NETWORK ACCESS IDENTIFIER INCLUDING AN IDENTIFIER FOR A CELLULAR ACCESS NETWORK NODE

• US 20180249336A1
• Filed: 05/02/2018
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Barrett, Stephen John, Vutukuri, Eswar
• Granted Patent: US 10,939,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) sends, to a wireless access node in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a network access identifier (NAI) that includes an identifier for a cellular access network node. The UE receives an authentication challenge based on information in the NAI.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE) to a wireless access node in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a network access identifier (NAI) that includes an identifier of a cellular access network node; and

receiving, by the UE, an authentication challenge based on information in the NAI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the NAI to the wireless access node in the WLAN is to cause the wireless access node to send, based on the identifier of the cellular access network node in the NAI, an authentication message to the cellular access network node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the cellular access network node comprises a cell identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAI including the identifier of the cellular access network node comprises a root NAI or a decorated NAI.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier corresponding to the UE, and wherein the identifier corresponding to the UE is selected from among an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a Globally Unique Temporary Identifier (GUTI), a Radio Network Temporary Identity (RNTI), and a Medium Access Control (MAC) address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the NAI comprises sending the NAI in an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a network-provided indication of whether a first type authentication procedure or a second type authentication procedure is to be used, the first type authentication procedure routing authentication messages between a WLAN node and the cellular access network node, and the second type of authentication procedure routing authentication messages between the WLAN node and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server; and

selecting, by the UE based on the network-provided indication, from among the first type authentication procedure and the second type authentication procedure,

wherein the sending of the NAI that includes the identifier of the cellular access network node is responsive to selecting the first type authentication procedure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier of a domain of a cellular operator of a cellular access network that includes the cellular access network node.

9. A cellular access network node comprising:

a wireless interface to communicate wirelessly with user equipments (UEs);

a network interface to communicate with a wireless access node in a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from the wireless access node, a first authentication message to authenticate a first UE, the first authentication message being sent responsive to receipt by the wireless access node from the first UE of a network access identifier (NAI) that includes an identifier of the cellular access network node, wherein the cellular access network node is part of a cellular access network that is a different type of wireless access network than the WLAN.

10. The cellular access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit a second authentication message to a core network node to perform authentication of the first UE, wherein the second authentication message is based on the first authentication message.

11. The cellular access network node of claim 10, wherein the core network node to which the second authentication message is sent comprises an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server, and wherein the at least one processor is to select, based on an identifier corresponding to the UE in the NAI, the AAA server from a plurality of AAA servers.

12. The cellular access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

perform authentication of the first UE in response to the first authentication message.

13. The cellular access network node of claim 12, wherein the authentication comprises using a key to perform an authentication challenge of the first UE.

14. The cellular access network node of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the key from a core network node, or to generate the key.

15. The cellular access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send, to the first UE, an indication of which of a plurality of types of authentication is to be applied by the first UE, wherein the plurality of types of authentication comprises a first type of authentication and a second type of authentication, the first type of authentication routing authentication messages between a WLAN node and the cellular access network node, and the second type of authentication routing authentication messages between the WLAN node and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

16. The cellular access network node of claim 9, wherein the cellular access network node is configured to transport information of an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) message using any of the following:

transport the EAP message encapsulated in a DIAMETER or RADIUS message using Stream Control Transmission Protocol/Internet Protocol (SCTP/IP),

transport a DIAMETER or RADIUS message encapsulating the EAP message in an X2-AP transparent container,

transport the EAP message directly in an X2-AP transparent container, and

transport extracted content from the EAP message in an X2-AP message.

17. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one wireless interface to communicate with a wireless access node in a wireless local area node (WLAN) and with a cellular access network node; and

at least one processor configured to;

send, to the wireless access node in the WLAN, an authentication request including a network access identifier (NAI), the NAI containing an identifier of the cellular access network node; and

receive an authentication challenge based on information in the NAI, the authentication challenge sent by the cellular access network node.

18. The UE of claim 17, wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier of a domain of a cellular operator of a cellular access network that includes the cellular access network node.