Roaming arrangement

• US 7,096,014 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haverinen, Henry, Ahmavaara, Kalle
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, HUY Q
• Application Number:
  US10/281,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/558, 455/410, 455/411, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of arranging roaming in a telecommunications system comprising a local network, at least one public land mobile network, and a terminal equipment. In the telecommunications system, public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked therewith are defined. These public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked therewith are transmitted to the terminal equipment. The terminal equipment selects a public land mobile network by means of a comparison of the received public land mobile network identifiers and public land mobile network identifiers stored in the terminal equipment. Access is arranged for the terminal equipment via the local network to the network element determined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network.

Claims

1. A method of arranging roaming in a telecommunications system comprising at least one wireless local network, at least one public land mobile network, and at least one wireless terminal equipment comprising means for setting up a data transmission connection at least with the local network, the method comprising:

determining, in the telecommunications system, public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers,

transmitting said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked therewith to the terminal equipment,

selecting a public land mobile network by means of a comparison of said received public land mobile network identifiers and public land mobile network identifiers contained in the terminal equipment, and

providing the terminal equipment with access via the local network to the network element determined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network, wherein data transmission between the local network and the public land mobile network is based on the Internet Protocol (IP), and data between the terminal equipment and the network element of the selected public land mobile network is transmitted by means of messages whose network access identifiers (NAI) comprise the domain name of the authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers are stored in the local network, and

said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers are transmitted from the local network to the terminal equipment after the terminal equipment has set up a connection to the local network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers are transmitted from the local network in response to a request received from the terminal equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

said network element of the public land mobile network is an authentication server, the method further comprising:

carrying out the authentication of the terminal equipment by an authentication server defined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network, and

allowing provision of data transmission services in the local network in response to successful authentication of the terminal equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein

the public land mobile network is a UMTS network, and the terminal equipment comprises a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), which stores algorithms required for calculating an authentication response, and a subscriber identifier and a secret key, and

authentication is performed by the authentication server by comparing the authentication response (RES) calculated in the USIM of the terminal equipment to an expected authentication response (XRES) received from an authentication centre of the subscriber'"'"'s home public land mobile network.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising

forwarding charging data about the telecommunications services used by the terminal equipment to the charging system of the public land mobile network in response to successful authentication of the terminal equipment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

said network element of the public land mobile network is an authentication server, the method further comprising:

performing authentication of the terminal equipment by an authentication server defined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network, and

allowing provision of data transmission services in the selected public land mobile network in response to successful authentication of the terminal equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the public land mobile network is a UMTS network, and the terminal equipment comprises a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), which stores algorithms required for calculating an authentication response, and a subscriber identifier and a secret key, and

authentication is performed by the authentication server by comparing the authentication response (RES) calculated in the USIM of the terminal equipment to an expected authentication response (XRES) received from an authentication centre of the subscriber'"'"'s home public land mobile network.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising

forwarding charging data about the telecommunications services used by the terminal equipment to the charging system of the public land mobile network in response to successful authentication of the terminal equipment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein

at least one list comprising the public land mobile network identifiers is stored in order of priority in the subscriber identity module contained in the terminal equipment,

the identifiers on the list are compared in the terminal equipment to the public land mobile network identifiers received from the local network in order of priority, and

a public land mobile network the identifier of which is also found from the public land mobile network identifiers received from the local network is selected.

11. A telecommunications system comprising at least one local network, at least one public land mobile network, and at least one wireless terminal equipment configured to set up a data transmission connection at least with the local network, wherein

public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers are configured to be determined in the telecommunications system,

said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked therewith are configured to be transmitted to the terminal equipment in the telecommunications system,

the terminal equipment is configured to select a public land mobile network by means of a comparison of said received public land mobile network identifiers and the public land mobile network identifiers contained in the terminal equipment, and

the terminal equipment is configured to set up a connection via the local network to the network element determined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the public land mobile network selected by the terminal equipment, wherein data transmission between the local network and the public land mobile network is based on the Internet Protocol (IP), and data between the terminal equipment and the network element of the selected public land mobile network is configured to be transmitted by means of messages whose network access identifiers (NAI) comprise the domain name of the authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 11, wherein

the local network is configured to store said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers, and

the local network is configured to transmit said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers to the terminal equipment after the equipment has set up a connection to the local network.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 12, wherein

the terminal equipment is configured to select a network by means of the public land mobile network identifiers contained in the subscriber identification module located in the terminal equipment, and

said network element is an authentication server configured to perform authentication of the terminal equipment by comparing an authentication response calculated by the subscriber identification module of the terminal equipment to an authentication response calculated in the public land mobile network.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 11, wherein

the terminal equipment is configured to select a network by means of the public land mobile network identifiers contained in the subscriber identification module located in the terminal equipment, and

said network element is an authentication server configured to perform authentication of the terminal equipment by comparing an authentication response calculated by the subscriber identification module of the terminal equipment to an authentication response calculated in the public land mobile network.

