway system, a second access request sent by the second User Equipment;

selecting, by the gateway system, authentication information from the shared authentication information in the gateway system, according to service requirement information in the received second access request, and sending a first access request to the service network, according to the selected authentication information; and

implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network further comprises:

forwarding to the second User Equipment, by the gateway system, information of unauthorization which is returned by the service network in response to the received first access request, and establishing a secure communication path to the service network, according to the received information of unauthorization;

forwarding, by the gateway system, a re-access request returned by the second User Equipment to the gateway system in response to the information about unauthorization to the service network via the secure communication path; and

forwarding to the second User Equipment, by the gateway system, information about authorization returned by the service network to the gateway system in response to the re-access request, to complete the access from the second User Equipment to the service network.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network using the shared authentication information further comprises:

receiving, by the gateway system, a second access request sent by the second User Equipment;

selecting, by the gateway system, authentication information from the shared authentication information in the gateway system according to service requirement information in the received second access request, and forwarding the second access request to a first User Equipment which supports sharing of authentication information and corresponds to the selected authentication information, and the first User Equipment sends a first access request to the service network via the gateway system by using the authentication information stored in the first User Equipment according to the received second access request; and

implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network through the first User Equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the service network through the first User Equipment further comprises:

forwarding to the first User Equipment, by the gateway system, information of unauthorization which is returned by the service network in response to the received first access request;

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received information of authorization to the second User Equipment, and establishing a secure communication path to the service network, according to the received information of unauthorization;

sending, by the second User Equipment, the re-access request to the first User Equipment, according to the received information of unauthorization;

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received re-access request to the service network via the secure communication path;

sending, by the service network, information of authorization to the first User Equipment, according the received re-access request; and

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received information of authorization to the second User Equipment, to complete the access from the second User Equipment to the service network.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

verifying, by the gateway system, service request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received service request sent by the second User Equipment; and

forwarding, by the gateway system, the service request to the service network, and establishing a service connection between the second User Equipment and the service network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein verifying, by the gateway system, the service request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received service request sent by the second User Equipment, further comprises:

determining, by the gateway system, whether the second User Equipment satisfies the service request capability, according the received service request; and

if the second User Equipment satisfies the service request capability, the method proceeds to;

forwarding, by the gateway system, the service request to the service network, and establishing a service connection between the second User Equipment and the service network;

otherwise, the method proceeds to;

sending, by the gateway system, the re-access request to the second User Equipment; and

completing, by the second User Equipment, the re-access, according to the received re-access request, and subsequently sending a service request to the gateway system, and the method proceeds to;

verifying, by the gateway system, the service request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received service request sent by the second User Equipment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein forwarding, by the gateway system, the service request to the service network and establishing a service connection between the second User Equipment and the service network comprises:

forwarding, by the gateway system, the service request of the second User Equipment to the service network;

returning, by the service network, a service request response to the second User Equipment via the gateway system, according to the received service request; and

establishing, by the second User Equipment, a service connection to the service network via the gateway system, according to the received service request response.

12. A gateway system for implementing access to various media, comprising:

a communication media access module, adapted to provide a communication link to the current access network for a User Equipment, send a handover request to a Media Independent Handover Functions module, according to status of the communication link to the current access network, and establish a new communication link to a selected target network, according to information of the selected target network returned by the Media Independent Handover Functions module;

the Media Independent Handover Functions module, adapted to send a request for selecting the target network to a handover decision module, according to the received handover request, and send to the communication media access module the information of the selected target network returned by the handover decision module; and

the handover decision module, adapted to select the target network, according to the received request for selecting the target network, and return the information of the selected target network to the Media Independent Handover Functions module.

13. The gateway system of claim 12, wherein the communication media access module of the gateway system is further adapted to hand over User Equipment services on the communication link to the current access network to the new communication link, and disconnect the communication link to the current access network, according to information returned by the Media Independent Handover Functions module.

14. The gateway system of claim 12, wherein the communication media access module comprises at least two media access sub-modules;

and

the media access sub-modules are adapted to provide a communication link to a wireless network for the User Equipment.

15. The gateway system of claim 14, wherein the media access sub-module is any one selected from a group comprising:

a satellite reception sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to a satellite network for the User Equipment;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access network for the User Equipment;

a Third Generation Partnership Project sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to a Third Generation Partnership Project network for the User Equipment;

a Third Generation Partnership Project 2 sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to a Third Generation Partnership Project 2 network for the User Equipment;

a Wireless Fidelity sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to a Wireless Fidelity network for the User Equipment; and

an Ethernet sub-module, adapted to provide a communication link to an Ethernet network for the User Equipment.

16. A method for seamless handover in the case of access to various networks, comprising:

establishing, by a gateway system, a communication link to the current access network, to transfer services of a User Equipment;

selecting, by the gateway system, a target network according to status of the communication link to the current access network; and

establishing, by the gateway system, a new communication link to the selected target network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

disconnecting the communication link between the gateway system and the current access network after the service of the User Equipment is handed over to the new communication link.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting, by the gateway system, the target network, according to status of the communication link to the current access network, comprises:

selecting, by the gateway system, the target network when uplink access capability of the communication link between the gateway system and the current access network fails to satisfy service requirements of the User Equipment.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the current access network or target network is a wireless network, and the wireless network comprises a satellite network, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access network, a Third Generation Partnership Project network, Third Generation Partnership Project 2 network, a Wireless Fidelity network, and an Ethernet network.