Method and apparatus for managing service accessibility between differing radio telecommunication networks
First Claim
1. A method for authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) to communicate using one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving, by an access server, a network access query from the requesting network, wherein the network access query indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to at least one of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other;
b) determining whether the SU is permitted to access the at least one of the multiple RF networks by evaluating SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks; and
c) returning an access decision to the requesting network, wherein the access decision indicates whether the SU is permitted to access the at least one of the multiple RF networks so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for a network in a multi-network system to obtain access information for a subscriber unit (104) (SU) involves requesting (1306) access information from an access server (110) which determines (1208) whether a group to which the SU belongs can access the network or another network from the SU location. The access server (110) can also send (1228) information to a network which describes which other networks the SU group can access from the SU location. An access server apparatus (1800) includes a processor (1802) for making access decisions in a multi-network system, a memory device (1804) for storing access information (1100) for various networks, and at least one network interface (1806). A gateway (GW) apparatus (2000) contacts an access server (110) to obtain access information. An SU apparatus (1900) includes a processor (1902) for using information from the access server (110) to access a network.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) to communicate using one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving, by an access server, a network access query from the requesting network, wherein the network access query indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to at least one of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) determining whether the SU is permitted to access the at least one of the multiple RF networks by evaluating SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks; and c) returning an access decision to the requesting network, wherein the access decision indicates whether the SU is permitted to access the at least one of the multiple RF networks so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) to communicate using one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the method performed by a requesting network comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving, from the SU, a request to access a particular network of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) sending, to an access server, a network access query which indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to the particular network; c) receiving, from the access server, an access decision which indicates whether the SU is permitted to access the particular network, wherein the access decision is based on an evaluation by the access server of SU restriction information for the particular network; and d) sending information describing the access decision to the SU so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) to communicate using one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the method performed by a requesting network comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving, from the SU, a network access query which indicates that the SU desires access information about at least one of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) sending, to an access server, the network access query; c) when the network access query indicates that the SU wants the access information for a particular network, receiving, from the access server, an access decision which indicates whether the SU is permitted to access the particular network, wherein the access decision is based on an evaluation by the access server of SU restriction information for the particular network; d) when the network access query indicates that the SU wants the access information for any of the multiple RF networks which the SU is permitted to access, receiving, from the access server, the access decision which includes information describing which of the multiple RF networks the SU is permitted to access, wherein the access decision is based on the evaluation by the access server of the SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks; and e) sending information describing the access decision to the SU so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method for a subscriber unit (SU) to access a radio frequency (RF) network of one or more RF networks which could be available to the SU, the method performed by the SU comprising the steps of:
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a) sending an access request to a requesting network, wherein the access request indicates that the SU would like to access a specific network of multiple RF networks, and the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) receiving a network access decision from the requesting network which indicates whether the SU is permitted access to the specific network, wherein the network access decision was made by an access server which made the network access decision based on whether the SU is in a user group to which the specific network permits access; and c) when the network access decision indicates that the SU is permitted to access the specific network, attempting to access the specific network by initiating a registration process with the specific network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for a subscriber unit (SU) to access a radio frequency (RF) network of one or more RF networks which could be available to the SU, the method performed by the SU comprising the steps of:
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a) sending a network access query to a requesting network, wherein the network access query indicates that the SU would like information identifying at least one network of multiple RF networks which a user group to which the SU belongs is permitted to access, and wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) receiving information identifying the at least one network which the user group to which the SU belongs is permitted to access, wherein the information identifying the at least one network was made by an access server which determined the information based on whether the SU is in the user group to which each of the at least one network permits access; and c) attempting to access a network of the at least one network by initiating a registration process with the specific network. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) to access a particular network of one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) sending, by the SU, a network access query to a requesting network, wherein the network access query indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to at least one of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; b) sending, by the requesting network, the network access query to an access server; c) determining, by the access server, whether the SU is permitted to access the at least one of the multiple RF networks by evaluating SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks to determine whether the SU is in a user group to which each of the multiple RF networks allows access; d) returning, by the access server, a network access decision which indicates whether the SU is permitted to access any of the multiple RF networks; and e) when the network access decision indicates that the SU is permitted to access at least one of the multiple RF networks, the SU attempting to access a network of the at least one of the multiple RF networks by initiating a registration process with a specific network. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. An access server for determining whether a subscriber unit (SU), which is in a particular SU group, is permitted to access any network of multiple radio frequency (RF) networks, the access server comprising:
