Method and system for combined transmission of access specific access independent and application specific information over public IP networks between visiting and home networks

• US 6,728,536 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Basilier, Henrik, Gustafson, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/562,682
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/432, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/436, 370/328, 370/331, 370/395.52, 709/201, 709/208, 709/217, 709/220, 709/227, 709/230, 709/236, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting specific information, such as access specific roaming information and/or application specific information, between a home network and a visiting access network is provided. The home network and visiting network are capable of communicating access independent information in a protocol, such as a AAA protocol. The access and/or application specific information is formatted in the AAA protocol. The access and/or application specific information is then transmitted over a public IP network between the home network and the visiting network. A system is provided for transmitting access and/or application information between a visiting network and a home network over a public IP network. A control access server in the visiting access network formats the access information using a secure AAA protocol to form formatted access information. An application server formats application specific information. A AAA-F server associated with the visiting network transmits the formatted access and/or application information over the public IP network to the home network.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a visited network including a Visitors Location Register (VLR) that generates a Mobile Application Part (MAP) message, and encapsulates said MAP message according to an access independent protocol; and

an access independent authentication server (AAA-F) communicatively connected to said VLR for receiving said encapsulated MAP message from said VLR, and routing said encapsulated MAP message over a public IP network to a subscriber'"'"'s home network.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said AAA-F routes said encapsulated MAP message via a broker (AAA-B).

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said subscriber'"'"'s home network includes a Home Location Register (HLR), and wherein said AAA-F routes said encapsulated MAP message to said HLR.

4. The communications system of claim 3 wherein said HLR is operable to transmit and receive said encapsulated MAP messages according to said access independent protocol.

5. The communications system of claim 4 wherein said HLR is further operable to encipher and decipher said encapsulated MAP messages according to said access independent protocol.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said visited network further includes an application server (AS) for generating and encapsulating an authentication message for transmission to an Application Home Server (AHS) in said subscriber'"'"'s home network according to said access independent protocol.

7. The communications system of claim 6 wherein said AAA-F receives said encapsulated authentication message from said AS, and routes said encapsulated authentication message over said public IP network to said AHS.

8. The communications system of claim 7 wherein said AAA-F routes said encapsulated authentication message to said AHS via a broker (AAA-B).

9. The communications system of claim 8 wherein said AHS is operable to transmit and receive said encapsulated authentication message according to said access independent protocol.

10. The communications system of claim 9 wherein said AHS is further operable to encipher and decipher said encapsulated authentication message according to said access independent protocol.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said visited network and said subscribe'"'"'s home network are CDMA networks.

12. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said MAP message is an ANSI-41 registration message.

13. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said MAP message is an ANSI-41 authentication message.

14. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said access independent protocol includes an AAA protocol.

15. The communications system of claim 14 wherein said AAA protocol is a DIAMETER protocol.

16. A method of communicating messages in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

generating a MAP message at a VLR in a visited network;

encapsulating said MAP message at said VLR according to an access independent protocol;

forwarding said encapsulated MAP message to an AAA-F server communicatively connected to said VLR;

communicating over a public IP network, said encapsulated MAP message from said AAA-F server to a subscriber'"'"'s home network; and

receiving a response to said formatted message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein encapsulating said MAP message according to an access independent protocol comprises encrypting said MAP message according to AAA protocol encryption.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein encapsulating said MAP message according to an access independent protocol further comprises including a Network Access Identifier (NAI).

19. The method of claim 18 wherein communicating said encapsulated MAP message from said AAA-F server includes routing said encapsulated MAP message to a HLR in said subscriber'"'"'s home network based on said NAI.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein communicating said encapsulated MAP message from said AAA-F server further includes routing said encapsulated MAP message to said HLR via a broker.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising said broker providing instructions to said AAA-F on how to forward said formatted message to said HLR.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising decrypting and deciphering at said HLR said encapsulated MAP message.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating, at said HLR, a response to said encapsulated MAP message, formatting said response according to said access independent protocol, and transmitting said formatted response to said VLR.