MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND PRE-AUTHENTICATION FILTERS

• US 20180220477A1
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radio IP Software, Co.
• Original Assignee: Radio IP Software Inc.
• Inventors: TABOURIN, PATRICK, GIRARDIN, RICHARD, LATULIPPE, FRANCIS
• Granted Patent: US 11,064,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for providing applications and devices in a mobile part access to communications between the mobile part and a fixed part and such that prior to completion of authentication of the mobile part with the fixed part certain types of communications between the mobile part and the fixed part are supported by a service connection not requiring completion of authentication. The types of communications able to use the service connection are provided to the mobile part in the form of a pre-authentication filter.

Claims

1. A method for providing a mobile client access to a ground network via a mobile network, comprising:

establishing a service connection between the mobile network and the ground network wherein said service connection is limited for use by at least one entitled communication type;

providing to the mobile client a pre-authentication filter comprising said least one entitled communication type;

the mobile client comparing a given communication type with said pre-authentication filter comprising said least one entitled communication type; and

communicating between the mobile client and the ground network using said given communication type via said service connection and provided said given communication type matches said at least one entitled communication type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile network comprises a mobile gateway and the fixed network comprises a fixed gateway and said service connection and said limited access connection are established between said mobile gateway and said fixed gateway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one entitled communication type is characterised by one of a destination IP address, a port, a range of ports, a communication protocol and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said service connection is established following a mobile network reset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-authentication filter is updated from time to time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-authentication filter is in an XML format.

7. A method for providing a client in a mobile network access to a server in a ground network, comprising:

establishing a service connection between the mobile network and the ground network;

the mobile network requesting and receiving credentials from a credential server located in the ground network via said service connection;

establishing a limited access connection between the mobile network and the ground network using said received credentials; and

communicating information between the client and the server using said limited access network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile network comprises a mobile gateway and the fixed network comprises a fixed gateway and said service connection and said limited access connection are established between said mobile gateway and said fixed gateway.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said limited access connection is encrypted.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said limited access connection comprises a Virtual Private Network (VPN) point-to-point connection and said VPN connection is established between a first VPN tunnel endpoint in the mobile network and a second VPN tunnel endpoint in the ground network.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said service connection is limited for use by at least one entitled communication type, wherein at least one of said at least one entitled communication type comprises an authentication communication type and wherein said credentials are requested and received using said authentication communication type.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing to the mobile client a pre-authentication filter comprising said least one entitled communication type and wherein prior to requesting said credentials, said the mobile client compares said authentication communication type with said pre-authentication filter.

13. A system for providing communications between at least one client application and at least one server application;

the system comprising;

a mobile part comprising at least one client device on which the at least one client application is operable and wherein each client application communicates using a respective IP address, port and protocol via said mobile gateway;

a fixed part comprising at least one server on which the at least one server application is operable;

a mobile network interconnecting said mobile part and said fixed part and comprising a service connection and supporting a tunnel between said mobile part and said fixed part; and

a pre-authentication filter provided to the mobile part by the mobile network and identifying at least one listed application;

wherein when a communicating one of the at least one client application has data to transmit to a receiving one of the at least one server application and when said mobile part is authenticated with said mobile network, said mobile network relays said data to said receiving server application via said tunnel and when said mobile part is not authenticated with said mobile network, and the communicating mobile application matches one of said at least one listed application, said mobile network relays said data to the receiving server application via said service connection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said mobile part further comprises a mobile gateway and said fixed part further comprises a fixed gateway, wherein said service connection and said tunnel are between said mobile gateway and said fixed gateway.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said pre-authentication filter is in an XML format.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each of said at least one listed applications is identified by at least one of an IP address, port and protocol and each of the mobile client application comprises an IP address, port and protocol.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one client application is a web browser and the at least one server application is a web server.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said tunnel is a VPN connection connecting said mobile part and said fixed part.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said fixed part comprises an authentication server, said mobile part comprises an authenticating one of the at least one mobile client comprising an IP address, port and protocol which matches said at least one IP address, port and protocol of said at least one listed application and wherein said mobile part is authenticated by said authenticating mobile client requesting and receiving credentials from said authentication server using said one service connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said credentials are used to establish said tunnel between said mobile part and said fixed part.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said authentication server comprises an LDAP server and said authenticating mobile client comprises a Windows Logon component.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said mobile network comprises at least one of a WiFi network, a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network and one or more private data radio (PDR) networks.