System and method for exchanging policy information in a roaming communications environment

• US 8,295,242 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jonathan D., Andreasen, Flemming S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US11/715,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20070207818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/338, 370/389, 370/465, 370/351, 370/437, 370/395.52, 709/227, 709/225, 709/226, 455/461, 455/433, 455/404.1, 455/432.3, 455/432.2, 455/432.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• 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 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus for optimizing roaming in a network environment is provided that includes a bearer manager operable to receive a registration request from a user. An identity of a visited network and access network information is included with the request, a bearer manager consulting the policy server for a policy decision as part of an IP-address assignment or mobile IP registration process. The policy server providing the assigned IP-address, a visited network provider identity and access network information to a home policy server via policy peering. The policy server authorizing the registration and remembering the identity of the visited network provider and the access network information, whereby when the user performs registration, an application manager can request authorization from the policy sever, which checks the identity of the visited network and possible the access network and determines whether to authorize the registration.

Claims

1. An apparatus for optimizing roaming in a network environment, comprising:

a visited policy server consulted by a visited bearer manager of a visited network visited by an access terminal, the visited policy server configured to;

receive a policy request from the visited bearer manager requesting a policy decision in response to the access terminal attempting a registration in the visited network via a registration request, the policy request comprising an assigned IP-address, a subscriber geographic location, and a visited network identity;

provide the assigned IP-address, the subscriber geographic location, and the visited network identity to a home policy server via policy peering, the home policy server belonging to a home network of the access terminal;

receive authorization from the home policy server authorizing the registration for the access terminal;

authorize the registration for the access terminal in the visited network;

receive an authorization request from an application manager requesting authorization for the access terminal to use a particular application in the visited network in response to the access terminal performing application level registration;

receive authorization from the home policy server allowing the access terminal use of a first application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of a second application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network; and

authorize the application level registration based on the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and only when the application level registration is allowed for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network, the authorization allowing use of the first application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of the second application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the registration request is via simple IP, Proxy Mobile IP, or Mobile IP on a Bearer Manager in the visited network or in the home network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in a visited bearer manager scenario, the visited bearer manager includes the assigned IP-address with the policy request to the visited policy server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in a home bearer manager scenario, a Mobile IP Registration Request has visited network information appended by the visited bearer manager, which passes it to a home bearer manager, which contacts the home policy server for a policy decision, wherein the request to the home policy server includes the visited network information and assigned IP-address.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authorization of the application level registration can also occur at time of call setup.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authorization of the application level registration allows emergency calls only.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authorization of the application level registration occurs when the application manager contacts the visited policy server for authorization to allow only some applications to be used when the access terminal is roaming in certain provider networks.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access network information is provided using the policy peering, and wherein the access network information is passed from the IP gateway to the visited bearer manager via PMIP or policy, and from the visited bearer manager to the visited policy manager via policy.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein instead of using SIP signaling, information is passed as part of MIP registration requests or MIP binding updates from the visited to the home network, and also through policy events from the visited network to the home network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein through policy server peering, the home network can install policy facets into the visited network, which requests notifications on change in access network technologies or on location.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the home network can track access network information without requiring SIP signaling.

12. A method for optimizing roaming in a network environment, comprising:

receiving at a visited policy server a policy request from a visited bearer manager requesting a policy decision in response to an access terminal attempting a registration in the visited network via a registration request, the policy request comprising an assigned IP-address, a subscriber geographic location, and a visited network identity, the visited policy server and the visited bearer manager belonging to a visited network visited by an access terminal;

providing the assigned IP-address, the subscriber geographic location, and the visited network identity to a home policy server via policy peering, the home policy server belonging to a home network of the access terminal;

receiving authorization from the home policy server authorizing the registration for the access terminal;

authorizing the registration for the access terminal in the visited network;

receiving an authorization request from an application manager requesting authorization for the access terminal to use a particular application in the visited network in response to the access terminal performing application level registration;

receiving authorization from the home policy server allowing the access terminal use of a first application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of a second application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network; and

