Methods and devices for obtaining and forwarding domain access rights for nodes moving as a group

• US 8,031,725 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Calin, Doru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US10/778,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/401, 370/354, 713/182, 713/338, 709/226
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The ability to maintain communications between wireless nodes (e.g., devices), moving substantially as a group, as the group moves from one domain to another is provided without the need for each member of the group to separately obtain domain access rights.

Claims

1. A method for providing access rights to a domain comprising the steps of:

obtaining, at a first node of a group of nodes moving as a group, access rights from a domain; and

forwarding the obtained access rights from said first node within the moving group of nodes to at least one other node within the moving group of nodes without the need to receive a request from the at least one other node to forward the rights.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of retaining said access rights at the first node.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the group of nodes comprises a group of wireless devices.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the group of nodes comprises both wireless and moving, wired devices.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the access rights are selected from the group consisting of at least authentication, authorization and accounting rights.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving the forwarded access rights, by at least one other node within the group of nodes.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

decoding at the first node, information from the domain; and

forwarding the decoded information to the at least one other node within the group of nodes.

8. The method as in claim 7 further comprising the step of receiving

the forwarded information by the at least one other node within the group of nodes.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of forwarding

information to at least one additional node within the group of nodes.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining access rights further comprises requesting access rights on behalf of all of the nodes

within the group from a domain;

and the step of forwarding access rights to at least one other node within the

group allows the first node and at least one other node within the group access to the domain.

11. A device, within a group of devices moving as a

group, operable to:

obtain access rights from a domain at the device; and

forward the obtained access rights from the device within the moving

group of devices to at least one other device within the moving group of devices without the need to receive a request from the at least one other device to forward the rights.

12. The device as in claim 11 further operable to retain said access rights.

13. The device as in claim 11 wherein the group of devices comprises a

group of wireless devices.

14. The device as in claim 11 wherein the group of devices comprises

both wireless and moving, wired devices.

15. The device as in claim 11 wherein the access rights are selected

from the group consisting of at least authentication, authorization and accounting rights.

16. The device as in claim 11 wherein the device is further operable to:

decode information from the domain; and

forward the decoded information to the at least one other device within

the group of devices.

17. The device as in claim 11 wherein the device is further operable to

forward information to at least one additional device within the group of devices.

18. The device as in claim 11 further operable to obtain access rights

on behalf of all of the nodes within the group from a domain;

and forward the access rights to at least one other node within the group to

allow the first node and at least one other node within the group to access the domain.

20. The device as in claim 18 further comprising means for retaining

said access rights.

19. A device, within a group of nodes moving as a group, comprising:

means for obtaining access rights from a domain at the device; and

means for forwarding the obtained access rights from the device within

the moving group of devices to at least one other device within the moving

group of devices without the need to receive a request from the at least one other device to forward the rights.

21. The device as in claim 19 further comprising:

means for decoding information from the domain at the first node; and

means for forwarding said decoded information to the at least one other

device within the group of devices.

22. The device as in claim 19 further comprising:

means for forwarding information to at least one additional device within

the group of devices.

23. The device as in claim 19 further comprising means for obtaining

access rights on behalf of all of the nodes within the group from a domain;

and means for forwarding the access rights to at least one other node within

the group to allow the first node and at least one other node within the group

to access the domain.