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a processor for receiving a network access query from a requesting network of the multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other, and wherein the network access query indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to at least one of the multiple RF networks, determining whether the SU is permitted to access any of the multiple RF networks by evaluating SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks, wherein the SU restriction information indicates whether the particular SU group is an SU group that is allowed access to any of the multiple RF networks, the processor also for returning an access decision to the requesting network so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision, wherein the access decision indicates whether the SU is permitted to access at least one of the multiple RF networks; a memory device coupled to the processor for storing the SU restriction information for each of the multiple RF networks; and at least one network interface coupled to the processor for enabling communication between the access server and the requesting network. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A subscriber unit (SU) for communicating using multiple radio frequency (RF) networks which are separate from each other, the SU comprising:
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a processor for sending an access request to a requesting network of the multiple RF networks, wherein the one or more RF networks are distinct from each other, and wherein the access request indicates that the SU would like to access a specific network of the multiple RF networks, receiving a network access decision from the requesting network which indicates whether the SU is permitted access to the specific network, wherein the network access decision was made by an access server which made the network access decision based on whether the SU is in a user group to which the specific network permits access, and, when the network access decision indicates that the SU is permitted to access the specific network, the SU for attempting to access the specific network by initiating a registration process with a specific network; and at least one RF interface coupled to the processor for enabling the SU to communicate using multiple air interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A gateway for enabling a subscriber unit (SU) to access multiple radio frequency (RF) networks, the gateway comprising:
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an RF interface for receiving, from the SU, a request to access a particular network of the multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other; and a processor coupled to the RF interface for sending, to an access server, a network access query which indicates that the SU would like information regarding access to the particular network, the gateway also for receiving, from the access server, an access decision which indicates whether the SU is permitted to access the particular network, wherein the access server based the access decision on an evaluation of SU restriction information for the particular network, and for sending information describing the access decision to the SU so that the SU can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A communication network comprising:
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at least one subscriber unit (SU) adapted to communicate with multiple radio frequency (RF) networks which are separate from one another, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other, the at least one SU for sending an access request to a gateway of the communication network, wherein the access request indicates that the SU would like to access a specific network of the multiple RF networks, for receiving a network access decision from the gateway which indicates whether the SU is permitted access to the specific network, wherein the network access decision was made by an access server which made the network access decision based on whether the SU is in a user group to which the specific network permits access, and, when the network access decision indicates that the SU is permitted to access the specific network, the at least one SU also for attempting to access the specific network by initiating a registration process with the specific network; and at least one gateway which communicates with the at least one SU using a particular RF interface, the at least one gateway for receiving the access request from the SU, sending the access request to the access server, receiving the network access decision from the access server, and informing the at least one SU whether the network access decision indicates that the at least one SU is permitted to access the specific network. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A system for authorizing a subscriber unit (SU) means to communicate using one or more radio frequency (RF) networks, the system comprising:
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the SU means for sending an access request to a requesting network, receiving a network access message from the requesting network which indicates whether the SU means is permitted access to a particular network of multiple RF networks, wherein the multiple RF networks are distinct from each other, and, when the network access message indicates that the SU means is permitted to access the particular network, the SU means for attempting to access the particular network by initiating a registration process with the particular network; access server means for receiving a network access query from the requesting network, wherein the network access query indicates that the SU means would like information regarding access to at least one of the multiple RF networks, for determining whether the SU means is permitted to access any of the multiple RF networks by evaluating SU restriction information for the multiple RF networks, the access server means also for returning an access decision to the requesting network, wherein the access decision indicates whether the SU means is permitted to access the particular network; and gateway means, in communication contact with the SU means and the access server means, for receiving, from the SU means, the access request and for sending, to the access server means, the network access query based on the access request, the gateway means also for receiving, from the access server means, the access decision and for sending the network access message describing the access decision to the SU means so that the SU means can subsequently register with the particular network based on the access decision.
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Specification