authorizing the application level registration based on the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and only when the application level registration is allowed for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network, the authorization allowing use of the first application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of the second application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the registration request is via simple IP, Proxy Mobile IP or Mobile IP on a Bearer Manager in the visited network or in the home network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein in a visited bearer manager scenario, the visited bearer manager includes the assigned IP-address with the policy request to the visited policy server.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein in a home bearer manager scenario, a Mobile IP Registration Request or Mobile IP Binding Update has visited network information appended by the visited bearer manager, which passes it to a home bearer manager, which contacts the home policy server for a policy decision, and where the request to the home policy server includes the visited network information and assigned IP-address.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization of the application level registration can also occur at time of call setup.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the authorization of the application level registration allows emergency calls only.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization of the application level registration occurs when the application manager contacts the visited policy server for authorization to allow only some applications to be used when the access terminal is roaming in certain provider networks.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein access network information is provided using the policy peering, and wherein the access network information is passed from the IP gateway to the visited bearer manager via PMIP or policy, and from the visited bearer manager to the visited policy manager via policy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein instead of using SIP signaling, information is passed as part of MIP registration requests or MIP binding updates from the visited to the home network, and also through policy events from the visited network to the home network.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein through policy server peering, the home network can install policy facets into the visited network, which requests notifications on change in access network technologies or on location.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the home network can track access network information without requiring SIP signaling.

23. Software for optimizing roaming in a network environment, the software being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising code such that when executed is operable to:

receive at a visited policy server a policy request from a visited bearer manager requesting a policy decision in response to an access terminal attempting a registration in the visited network via a registration request, the policy request comprising an assigned IP-address, a subscriber geographic location, and a visited network identity, the visited policy server and the visited bearer manager belonging to a visited network visited by an access terminal;

providing the assigned IP-address, the subscriber geographic location, and the visited network identity to a home policy server via policy peering, the home policy server belonging to a home network of the access terminal;

receive authorization from the home policy server authorizing the registration for the access terminal;

authorize the registration for the access terminal in the visited network;

receive an authorization request from an application manager requesting authorization for the access terminal to use a particular application in the visited network in response to the access terminal performing application level registration;

receive authorization from the home policy server allowing the access terminal use of a first application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of a second application for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network; and

authorize the application level registration based on the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and only when the application level registration is allowed for the subscriber geographic location in the visited network, the authorization allowing use of the first application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network and denying use of the second application at the subscriber geographic location in the visited network.

24. The software of claim 23, wherein the registration request is via simple IP, Proxy Mobile IP, or Mobile IP on a Bearer Manager in the visited network or in the home network.

25. The software of claim 23, wherein in a visited bearer manager scenario, the visited bearer manager includes the assigned IP-address with the policy request to the visited policy server.

26. The software of claim 23, wherein in a home bearer manager scenario, a Mobile IP Registration Request or MIP Binding Update has visited network information appended by the visited bearer manager, which passes it to a home bearer manager, which contacts the home policy server for a policy decision, and where the request to the home policy server includes the visited network information and assigned IP-address.

27. The software of claim 23, wherein the authorization of the application level registration can also occur at time of call setup, and wherein the authorization allows emergency calls only.

28. The software of claim 23, wherein the authorization of the application level registration occurs when the application manager contacts the visited policy server for authorization to allow only some applications to be used when the access terminal is roaming in certain provider networks.

29. The software of claim 23, wherein access network information is provided using the policy peering, and wherein the access network information is passed from the IP gateway to the visited bearer manager via PMIP or policy, and from the visited bearer manager to the visited policy manager via policy.

30. The software of claim 29, wherein instead of using SIP signaling, information is passed as part of MIP registration requests or binding updates from the visited to the home network, and also through policy events from the visited network to the home network.

31. The software of claim 23, wherein through policy server peering, the home network can install policy facets into the visited network, which requests notifications on change in access network technologies or on location.

32. The software of claim 23, wherein the home network can track access network information without requiring SIP signaling.