15. A wireless terminal equipment configured to set up a data transmission connection at least with a wireless local network, wherein

the terminal equipment is configured to receive public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked therewith,

the terminal equipment is configured to select a public land mobile network on the basis of a comparison of said received public land mobile network identifiers and the public land mobile network identifiers contained in the terminal equipment,

the terminal equipment is configured to set up a connection via the local network to a network element defined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the public land mobile network selected by the terminal equipment, wherein the terminal equipment is configured to transmit a message for Internet Protocol (IP)-based data transmission whose network access identifier (NAI) comprises the domain name of an authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

16. The terminal equipment of claim 15, wherein

the terminal equipment comprises a subscriber identification module containing subscriber data required for using services of the public land mobile network,

the terminal equipment is configured to select a network on the basis of the public land mobile network identifiers contained in the subscriber identification module of the terminal equipment,

the subscriber identification module is configured to form an authentication response used in the authentication, and

the terminal equipment is configured to transmit the authentication response to the network element.

17. A computer program product operable on a processor of a mobile station, the computer program product comprising a computer program code portion for causing the mobile station to select a public land mobile network on the basis of a comparison of received public land mobile network identifiers and public land mobile network identifiers contained in the mobile station, and a computer program code portion for causing the mobile station to set up a connection via the local network to a network element defined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer program code portion for causing the mobile station to transmit a message for Internet Protocol (IP)-based data transmission whose network access identifier (NAI) comprises the domain name of an authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

18. A method for a wireless terminal equipment configured to set up a data transmission connection at least with a wireless local network in a system further comprising at least one public land mobile network, the method comprising:

receiving public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked therewith,

selecting a public land mobile network by means of a comparison of said received public land mobile network identifiers and public land mobile network identifiers contained in the terminal equipment, and

setting up an access via the local network to the network element determined by the network element identifier linked with the identifier of the selected public land mobile network, wherein the terminal equipment is configured to transmit a message for Internet Protocol (IP)-based data transmission whose network access identifier (NAI) comprises the domain name of an authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

19. An access controller for a wireless local network, wherein

the access controller is configured to operate as a gateway in data transmission between an access point of the local area network and a public land mobile network;

the access controller is configured to determine public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers, and

the access controller is configured to transmit said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked therewith to the terminal equipment, wherein data transmission between the local network and the public land mobile network is based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and the access controller is configured to provide data transmission between the terminal equipment and the network element of the selected public land mobile network on the basis of messages whose network access identifiers (NAI) comprise the domain name of an authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

20. An access controller of claim 19, wherein the access controller is configured to operate as an authenticator for an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) applied for the terminal equipment.

21. An access controller of claim 20, wherein the access controller is configured to transmit an EAP message to an authentication server in a public land mobile network on the basis of an EAP request or response message from the terminal equipment,

the access controller is configured to forward an authentication request from the authentication server to the terminal equipment,

the access controller is configured to forward an authentication response from the terminal equipment to the authentication server,

the access controller is configured to receive information on success of the authentication from the authentication server, and

the access controller is configured to allow data transmission services to be provided to the terminal equipment in the wireless local network in response to information from the authentication server indicating successful authentication.

22. A method for providing system information for roaming in a telecommunications system comprising at least one wireless local network, at least one public land mobile network, and at least one wireless terminal equipment comprising means for setting up a data transmission connection at least with the local network, the method comprising:

determining, in access controller for the wireless local network, public land mobile network identifiers and network element identifiers linked with said public land mobile network identifiers, and

transmitting said public land mobile network identifiers and the network element identifiers linked therewith to the terminal equipment, wherein data transmission between the local network and the public land mobile network is based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and the access controller is configured to provide data transmission between the terminal equipment and the network element of the selected public land mobile network on the basis of messages whose network access identifiers (NAI) comprise the domain name of an authentication server of the selected public land mobile network as a realm section.

23. A method of claim 22, wherein the access controller operates as an authenticator for an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) applied for the terminal equipment.