Method and apparatus for integrating billing and authentication functions in local area and wide area wireless data networks

• US 7,171,460 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tatara Systems Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Hong, Kalavade, Asawaree, Chen, Penny
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG, JI YONG DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/213,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 : Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 : using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 : using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 : using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A converged network accessible by client terminals is provided. The converged network includes a wide area network, a local area network, and a gateway linked to the wide area and local area networks. The gateway integrates billing and authentication functions of the wide area and local area networks.

Claims

1. A method, operative in a gateway, for managing usage of a local area network (LAN) by a subscriber of a wide area network (WAN), the wide area network being operated by an entity providing a telecommunication service that is normally accessible to the subscriber by having an existing WAN authentication mechanism authenticate the subscriber when the subscriber uses the WAN to obtain the telecommunication service, the WAN having an existing WAN billing mechanism, comprising:

(a) detecting an attempt by a terminal operated by the subscriber to access the LAN;

(b) authenticating the subscriber based on authentication information received from the subscriber and corresponding information of record at the existing WAN authentication system, wherein the information of record is associated with the subscriber'"'"'s WAN identity and the information received from the subscriber is one of;

(i) IMSI information obtained from a SIM card associated with the terminal, (ii) a user login and password obtained during a service provisioning, (iii) IMSI information provided in software executable in the terminal, (iv) IMSI information provided in a network server, (v) a token or one time password exchanged by the terminal through SMS, (vi) a token or one time password exchanged by the terminal through USSD, and (vii) a token or one time password generated using an application associated with a SIM card;

(c) after the subscriber is authenticated, receiving information on subscriber usage of the LAN; and

(d) transmitting the information on subscriber usage of the LAN to the existing WAN billing mechanism for integrated billing by the entity of LAN and WAN usage, wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is transmitted using a data structure that the existing WAN billing mechanism expects to receive;

wherein the gateway interacts with the existing WAN authentication mechanism and the existing WAN billing mechanism, without modifications to those mechanisms, to enable the subscriber to access, to use, and to be billed for the subscriber usage of the LAN using the subscriber'"'"'s WAN identity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data structure includes at least one optional field that includes data identifying the gateway as a source of the information on subscriber usage of the LAN.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the WAN authentication mechanism is a home location register (HLR) for the WAN.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is measured by one of:

a client program running on the terminal, an existing LAN measurement infrastructure, and a monitor deployed in the LAN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein network server is a web site.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the information of record associated with the subscriber'"'"'s WAN identity includes at least one of:

a name, an address, a date of birth, and one or more digits of a social security number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the LAN is located at a public access venue.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity providing the telecommunications service applies a billing policy to the subscriber usage of the LAN that differs from a billing policy applied to the subscriber'"'"'s usage of the WAN.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the terminal attempts to access the LAN using an Internet Protocol (IP) interface.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the IP interface is one of:

a wired Ethernet interface, a wireless Ethernet interface, and a Bluetooth interface.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity is a GSM operator.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity is a CDMA operator.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

25. The method of claim 1 wherein information on subscriber usage of the LAN is provided by an access server or router at the LAN.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the data structure is in a format selected from one of:

IPDR, GPRS CDR, TAP 3, and XML.

14. A converged network accessible by a wireless client device, comprising:

a wide area network (WAN) being operated by an entity providing a telecommunication service that is normally accessible to a subscriber by having a WAN authentication mechanism authenticate the subscriber when the subscriber uses the WAN to obtain the telecommunication service, the WAN having a WAN billing mechanism; and

a gateway linked to the WAN and at least one local area network (LAN), the gateway being operative (a) to authenticate the subscriber based on authentication information received from the subscriber and corresponding information of record at the WAN authentication mechanism, wherein the information received from the subscriber is one of;

(i) IMSI information obtained from a SIM card associated with the wireless client device, (ii) a user login and password obtained during a service Provisioning, (iii) IMSI information provided in software executable in the wireless client device, (iv) IMSI information provided in a network server, (v) a token or one time Password exchanged by the wireless client device through SMS, (vi) a token or one time password exchanged by the wireless client device through USSD, and (vii) a token or one time password generated using an application associated with a SIM card;

(b) to receive information on subscriber usage of the LAN; and

(c) to transmit the information on subscriber usage of the LAN to the WAN billing mechanism for integrated billing by the entity of LAN and WAN usage, wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is transmitted using a data structure that the WAN billing mechanism expects to receive.

