Method and arrangement for externally controlling and managing at least one WLAN subscriber who is assigned to a local radio network

• US 8,170,032 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Mohri, Alexander, Knuth, Michael, Molzahn, Matthias, Henkels, Christoph, Vater, Helge
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sweet, Lonnie
• Application Number:
  US10/548,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,001 Days
• Field of Search: 370/262, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.2, 370/901, 370/908, 455/92, 455/95
• US Class Current: 370/395.52
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 Wide area network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A method for externally controlling and managing a wireless local area network subscriber assigned to at least one wireless local area network includes requesting a service using the subscriber, checking an authorization of the subscriber to access the TCP/IP network, and establishing a connection via the TCP/IP network to the subscriber if the subscriber has the authorization to access the TCP/IP network. Signaling and/or information data are managed using a control and managing device connected to the public TCP/IP network via an interface device.

Claims

1. A method for externally controlling and managing at least one wireless local area network subscriber assigned to at least one wireless local area network and capable of requesting services via a public TCP/IP network, the method comprising:

receiving a service request through a first wireless local area network of a plurality of wireless local area networks from a wireless local area network subscriber;

checking an authentication of the subscriber to access the TCP/IP network;

establishing a connection through the first wireless network between the TCP/IP network and the subscriber if the subscriber has an authorization to access the TCP/IP network;

transmitting at least one of signaling and information data via the TCP/IP network to a control and managing device connected to the TCP/IP network, wherein the control and managing device is external to a service provider associated with the at least one wireless local area network and to the plurality of wireless local area networks;

registering, at the control and managing device, the authorization to access the TCP/IP network for the subscriber;

permitting the wireless local area network subscriber to move from the first wireless local area network to a second wireless local area network, free of the checking step, using the authorization to access the TCP/IP network for the subscriber registered at the control and managing device;

monitoring, at the control and managing device, usages of the plurality of the wireless local area networks as the subscriber moves from the first to the second wireless local area network; and

ascertaining and logging, in the external control and managing device, a capacity usage of the first wireless local area network so as to enable, as a function of the capacity usage, the subscriber to be denied, at least temporarily, the authorization to access the TCP/IP network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the signaling data contains settlement data and further comprising generating and forwarding settlement data records to a settlement unit.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the checking the access authorization is performed by the interface device associated with one of the plurality of wireless local area networks.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

when the subscriber has not been cleared by the interface means, transmitting at least one individual identification to the external control and managing device;

in response to the transmitting of the individual identification, checking, using the external control and managing device, whether the subscriber has already been granted the authorization to access the TCP/IP network; and

establishing a connection via the TCP/IP network if the subscriber has already been granted the authorization to access the TCP/IP network.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the at least one individual identification includes at least one of a MAC address and an IP address of the subscriber.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

if no access authorization has yet been granted to the subscriber, prompting the subscriber to enter an authentication data; and

after the subscriber has entered the authentication data, receiving, by the subscriber, the authorization to access the TCP/IP network.

7. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising checking, using the control and managing device, whether the subscriber is entitled to use at least one of the TCP/IP network and the requested service.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the at least one interface means is associated with a respective one of the at least one wireless local area network, and further comprising storing, in the external control and managing device, at least one of an address of the respective at least one interface means associated with each wireless local area network and an identification and/or an owner of each wireless local area network.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising storing, in the external control and managing device, an individual website for at least one of the first wireless local area network and the subscriber so that the individual website is capable of being transmitted to the subscriber.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the subscriber is located in a service area of the first wireless local area network, and further comprising, using the transmitted individual website, logging on, by the subscriber, at the interface means of the first wireless local area network so as to obtain the authorization to access the public TCP/IP network.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising managing, in the external control and managing device, a table in which the at least one of an address of the interface device associated with the first wireless local area network and an identification and/or an owner of the first wireless local area network is assigned to the subscriber when the authorization has been granted.

12. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

checking whether the subscriber has a credit; and

at least one of severing an established connection and not establishing a connection once the credit has been used up.

