ACCESS NETWORK NODE AND METHOD FOR ACCESS NETWORK NODE

• US 20090304009A1
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Damola, Ayodele, Kolhi, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

A method for an access network node, and the access network node, to provide a user device access to a service enabled by an IMS network, comprising the steps of:

• • setting up an IP tunnel for communication with the user device,
  • sending an authentication request to the user device via the tunnel,
  • receiving a response to the authentication request from the user device via the tunnel,
  • authenticating the user device,
  • sending a registration request comprising an IMPU associated with the user device to an IMS network node,
  • receiving a confirmation message from the IMS network node that the user device is authenticated,
  • sending an authorization confirmation message via the IP tunnel that the user device is authorized,
  • receiving a service request via the IP tunnel from the user device to start the service,
  • sending a service session initiation message to an application server associated with the service.

Claims

1. A method for an access network node to provide a user device access to a service enabled by an IMS network, comprising the steps of:

setting up an IP tunnel for communication with the user device,

sending an authentication request to the user device via the IP tunnel,

receiving a response to the authentication request from the user device via the IP tunnel,

authenticating the user device for communication with the access network node based on the response,

sending a registration request comprising an IP Multimedia Public Identity associated with the user device to an IMS network node for registration of the user device in the IMS network,

receiving a confirmation message from the IMS network node that the user device is authenticated for the service,

sending an authorization confirmation message via the IP tunnel to the user device that the user device is authorized for the service,

receiving a service request via the IP tunnel from the user device to start the service,

sending a service session initiation message to an application server associated with the service to start a service session between the user device and the application server.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of setting up the IP tunnel between the access network node and a local network node to which the access network node and the user device are connected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the IP tunnel is a Virtual Private Network tunnel established between a Universal Plug and Play Remote Access server and a Universal Plug and Play Remote Access client.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the authentication request, the response, the authorization confirmation message and the service request are sent as Application Programming Interface calls.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of setting up the IP tunnel directly between the access network node and the user device.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the tunnel is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer connection.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

receiving the service request in the form of a UPnP message and translating the UPnP message to a Session Initiation Protocol message.

8. An access network node for providing a user device access to a service enabled by an IMS network, comprising:

a first communications interface for communication with the user device,

a second communications interface for communication with an IMS network node,

a tunnel client for setting up an IP tunnel for communication with the user device, and user identification means which enables the access network to;

send an authentication request to the user device via the IP tunnel,

receive a response to the authentication request from the user device via the IP tunnel,

authenticate the user device for communication with the access network node based on the response,

send a registration request comprising an IP Multimedia Public Identity associated with the user device to an IMS network node for registration of the user device in the IMS network,

receive a confirmation message from the IMS network node that the user device is authenticated for the service,

sending an authorization confirmation message via the IP tunnel to the user device that the user device is authorized for the service,

receive a service request via the IP tunnel from the user device to start the service,

send a service session initiation message to an application server associated with the service to start a service session between the user device and the application server.

9. The access network node according to claim 8, wherein the tunnel client is adapted to set up the IP tunnel between the access network node and a local network node to which the user device is connected.

10. The access network node according to claim 8, wherein the tunnel client is a Universal Plug and Play Remote Access client or Universal Plug and Play Remote Access server.

11. The access network node according to claim 8, wherein the tunnel client is adapted to set up the IP tunnel in such a way that it terminates in a first end in the access network node and in a second end in the user device.

12. The access network node according to claim 8, wherein the tunnel client is adapted to set up a Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer tunnel.

13. The access network node according to claim 8, comprising a protocol translation means for translating a message from the user device into a Session Initiation Protocol message to the IMS network node.

14. The access network node according to claim 13, wherein the message from the user device is a UPnP message.

15. The access network node according to claims 8, wherein the user identification means comprises at least one software IP Multimedia Services Identity Module.