System and Method for WiFi Authentication and Selection

• US 20140254364A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiang, Zhixian
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/232
• 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 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A method embodiment for network authentication includes selecting, by a user equipment (UE), an access network for establishing a network connection and receiving one or more network authentication status indications for a network associated with the access network. The method further includes implementing a network authentication and selection policy in accordance with the one or more network authentication status indications.

Claims

1. A method for network authentication and selection comprising:

selecting, by a user equipment (UE), a first access network for establishing a network connection;

receiving, by the UE, one or more network authentication status indications for a first network associated with the first access network; and

implementing, by the UE, a network authentication and selection policy in accordance with the one or more network authentication status indications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the network authentication and selection policy comprises:

deciding, by the UE, whether to continue an authentication process with the first access network in accordance with the one or more network authentication status indications; and

implementing, by the UE, an authentication retry policy when the UE decides not to continue the authentication process with the first access network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the authentication retry policy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the authentication retry policy comprises receiving the authentication retry policy in an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policy.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein implementing the authentication retry policy comprises waiting for a retry timer to expire before another authentication attempt with the first access network, wherein a length of the retry timer is defined by the authentication retry policy.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein implementing the authentication retry policy comprises selecting a second access network associated with a second network for establishing the network connection after attempting to authenticate with the first access network a maximum number of authentication attempts, wherein the maximum number of authentication attempts is defined by the authentication retry policy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the network authentication and selection policy comprises selecting a second access network associated with a second network for establishing the network connection in accordance with the one or more authentication status indications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications comprise an overload indication indicating whether an authentication server associated with the first network is overloaded.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications comprise a authentication permission indication indicating whether the first network is allowing new user authentication attempts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications comprise a network selection function indication, a quality of service (QoS) indication, a policy control function indication, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more network authentication status indications comprises receiving the one or more network authentication status indications in an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) response, a beacon, a probe response, an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) policy function, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a home network of an operator of the UE or a network having roaming relationship with an operator of the UE.

13. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

select an access network for establishing a network connection;

receive one or more network authentication status indications for a network associated with the access network; and

implement a network authentication and selection policy in accordance with the one or more network authentication status indications.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications comprises an overload indication indicating whether an authentication server associated with the network is overloaded, an authentication permission indication indicating whether the network is allowing new users authentication attempts, a network selection function indication, a quality of service (QoS) indication, a policy control function indication, or a combination thereof.

15. The UE of claim 13, wherein the instructions to implement the network authentication and selection policy includes further instructions to:

decide whether to continue an authentication process with the access network in accordance with the one or more network authentication status indications; and

implement an authentication retry policy when the UE decides not to continue the authentication process with the access network.

16. The UE of claim 15, wherein the authentication retry policy defines a retry timer, a maximum number of authentication attempts, or a combination thereof.

17. The UE of claim 13, wherein the instructions to implement the network authentication and selection policy includes further instructions to select a different network associated with a different network for establishing the network connection in accordance with the one or more authentication status indications.

18. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications is received in one or more independent information elements.

19. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications is received in one or more fields of one or more information elements.

20. A method for network authentication and selection comprising:

determining, by a network device, an authentication status of a first network associated with the network device; and

transmitting, by the network device, to a user equipment (UE), one or more first network authentication status indications in accordance with the authentication status of the first network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the authentication status of the first network comprises determining whether an authentication server of the first network is overloaded, and wherein transmitting the one or more first network authentication indications comprises transmitting an overload indication in accordance with whether the authentication server is overloaded.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the authentication status of the first network comprises determining the first network is allowing authentication attempts from new users, and wherein transmitting the one or more first network authentication indications comprises transmitting a authentication permission indication in accordance with whether the first network is allowing the authentication attempts from the new users.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting an authentication retry policy to the UE.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining, by the network device, an authentication status of a second network, wherein the network device provides access to the second network; and

transmitting, to the UE, one or more second first network authentication status indications in accordance with the authentication status of the second network.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the one or more first network authentication status indications comprises transmitting the one or more network authentication status indications in an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) response, a beacon, a probe response, an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) policy function, or a combination thereof.

26. A network device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

determine an authentication status of a network associated with the network device; and

transmit, to a user equipment (UE), one or more network authentication status indications in accordance with the authentication status of the network.

27. The network device of claim 26, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications comprises an overload indication indicating whether an authentication server associated with the network is overloaded, a authentication permission indication indicating whether the network is allowing authentication attempts from new users, a network selection function indication, a quality of service (QoS) indication, a policy control function indication, or a combination thereof.

28. The network device of claim 26, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications is transmitted in one or more independent information elements.

29. The network device of claim 26, wherein the one or more network authentication status indications is transmitted in one or more fields of one or more information elements.

30. The network device of claim 26, wherein the programming includes further instructions to transmit an authentication retry policy to the UE.

31. The network device of claim 30, wherein the authentication retry policy defines a retry timer, a maximum number of authentication attempts, or a combination thereof.