15. The converged network of claim 14 wherein a credential of the subscriber is stored in at least one of (i) a back end system of the WAN and (ii) a database maintained by the gateway.

16. The converged network of claim 15 wherein the back end system of the WAN is a home location register (HLR).

17. The converged network of claim 14 wherein the LAN is located at a public access venue.

18. The converged network of claim 14 wherein the data structure includes at least one optional field that includes data identifying the gateway as a source of the information on subscriber usage of the LAN.

19. The converged network of claim 14 wherein the entity is a GSM operator.

20. The converged network of claim 14 wherein the entity is a CDMA operator.

21. The converged network of claim 14 wherein the entity is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

22. A gateway for managing usage of a local area network (LAN) by a subscriber of a wide area network (WAN), the subscriber having a wireless client device, the WAN being operated by an entity providing a telecommunication service that is normally accessible to a subscriber by having a WAN authentication mechanism authenticate the subscriber when the subscriber uses the WAN to obtain the telecommunication service, the WAN having a WAN billing mechanism, comprising:

a processor; and

code executable by the processor (a) to authenticate the subscriber based on authentication information received from the subscriber and corresponding information of record at the WAN authentication mechanism, wherein the information received from the subscriber is, one of;

(i) IMSI information obtained from a SIM card associated with the wireless client device, (ii) a user login and password obtained during a service provisioning, (iii) IMSI information provided in software executable in the wireless client device, (iv) IMSI information provided in a network server, (v) a token or one time password exchanged by the wireless client device through SMS, (vi) a token or one time password exchanged by the wireless client device through USSD, and (vii) a token or one time password generated using an application associated with a SIM card;

(b) to receive information on subscriber usage of the LAN; and

(c) to transmit the information on subscriber usage of the LAN to the WAN billing mechanism for billing by the entity of LAN and WAN usage, wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is transmitted using a data structure that the WAN billing mechanism expects to receive.

23. The gateway of claim 22 wherein the data structure includes at least one optional field that includes data identifying the gateway as a source of the information on subscriber usage of the LAN.

24. The gateway of claim 23 wherein the at least one optional field is a Node ID field of a GPRS call data record.

27. A method, operative in a gateway, for managing usage of a local area network (LAN) by a subscriber of a wide area network (WAN), the wide area network being operated by an entity providing a telecommunication service that is normally accessible to the subscriber by having an existing WAN authentication mechanism authenticate the subscriber when the subscriber uses the WAN to obtain the telecommunication service, the WAN having an existing WAN billing mechanism, comprising:

(a) authenticating the subscriber based on authentication information received from the subscriber and corresponding information of record at the existing WAN authentication mechanism, wherein the information of record is associated with the subscriber'"'"'s WAN identity and the information received from the subscriber is one of;

(i) IMSI information obtained from a SIM card associated with the terminal, (ii) a user login and password obtained during a service provisioning, (iii) IMSI information provided in software executable in the terminal, (iv) IMSI information provided in a network server, (v) a token or one time password exchanged by the terminal through SMS, (vi) a token or one time password exchanged by the terminal through USSD, and (vii) a token or one time password generated using an application associated with a SIM card;

(b) receiving information on subscriber usage of the LAN; and

(c) transmitting the information on subscriber usage of the LAN to the existing WAN billing mechanism for billing by the entity of LAN and WAN usage, wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is transmitted using a data structure that the existing WAN billing mechanism expects to receive;

wherein the gateway interacts with the existing WAN authentication mechanism and the existing WAN billing mechanism, without modifications to those mechanisms, to enable the subscriber to access, to use, and to be billed for the subscriber usage of the LAN using the subscriber'"'"'s WAN identity.

28. The method as described in claim 27 wherein the information on subscriber usage of the LAN is measured by one of:

a client program running on the terminal, an existing LAN measurement infrastructure, and a monitor deployed in the LAN.

29. The method as described in claim 27 wherein the data structure includes at least one optional field that includes data identifying the gateway as a source of the information on subscriber usage of the LAN.

30. The method as described in claim 29 wherein the at least one optional field is a Node ID field of a GPRS call data record.

31. The method as described in claim 27 wherein the entity providing the telecommunications service applies a billing policy to the subscriber usage of the LAN that differs from a billing policy applied to the subscriber'"'"'s usage of the WAN.

32. The method as described in claim 27 wherein the entity is one of:

a GSM operator, a CDMA operator, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP).