Handling of Authorization Requests For a Packet-Based Service in a Mobile Network

• US 20150222634A1
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ludwig, Reiner, Fernandez Alonso, Susana
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

Abstract

A policy controller (30) of a mobile network receives an authorization request (302) for a packet-based service from a node (80). In response to receiving the authorization request (302), the policy controller performs an authorization check (305) to determine an authorization status of the service and sends an authorization response (306) to the node (80). The authorization response (306) indicates the authorization status of the service. In response to the same authorization request (302), the policy controller (30) performs at least one further authorization check to redetermine the authorization status of the service. If the further authorization check indicates that the authorization status of the service has changed, the policy controller (30) sends a status change message (311) to the node. The status change message (311) indicates to the node (80) that the authorization status of the service has changed.

Claims

1. A method of handling an authorization request for a packet-based service in a mobile network, comprising:

a policy controller receiving the authorization request from a node; and

in response to receiving the authorization request, policy controller;

performing a first authorization check to determine a first authorization status of the service;

sending an authorization response to the node, said authorization response indicating the first authorization status of the service;

performing at least one further authorization check to determine a second authorization status of the service;

determining whether the second authorization status is different than the first authorization status; and

sending to the node a message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed in response to determining that the second authorization status is different than the first authorization status.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization response indicates that the service is temporarily not authorized.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization response indicates a component of the service which is not authorized.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the policy controller controlling resources for conveying data packets of the service.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the policy controller receiving subscription data from a subscriber database of the mobile network; and

the policy controller performing the authorization check and/or the further authorization check on the basis of the received subscription data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization request comprises an indication that the node is to be informed if the authorization status of the session changes.

7. A method of handling an authorization request for a packet-based service in a mobile network, comprising:

a node sending the authorization request to a policy controller of the mobile network; and

the node receiving an authorization response from the policy controller, said authorization response indicating an authorization status of the service as determined by the policy controller;

the node receiving a message from the policy controller, said message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed; and

the node controlling its operation in relation to the service depending on the authorization status indicated by the authorization response and the message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the authorization response indicates that the service is temporarily not authorized.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the authorization response indicates a component of the service which is not authorized.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

after receiving the authorization response, the node continuing at least one activity with respect to an authorized component of the service.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the authorization response indicates that the service is temporarily not authorized, the node sending no further authorization requests for the service until receiving the message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the authorization response indicates that the service is temporarily not authorized, the node stopping at least one activity with respect to components of the service which are not authorized until receiving the message that the authorization status of the service has changed.

13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the authorization response indicates that the session is authorized, the node stopping at least one activity with respect to the service in response to receiving the message that the authorization status of the session has changed.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the authorization request comprises an indication that the node is to be informed if the authorization status of the service changes.

15. A policy controller for controlling resources in a mobile network, comprising:

an interface for communication with a node; and

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive via the interface an authorization request for a packet-based service in the mobile network; and

in response to receiving the authorization request;

perform an authorization check to determine an authorization status of the service;

send via the interface an authorization response to the node, said authorization response indicating the authorization status of the service;

perform a further authorization check to determine a new authorization status of the service; and

if the further authorization check indicates a that the authorization status of the service has changed, send via the interface a message to the node, said message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed.

16. The policy controller according to claim 15, further comprising:

a further interface for communicating with a subscriber database of the mobile network, wherein the processor is configured to receive subscription data via the further interface from the subscriber database and to perform the authorization check and/or the further authorization check on the basis of the received subscription data.

17. The policy controller according to claim 15, further comprising:

a control interface for controlling resources for conveying data packets of the service.

18. (canceled)

19. A node, comprising:

an interface for communication with a policy controller of a mobile network; and

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

send via the interface to the policy controller an authorization request for a packet-based service in the mobile network;

receive via the interface an authorization response from the policy controller, said authorization response indicating an authorization status of the service as determined by the policy controller;

receive via the interface a message from the policy controller, said message indicating that the authorization status of the service has changed; and

control operation of the node with respect to the service depending on the authorization status indicated by the authorization response and the status change message.

20. (canceled)