METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING ACCESS TO A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20160066207A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Liu, Cheng, Pandey, Vinod, Fung, Liza, Smith, Paul Edward Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including initiating, by a system comprising a processor, a third generation partnership project link between a mobile user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network, initiating a non-tunneling link between stationary user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network, and transmitting packet data from the stationary user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a connection request from user equipment via a wireless link to the user equipment;

determining whether the user equipment is mobile or stationary;

responsive to determining that the user equipment is mobile;

initiating a tunneling protocol link between the user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile management entity assigns a bearer gateway for the user equipment; and

transmitting first packet data from the user equipment to a first service through the bearer gateway via the tunneling protocol link; and

responsive to determining that the user equipment is stationary;

initiating a non-tunneling link between the user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network; and

transmitting second packet data from the user equipment to a second service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting an authentication request to the mobile management entity responsive to initiating the tunneling protocol link, where the mobile management entity sends a first authentication protocol message to an authentication server; and

transmitting a second authentication protocol message to the authentication server via the stationary packet core responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise converting the connection request from a non-access stratum protocol to the authentication protocol message responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-tunneling link comprises a TCP/IP link.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise closing the non-tunneling link responsive to transmitting the second packet data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the stationary packet core stores an authentication state for the user equipment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile management entity maintains assignment of the bearer gateway responsive to transmitting of the first packet data.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second service is hosted at a mobile device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second service is hosted at a server device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the stationary packet core comprises a router.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein operations further comprise:

determining whether the user equipment is not authenticated, responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link; and

authenticating the user equipment via the stationary packet core responsive to determining that the user equipment is not authenticated.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile management entity updates the bearer gateway responsive to a location change for the user equipment.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

initiating a tunneling protocol link between a mobile user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile management entity assigns a bearer gateway for the mobile user equipment;

determining second user equipment is stationary; and

responsive to determining that the second user equipment is stationary;

initiating a TCP/IP link between the second user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network; and

transmitting packet data from the second user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the TCP/IP link.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting an authentication protocol message to an authentication server via the stationary packet core responsive to initiating the TCP/IP link.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise converting a connection request of the second user equipment from a non-access stratum protocol to the authentication protocol message responsive to initiating TCP/IP link.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise closing the TCP/IP link responsive to transmitting the packet data.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting second packet data from the mobile user equipment to a second service through the bearer gateway via the tunneling protocol link.

18. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a system comprising a processor, a third generation partnership project link between a mobile user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network;

initiating, by the system, a non-tunneling link between stationary user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network; and

transmitting, by the system, packet data from the stationary user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, by the system, second packet data from the mobile user equipment to a second service through a bearer gateway via the third generation partnership protocol link.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the non-tunneling link comprises a TCP/IP link.