Enhanced manageability in wireless data communication systems

• US 8,175,611 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jasper Wireless, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Amit, Keller, Carl, Mohammed, Jahangir, Kumar, Suparna
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US12/315,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/452.1, 709/219, 709/226, 709/228.229, 713182-186, 713/159, 726/4, 726/27, 726/29
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A cellular network system comprises a device identifier comparator and a connection enable indicator. A device identifier comparator for comparing a received device identifier with one of a plurality of stored device identifiers, wherein the one of the stored plurality of stored device identifiers is associated with a stored subscriber identifier. A connection enable indicator for indicating whether a connection from a cellular device associated with the received device identifier to a data network associated with the cellular network system should be enabled.

Claims

1. A cellular network system comprising:

at least one mobile device;

a data network associated with the cellular network system;

at least one server coupled to the data network, comprising;

a receiver configured for receiving a device identifier and a subscriber identifier from the at least one mobile device; and

a processor comprising a connection enable indicator configured for enabling a data network connection and a device identifier comparator configured for comparing the received device identifier to at least one of a plurality of stored device identifiers, each stored device identifier being associated with at least one of a plurality of stored subscriber identifiers,

wherein the connection enable indicator is configured to enable a data network connection between the mobile device and the data network when the device identifier comparator identifies a match between the received device identifier to at least one of the plurality of stored device identifiers, and when no match occurs the processor is configured to replace a stored device identifier corresponding to the received subscriber identifier with the received device identifier according to a condition associated with the received subscriber identifier;

wherein when no match occurs, the connection enable indicator is configured to enable a data network connection according to the condition associated with the received subscriber identifier;

wherein each received subscriber identifier is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the condition is defined by at least one of a plurality of rules stored in a device rules data base, each rule is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the connection enable indicator is configured to enable the data network connection based at least in part on one of the plurality of rules; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether the received device identifier replaces the stored device.

2. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether an alert is to be sent based on the received device identifier.

3. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein the received device identifier is based at least in part on information in a username field.

4. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein the received device identifier is based at least in part on information in a password field.

5. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether an alert is to be logged based on the received device identifier.

6. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein the received subscriber identifier is based at least in part on information in a usemame field.

7. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein the received subscriber identifier is based at least in part on information in a password field.

8. A cellular network system as in claim 1, wherein the received subscriber identifier is encoded.

9. A method for authentication in a cellular network system comprising:

receiving, in a server coupled to a data network associated with the cellular network system, a device identifier and a subscriber identifier from at least one mobile device;

comparing the received device identifier to at least one of a plurality of stored device identifiers utilizing a device identifier comparator in a processor of the server, each stored device identifier being associated with at least one of a plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

enabling a data network connection, utilizing a connection enable indicator in the processor, between the mobile device and the data network when the device identifier comparator identifies a match between the received device identifier to at least one of the plurality of stored device identifiers; and

replacing, utilizing the processor, a stored device identifier corresponding to the received subscriber identifier with the received device identifier according to a condition associated with the received subscriber identifier when no match occurs;

wherein when no match occurs, the connection enable indicator enables a data network connection according to the condition associated with the received subscriber identifier;

wherein each received subscriber identifier is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the condition is defined by at least one of a plurality of rules stored in a device rules data base, each rule is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the connection enable indicator enables the data network connection based at least in part on one of the plurality of rules; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether the received device identifier replaces the stored device identifier corresponding to the received subscriber identifier.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether an alert is to be sent based on the received device identifier.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received device identifier is based at least in part on information in a username field.

12. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received device identifier is based at least in part on information in a password field.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received device identifier is associated with a received subscriber identifier.

14. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received subscriber identifier is based at least in part on information in a usemame field.

15. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received subscriber identifier is based at least in part on information in a password field.

16. A method as in claim 9, wherein the received subscriber identifier is encoded.

17. A non-transitory computer program product for a server in a cellular network system, the non-transitory computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions to:

receive, in the server coupled to a data network associated with the cellular network system, a device identifier and a subscriber identifier from at least one mobile device;

compare the received device identifier to at least one of a plurality of stored device identifiers utilizing a device identifier comparator in a processor of the server, each stored device identifier being associated with at least one of a plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

enable a data network connection, utilizing a connection enable indicator in the processor, between the mobile device and the data network when the device identifier comparator identifies a match between the received device identifier to at least one of the plurality of stored device identifiers; and

replace, utilizing the processor, a stored device identifier corresponding to the received subscriber identifier with the received device identifier according to a condition associated with the received subscriber identifier when no match occurs;

wherein when no match occurs, the connection enable indicator enables a data network connection according to the condition associated with the received subscriber identifier;

wherein each received subscriber identifier is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the condition is defined by at least one of a plurality of rules stored in a device rules data base, each rule is associated with at least one of the plurality of stored subscriber identifiers;

wherein the connection enable indicator enables the data network connection based at least in part on one of the plurality of rules; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of rules indicates whether the received device identifier replaces the stored device identifier corresponding to the received subscriber identifier.