Method and apparatus for instance identifier based on a unique device identifier

• US 8,135,386 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Schneyer, Sean Kendall, Lindholm, Fredrik, Heidermark, Alf
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US12/211,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20100009681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/445, 455/403
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use in a communications network whereby an Instance Identifier (ID) is created to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for use in a communications network, comprising:

creating an Instance Identifier (ID) to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network, wherein

the Instance Identifier (ID) is constructed as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using a string representation of a UUID, and

the creating the Instance Identifier (ID) further comprises

creating a device ID (DevID), wherein the creating the DevID further comprises

extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), wherein

when using the TAC and SNR, omitting a spare digit for a total of 14 digits,

placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order,

concatenating the name space ID and DevID,

computing a hash of the concatenated name space ID and DevID using a pre-selected hash algorithm,

setting the UUID using the hash,

creating the string representation of the UUID, and

placing the string representation in URN form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is compliant with the 3GPP standards and supports Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is compliant with the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) standards.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the unique identifier that belongs to the mobile device and is known to the network (DevID) is derived from the Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Instance ID created by the network is identical to an Instance ID created by the device.

6. The method of claim 1, for use in a non-3GPP device, and wherein the DevID is unique to the device and is known by the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a private identity to create the Instance ID.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the private identity is a Network Access Identifier (NAI).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

constructing, by a User Equipment (UE), an Instance ID derived from an IMEI;

performing a REGISTER request from a UE to a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF);

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the request to the Interrogating-Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF);

making, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS);

returning, by the HSS, the Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) required capabilities to the I-CSCF;

using, by the I-CSCF, the S-CSCF required capabilities information to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

challenging, by the S-CSCF, the registration request;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the response to the P-CSCF;

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the response to the UE;

resending, by the UE, the REGISTER request with authentication credentials;

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the request to the I-CSCF;

making, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to an HSS;

returning, by the HSS the S-CSCF required capabilities;

using, by the I-CSCF, the information about the S-CSCF required capabilities to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

informing, by the S-CSCF, the HSS that the user has been registered;

including, upon being requested by the S-CSCF, by the HSS the user profile in the response sent to the S-CSCF;

constructing, by the S-CSCF acting as registrar, a Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU) based on the Instance ID;

sending, by the S-CSCF sends a 200 (OK) response, including the GRUU, to the I-CSCF indicating that registration was successful;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to the P-CSCF indicating that registration was successful; and

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to UE indicating that registration was successful.

10. The method of claim 1, for use when the communication network registers on behalf of a device that is using circuit switch (CS) access.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of;

circuit switch attaching by a UE to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC);

performing, by a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) to a Home Location Register/Home Subscriber Server (HLR/HSS) an Authentication and Update Location;

accepting, by the MSC to the UE a CS attach;

evaluating, by the MSC, whether it needs to perform registration with IMS;

deriving, by the MSC, a home network domain name;

creating, by the MSC, an Instance ID derived from the IMEI of UE;

sending, by the MSC to the Interrogating-Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF), a REGISTER request to register a private user identity and a temporary public user identity derived for the subscriber on behalf of the user with a Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) in the home network;

routing the request to the I-CSCF in the home network;

requesting, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to an HSS;

returning, by the HSS, the S-CSCF required capabilities;

using, by the I-CSCF the S-CSCF required capabilities to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

informing, by the S-CSCF, the HSS that the user has been registered, whereby, upon being requested by the S-CSCF, the HSS will also include the user profile in the response sent to the S-CSCF;

constructing, by the S-CSCF acting as registrar, a GRUU based on the Instance ID;

sending, by the S-CSCF, a 200 (OK) response, including the GRUU, to the I-CSCF indicating that registration was successful; and

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to the MSC Server indicating that registration was successful.

12. An apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:

means for creating an Instance Identifier (ID) to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network, wherein

the Instance Identifier (ID) is constructed as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using a string representation of a UUID, and

the means for creating the Instance Identifier (ID) further comprises

means for creating a device ID (DevID), wherein the creating the DevID further comprises

means for extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), wherein

wherein using the TAR and SNR, omitting a spare digit for a total of 14 digits,

means for placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order

means for concatenating the name space ID and DevID,

means for computing a hash of the concatenated name space ID and DevID using a pre-selected hash algorithm,

means for setting the UUID using the hash,

means for creating the string representation of the UUID, and

means for placing the string representation in URN form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string representation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is compliant with the 3GPP standards and supports Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU).

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is compliant with the 3GPP2 standards.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the unique identifier that belongs to the mobile device and is known to the network (DevID) is derived from the MEID or ESN.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Instance ID created by the network is identical to an Instance ID created by the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, for use in a non-3GPP device, and wherein the DevID is unique to the device and is known by the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising using a private identity to create the Instance ID.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the private identity is a Network Access Identifier (NAI).

20. The apparatus of claim 15, for use when the communication network registers on behalf of a device that is using circuit switch (CS) access.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to:

create an Instance Identifier (ID) to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network, wherein

the Instance Identifier (ID) is constructed as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using a string representation of a UUID, and

creating the Instance Identifier (ID) further comprises

create a device ID (DevID), wherein the creating the DevID further comprises

extract a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), wherein

when using the TAC and SNR, omitting a spare digit for a total of 14 digits,

place a name space ID and DevID in network byte order,

concatenate the name space ID and DevID,

compute a hash of the concatenated name space ID and DevID using a

pre-selected hash algorithm,

set the UUID using the hash,

create the string representation of the UUID, and

place the string representation in URN form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string representation.