System and Method for Mobile Telephone Roaming

• US 20090221265A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simo Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Simo Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: LIU, Jing, XU, Richard, QIN, Xiaolei
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning

Abstract

A foreign wireless communication system is operated in a local communication network as if the foreign wireless communication system were a local wireless communication system. A data communication link is established between the wireless communication system and a service provider in a local wireless communication network. An outgoing request for authentication information is communicated from the wireless communication system to a remote administration system over the data communication link. The authentication information is received over the data communication link from the administration system and is transmitted over a signal link from the wireless communication system to the service provider. A requested wireless communication service is received at the wireless communication system based on authentication of the wireless communication system by the service provider using the authentication information.

Claims

1. A method of operating a foreign wireless communication system in a local communication network as if the foreign wireless communication system were a local wireless communication system, said method comprising:

establishing a data communication link between a wireless communication system and a service provider in a local wireless communication network;

communicating over the data communication link, from the wireless communication system to a remote administration system that is distinct from the service provider, an outgoing request for authentication information;

receiving over the data communication link, at the wireless communication system from the administration system, the authentication information;

transmitting over a signal link that is different to the data link, from the wireless communication system to the service provider, the authentication information; and

receiving a requested wireless communication service at the wireless communication system based on authentication of the wireless communication system by the service provider using the authentication information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the communicating:

generating, at the wireless communication system, a request for the wireless communication service provided by the service provider;

sending over the signal link, from the wireless communication system to the service provider, the request for the communication service;

receiving over the signal link, at the wireless communication system from the service provider, an incoming request for authentication information for establishing the communication service; and

in response to receiving the incoming request, generating at the wireless communication system the outgoing request for the authentication information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating from the wireless communication system to a destination communication device using the wireless communication service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system includes a cellular telephone and a wireless communication extension unit wherein a communication link exists between the cellular telephone and a wireless communication client extension unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested communication service includes at least one of:

a cellular phone service, a short message service (SMS), a mobile email service, a mobile instant messaging service, an Internet access service, and a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service, a multimedia message service (MMS).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication link between the mobile phone and a mobile phone extension unit is a Bluetooth communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication client and a wireless communication extension unit, and wherein all communications over the data communication link are between the wireless communication client, the service provider, and administration server, and all communications over the signal link are between the extension unit and the service provider, the method further comprising:

prior to the communicating;

generating at the extension unit a request for the wireless communication service provided by the service provider;

sending over the signal link, from the extension unit to the service provider, the request for the communication service;

receiving over the signal link, at the extension unit from the service provider, an incoming request for authentication information for establishing the communication service;

transmitting the incoming request for authentication information from the extension unit to the wireless communication client; and

prior to transmitting the authentication information to the service provider;

transmitting the authentication information from the wireless communication client to the extension unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein all communications between the wireless communication client and the extension unit are wireless communications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication client and a wireless communication extension unit, and wherein all communications over the data communication link are between the extension unit, the service provider, and administration server, and all communications over the signal link are between the wireless communication client and the service provider, the method further comprising:

prior to the communicating;

generating at the wireless communication client a request for the wireless communication service provided by the service provider;

sending over the signal link, from the wireless communication client to the service provider, the request for the communication service;

receiving over the signal link, at the wireless communication client from the service provider, an incoming request for authentication information for establishing the communication service;

transmitting the incoming request for authentication information from the wireless communication client to the extension unit; and

prior to transmitting the authentication information to the service provider;

transmitting the authentication information from the extension unit to the wireless communication client.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein all communications between the wireless communication client and the extension unit are wireless communications.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the first request for authentication information, receiving at the wireless communication system from the service provider, over the signal link, a second incoming request for authentication information;

communicating from the wireless communication system to the administration system, over the data communication link, an additional outgoing request for authentication information;

receiving at the wireless communication system from the administration system, over the data communication link, the authentication information;

transmitting from the wireless communication system to the service provider, over the signal link, the authentication information; and

maintaining the wireless communication service at the wireless communication system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received authentication information at the wireless communication system;

subsequent to receiving the first request for authentication information, receiving at the wireless communication system from the service provider, over the signal link, a second incoming request for authentication information;

transmitting from the wireless communication system to the service provider, over the signal link, the stored authentication information; and

maintaining the wireless communication service at the wireless communication system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the wireless communication system receiving the incoming request for authentication information:

receiving at the service provider from the wireless communication system, over the signal link, the request for the communication service;

transmitting from the service provider to the wireless communication system, over the signal link, the first request for authentication information;

receiving at the service provider from the wireless communication system, over the signal link, the authentication information;

authenticating the wireless communication system at the service provider based on the received authentication information; and

establishing the requested communication service based on the authentication.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the receiving:

receiving at the administration system from the wireless communication system, over the data communication link, a request for authentication information;

obtaining the authentication information from an authentication bank of multiple authentication information selected from a group consisting of;

at least one SIM card, at least one phone, at least one dataset of authentication information, and any combination of the aforementioned; and

transmitting from the administration system to the wireless communication system, over the data communication link, the authentication information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the data connection comprises:

generating, at the wireless communication system, a request for the data communication link;

transmitting from the wireless communication system to the service provider the request for the data communication link over the signal link;

receiving at the wireless communication system from the service provider over the signal link a first request for verification information; and

transmitting over the signal link, from the wireless communication system, on-board authentication information to the service provider.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving, at the wireless communication system, the on-board authentication information, wherein the on-board authentication information is stored in memory or an on-board physical identification module card.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving over the signal link, at the service provider, the request for the data communication link from the wireless communication system;

transmitting over the signal link, from the service provider, the first request for verification information to the wireless communication system;

receiving over the signal link, at the service provider, verification information from the wireless communication system;

at the service provider, authenticating the wireless communication system based on the received verification information; and

establishing the data communication link based on the authentication.

18. A method of operating a virtual local wireless communication system, said method comprising:

generating, at a wireless communication system, a request for the wireless communication service provided by a service provider;

sending over a signal link, from the wireless communication system to the service provider, the request for the communication service;

receiving over the signal link, at the wireless communication system from the service provider, an incoming request for authentication information for establishing the wireless communication service;

in response to receiving the incoming request, generating at the wireless communication system an outgoing request for the authentication information;

establishing a data link between the wireless communication system and the service provider, where the data link is different to the signal link;

communicating over the data link, from the wireless communication system to a remote administration system that is distinct from the service provider, an outgoing request for the authentication information;

receiving over the data link, at the wireless communication system from the administration system, the authentication information;

transmitting over the signal link, from the wireless communication system to the service provider, the authentication information; and

receiving the wireless communication service at the wireless communication system based on authentication of the wireless communication system by the service provider using the authentication information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication client and a wireless communication extension unit, and wherein all communications over the data link are between the wireless communication client, the service provider, and the administration server, and all communications over the signal link are between the extension unit and the service provider, the method further comprising:

prior to the communicating, transmitting the incoming request for authentication information from the extension unit to the wireless communication client; and

prior to transmitting the authentication information to the service provider, transmitting the authentication information from the wireless communication client to the extension unit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication client and a wireless communication extension unit, and wherein all communications over the data communication link are between the extension unit, the service provider, and administration server, and all communications over the signal link are between the wireless communication client and the service provider, the method further comprising:

prior to the communicating, transmitting the incoming request for authentication information from the wireless communication client to the extension unit; and

prior to transmitting the authentication information to the service provider, transmitting the authentication information from the extension unit to the wireless communication client.