REGISTERING A MOBILE DEVICE IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100304716A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: van Muijen, Robert, Hoeksel, Sebastiaan, Waters, Patrick H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for registering a first mobile device in a mobile communication network. The exemplary method comprises: (i) authenticating a second mobile device in the mobile communication network upon accessing the mobile communication network, (ii) determining a subscription associated with the second mobile device, (iii) registering the first mobile device in the mobile communication network under a new subscription derived from the determined subscription, and (iv) the first mobile device accessing the mobile communication network in response to a preceding communication between the first and the second mobile device. Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a system for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for registering a first mobile device in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

authenticating a second mobile device in the mobile communication network upon accessing the mobile communication network;

determining a subscription associated with the second mobile device;

registering the first mobile device in the mobile communication network under a new subscription derived from the determined subscription; and

accessing the mobile communication network with the first mobile device in response to a preceding communication between the first and the second mobile device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first and the second mobile device communicate with each other via a short range radio connection, particularly via an NFC connection.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the second mobile device sends authentication data to the first mobile device in the communication between the first and the second mobile device, the first mobile device using the authentication data for accessing the mobile communication network.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the authentication data is provided by the second mobile device and the second mobile device sends the authentication data to the mobile communication network for registration under the new subscription.

5. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the mobile communication network transmits the authentication data to the second mobile device and the second mobile device forwards the authentication data to the first mobile device in the communication between the first and the second mobile device.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication network notifies the second mobile device of a first network access of the first mobile device, further network accesses of the first mobile device are allowed only in response to a confirmation sent from the second mobile device to the mobile communication network.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is registered under the new subscription in response to an authentication of the first mobile device in the communication network, the authentication being based on further authentication data stored in the first mobile device.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein in the mobile communication network authentication data are stored in association to the first mobile device, the authentication being used to authenticate the first mobile device, when it accesses the mobile communication network.

9. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the first mobile device accesses the mobile communication network in response to the communication between the first and the second mobile device and is identified and authenticated in the mobile communication network.

10. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the mobile communication network sends to the second mobile device a feature of the first device in response to the access of the mobile communication network by the first mobile device, the first mobile device being registered in the mobile communication network only, if the mobile communication network receives a confirmation from the second mobile device as a response to transmission of the feature.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the feature is a visual feature present on the first mobile device allowing a user of the second mobile device to verify the identity of the first mobile device.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein in the communication between the first and the second mobile device, identification data of the first device are transmitted to the second device, the second device forwarding the identification data to the mobile communication network and the mobile communication network registering the first mobile device under the new subscription upon identifying the first mobile device using the identification data.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first mobile device comprises an M2M device that includes a control module for receiving measuring data from at least one sensor and/or for controlling at least one actuator and a radio module for accessing the device from a remote location via the mobile communication network.

14. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second mobile device comprise an identification module for storing the authentication data used for accessing the mobile communication network.

15. A system for registering a first mobile device in a mobile communication network wherein a second mobile device can be authenticated in an authentication server of the mobile communication network, the authentication server being configured to determine a subscription associated with the second mobile device and to register the first mobile device in the mobile communication network under a new subscription derived from the determined subscription and wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device can communicate with each other, an access of the first mobile device to the mobile communication network being allowed in response to a preceding communication between the first and the second mobile device.

16. A system for registering a first mobile device in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

means for authenticating a second mobile device in the mobile communication network upon accessing the mobile communication network;

means for determining a subscription associated with the second mobile device;

means for registering the first mobile device in the mobile communication network under a new subscription derived from the determined subscription; and

means for accessing the mobile communication network with the first mobile device in response to a preceding communication between the first and the second mobile device.