LAN-based UMA network controller with aggregated transport

• US 8,224,333 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Equipment Technologies Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Isacks, Kevin, Hardie, Terry, Harty, Talbot, Pummill, Troy T
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US11/432,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/338, 370/401, 370/466, 455/414.1, 455/437, 455/456.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• 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 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

A method for managing UMA communications within a local area network and a network controller are disclosed. The method includes establishing a first connection between a first UMA device and a LAN-based UMA network controller (LAN-UNC) and establishing a second connection between a second UMA device and the LAN-UNC. The first and second connections are carried over the local area network. The first and second UMA devices are connected to the same local area network. The method provides establishing a third connection between the LAN-UNC and a UMA network controller (UNC). The UNC is connected to an external network and the third connection extends over the external network. The method includes transporting packets received using the first and second connections to the UNC using the third connection. Packets received using the third connection are transported to the first UMA device using the first connection and to the second UMA device using the second connection.

Claims

1. A method for managing unlicensed mobile access (UMA) devices connected to a local area network (LAN), the method comprising:

establishing a first connection between a LAN-based UMA network controller (LAN-UNC) and a first UMA device, wherein the first UMA device is connected to the LAN and data packets carried by the first connection are maintained within the LAN;

establishing a second connection between the LAN-UNC and a second UMA device, wherein the second UMA device is connected to the LAN and data packets carried by the second connection are maintained within the LAN;

establishing a third connection between the LAN-UNC and a UMA network controller (UNC), wherein the UNC is connected to an external network and the third connection extends over the external network;

receiving, at the LAN-UNC, a first request from the first UMA device, wherein the first request is a request for a call between the first UMA device and the second UMA device; and

directing said first request to the UNC using the third connection;

receiving, at the LAN-UNC, a second request from the UNC, wherein the second request includes a message associated with the first request that identifies the second UMA device;

directing said second request to the second UMA device using the second connection; and

receiving, using the first connection, first data packets comprising first voice call data including an audio portion at the LAN-UNC from the first UMA device, and based at least in part on determining that the first UMA device and the second UMA device are both connected to the LAN, the LAN-UNC directing the audio portion of the first voice call data from the first UMA device to the second UMA device;

receiving, using the second connection, second data packets comprising second voice call data including an audio portion at the LAN-UNC from the second UMA device, and based at least in part on determining that the first UMA device and the second UMA device are both connected to the LAN, the LAN-UNC directing the audio portion of the second voice call data from the second UMA device to the first UMA devices;

wherein the audio portion of the first voice call data and the audio portion of the second voice call data are maintained within the LAN, and are not sent to the UNC.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the external network is the internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first connection comprises a first IPsec (IP security) tunnel and the second connection comprises a second IPsec tunnel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the third connection comprises a GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) tunnel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the third connection comprises a third IPsec tunnel.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising forming the third IPsec tunnel using an automated process.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting a subscriber identity module (SIM) at a universal serial bus (USB) interface of the LAN-UNC;

initiating the automated IPsec tunnel formation process using information obtained from the subscriber identity module.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said automated process further comprises:

obtaining security credentials; and

using said security credentials to automatically negotiate formation of the third IPsec tunnel with the UMA network controller.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said security credentials are obtained using a subscriber identity module (SIM).

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said subscriber identity module (SIM) is received at a universal serial bus (USB) interface of the LAN-UNC.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said security credentials are maintained at the LAN-UNC.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said security credentials are obtained from a device connected to the local area network.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring an authentication process whereby the first UMA device requests access to a cellular network by exchanging packets with the UNC; and

detecting authentication data in the packets exchanged as part of the authentication process; and

using the authentication data to process communications between the first UMA device and the UMA network controller when the authentication process is successfully completed.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of monitoring further comprises receiving authentication data from the UNC using the third connection.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the authentication data comprises cellular triplets.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of monitoring further comprises receiving authentication data from the first UMA device using the first connection.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

compressing data in the packets received using the first and second connections; and

transporting the packets with the compressed data to the UNC using the third connection.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying a security association of the third IPsec tunnel to control access to the first and second connections from the third connection.

19. A method for managing unlicensed mobile access (UMA) devices connected to a local area network (LAN), the method comprising:

establishing a first connection between a LAN-based UMA network controller (LAN-UNC) and a first UMA device, wherein the first UMA device is connected to the LAN and data packets carried by the first connection are maintained within the LAN;

establishing a second connection between the LAN-UNC and a second UMA device, wherein the second UMA device is connected to the LAN and data packets carried by the second connection are maintained within the LAN;

establishing a third connection between the LAN-UNC and a UMA network controller (UNC), wherein the UNC is connected to an external network and the third connection extends over the external network;

receiving first data packets at the LAN-UNC from the first UMA device using the first connection;

receiving second data packets at the LAN-UNC from the second UMA device using the second connection;

forming a multiplexed packet with data from said first data packets and data from said second data packets;

sending the multiplexed packet to the UNC using the third connection;

receiving third data packets at the LAN-UNC from the UNC using the third connection and directing said received packets to the first or second UMA devices using the first or second connections respectively according to a destination of said received packets;

receiving data packets comprising voice call data including an audio portion at the LAN-UNC from the first and second UMA devices using the first and second connections respectively, and based at least in part on determining that the first UMA device and the second UMA device are both connected to the LAN;

directing the audio portion received from the first UMA device to the second UMA device and directing the audio portion received from the second UMA device to the first UMA device, wherein the audio portion of the voice call data is maintained within the LAN.