13. A system comprising:

a public TCP/IP network;

a plurality of wireless local area networks, each connected via at least one interface device to the public TCP/IP network;

at least one wireless local area network subscriber associated with the public TCP/IP network;

a control and managing device associated with the public TCP/IP network, wherein the control and managing device is external to the plurality of wireless local area networks and a service provider associated with at least one wireless local area network of the plurality of wireless local area networks;

wherein the interface device and the control and managing device each have a data exchange device configured to exchange at least one of signaling and information data via the public TCP/IP network;

at least one of the interface device and the control and managing device has a checking device configured to check, when the at least one wireless local area network subscriber requests the service, an authentication of the subscriber to access the public TCP/IP network; and

the control and managing device further including;

a control device configured to control an establishment of a connection via the public TCP/IP network to the subscriber;

a registration module configured to store a registration of an authorization to access the public TCP/IP network so as to permit movement of the at least one wireless local area network subscriber from a first wireless local area network to a second wireless local area network, free of a renewed authentication check by the checking device, using the stored registration of the at least one wireless local area network subscriber; and

a session observer module configured to monitor capacity usages of the plurality of the wireless local area networks as the subscriber moves from the first to the second wireless local area network; and

a blocking device capable of denying the subscriber the authorization, at least temporarily, to access the TCP/IP network as a function of at least one of the monitored capacity usages.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the control device is configured to control the establishment of the connection via the public TCP/IP network to the subscriber contingent upon whether the subscriber has the authorization to access the TCP/IP network.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein:

the signaling data includes settlement data;

the control and managing device includes a data generation device configured to generate settlement data records based on the settlement data; and

the control and managing device includes a data forwarding device configured to forward the settlement data records to a settlement unit.

16. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein:

the interface device includes a transmission device configured to transmit at least one individual identification to the control and managing device;

the control and managing device includes the checking device; and

the checking device is configured, in response to the at least one individual identification, to check whether the subscriber has already been granted the authorization to access the public TCP/IP network.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein the at least one individual identification includes at least one of a MAC address and an IP address of the subscriber.

18. A control and managing device comprising:

a data exchange device configured to exchange at least one of signaling and information data with an interface device of a wireless local area network, the interface device being connected to the data exchange device via a public TCP/IP network;

a checking device configured to check an authentication of a wireless local area network subscriber to access the public TCP/IP network;

a registration module configured to store a registration of an authorization of the wireless local area network subscriber to access the public TCP/IP network so as to facilitate movement of the subscriber from a first wireless local area network to a second wireless local area network, free of a renewed authentication check by the checking device, using the stored registration;

a control device configured to control an establishment of a connection via the public TCP/IP network to the subscriber;

a monitoring device configured to monitor usages of the first and second wireless local area networks as the subscriber moves from the first to the second wireless local area access network; and

a blocking device capable of denying the subscriber the authorization, at least temporarily, to access the TCP/IP network based on at least one of the monitored capacity usages,

wherein the control and managing device is external to the first and second wireless local area networks and a service provider associated with the wireless local area network.

19. The control and managing device as recited in claim 18 wherein the control device is configured to control the establishment of the connection via the public TCP/IP network to the subscriber contingent upon whether the subscriber has the authorization to access the TCP/IP network.

20. The control and managing device as recited in claim 18 wherein further comprising:

a data generation device configured to generate settlement data records based on the settlement data; and

a data forwarding device configured to forward the settlement data records to a settlement unit.

21. The control and managing device as recited in claim 18 wherein the checking device is configured, in response to at least one individual identification of the subscriber, to check whether the subscriber has already been granted the authorization to access the public TCP/IP network.

22. The control and managing device as recited in claim 18 further comprising:

a storage device configured to store at least one of an address of the interface device and an identification and/or an owner of the wireless local area network; and

a table management device configured to manage a table in which the at least one of the address of the interface device and the identification and/or the owner of the wireless local area network is assigned to the subscriber when the subscriber is logged on to the wireless local area network and the authorization to access the public TCP/IP network has been granted.