20. An apparatus for managing unlicensed mobile access (UMA) devices connected to a local area network (LAN), the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to establish a first connection to a first UMA device coupled to the LAN such that data packets carried by the first connection are maintained within the LAN;

wherein the controller is further configured to establish a second connection to a second UMA device coupled to the LAN such that data packets carried by the second connection are maintained within the LAN;

wherein the controller is further configured to establish a third connection to a UMA network controller (UNC) coupled to an external network, the third connection extending from the LAN to the UNC over the external network;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first request from the first UMA device and to direct said first request to the UNC using the third connection;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive a second request from the UNC, wherein the second request includes a message associated with the first request that identifies the second UMA device;

wherein the controller is further configured to direct said second request to the second UMA device using the second connection;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive packets using the first and second connections from the first and second UMA devices respectively and to direct said received packets to the UNC using the third connection; and

wherein the controller is further configured to receive, using the first connection, first data packets comprising first voice call data including an audio portion from the first UMA device, and to direct, based at least in part on determining that the first UMA device and the second UMA device are both connected to the LAN, the audio portion received from the first UMA device to the second UMA device;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive, using the second connection, second data packets comprising second voice call data including an audio portion from the second UMA device, and to direct the audio portion of the second voice call data from the second UMA device to the first UMA device;

wherein the audio portion of the first voice call data and the audio portion of the second voice call data are maintained within the LAN, and are not sent to the UNC.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the external network is the internet.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the first connection comprises a first IPsec (IP security) tunnel and the second connection comprises a second IPsec tunnel.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the third connection comprises a GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) tunnel.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the third connection comprises a third IPsec tunnel.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the controller is further configured to form the third IPsec tunnel using an automated process.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) interface; and

a subscriber identity module (SIM) coupled with said USB interface,

wherein the controller is further configured to initiate the automated IPsec tunnel formation process using information from said subscriber identity module.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the controller is further configured to monitor an authentication process whereby the first UMA device requests access to a cellular network by exchanging packets with the UNC;

the controller is further configured to detect authentication data in the packets exchanged as part of the authentication process; and

the controller is further configured to use the authentication data to process communications between the first UMA device and the UMA network controller when the authentication process is successfully completed.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the controller is further configured to receive authentication data from the UNC using the third connection.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the authentication data comprises cellular triplets.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the controller is further configured to receive authentication data from the first UMA device using the first connection.

31. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with an external RADIUS client using said third connection and to receive authentication data from said external RADIUS client.

32. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the controller is further configured to compress data in the packets received using the first and second connections;

and

the controller is configured to transport the packets with the compressed data to the UNC using the third connection.

33. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the controller is further configured to modify a security association of the third IPsec tunnel to control access to the first and second connections from the third connection.

34. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a device is authorized to communicate using said third connection based upon a security association of said third connection.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is further configured to modify the security association to permit access to said first and second connections from said third connection.

36. An apparatus for managing unlicensed mobile access (UMA) devices connected to a local area network (LAN), the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to establish a first connection to a first UMA device coupled to the LAN such that data packets carried by the first connection are maintained within the LAN;

wherein the controller is further configured to establish a second connection to a second UMA device coupled to the LAN such that data packets carried by the second connection are maintained within the LAN;

wherein the controller is further configured to establish a third connection to a UMA network controller (UNC) coupled to an external network, the third connection extending from the LAN to the UNC over the external network;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive first packets from the first UMA device using the first connection;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive second packets from the second UMA device using the second connection;

wherein the controller is further configured to form a multiplexed packet using data from said first packets and data from said second packets;

wherein the controller is further configured send the multiplexed packet to the UNC using the third connection;

the controller is further configured to receive third packets from the UNC using the third connection and to direct said received packets to the first UMA device or the second UMA device using the first or second connections respectively according to a destination of the received packets;

wherein the controller is further configured to receive data packets comprising voice call data including an audio portion from the first and second UMA devices using the first and second connections respectively and based at least in part on determining that the first UMA device and the second UMA device are both connected to the LAN;

to direct the audio portion to the second and first UMA devices using the first and second connections, wherein the audio portion of the voice call data is maintained within the LAN.