Roaming support for wireless access subscriber over fixed IP access networks

• US 8,472,371 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bari, Farooq, Hu, Q. James
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US11/677,508
• Time in Patent Office: 2,316 Days
• Field of Search: 380/258
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8022 Determining tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides for systems and methods that facilitate a transfer of a portion of a service-level policy agreement associated with a home wireless access network to a fixed internet protocol (IP) access network. An authentication component can authenticate a subscription of a multi-mode device across different network architectures. A policy component can provide at least a portion of a service-level policy agreement to enable or disable services or policies associated with a multi-mode device at the fixed IP access network on a per session basis.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store computer-executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving policy data representative of a portion of a service-level policy agreement associated with a wireless access provider identity and a subscriber identity that is associated with a multi-mode device, wherein the portion represents a default service level policy specifying a data transfer service associated with the wireless access provider identity; and

in response to determining that the default service level policy differs from an access policy represented by access policy data associated with a device of a network that facilitates internet protocol based communications, facilitating a negotiation of service related agreement data representing a condition for facilitating establishing a communication, by the multi-mode device, to the device of the network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the default service level policy specifies the data transfer service based on usage information related to a billing account.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating reception of identification data related to the multi-mode device by the device of the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating regulation of policies applicable to communication between the multi-mode device and the device of the network on a per session basis.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating enforcement of the portion of the service-level policy agreement, wherein the portion is associated with a portion of data exchanged between the multi-mode device and the device of the network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-mode device comprises a dual-mode cellular and an internet protocol communication device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the default service level policy defines a quality of service parameter.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the quality of service parameter includes a data transfer bandwidth.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

establishing the service related agreement data including information representing a modified default access policy.

7. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system including a processor, whether a default service level agreement associated with a network that facilitates internet protocol based communications and a wireless network associated with a multi-mode device has been created; and

in response to determining, by the system, a deficiency of the default service level agreement, facilitating, by the system based on a pre-established rule for negotiating a policy agreement, a negotiation of service level agreement information associated with the network that facilitates the internet protocol based communications and the wireless network associated with the multi-mode device, wherein the service level agreement information represents an information exchange policy specifying a data service provided to the multi-mode device via the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, a communication between a device of the network that facilitates the internet protocol based communications and the multi-mode device on a per session basis based on the information exchange policy.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing a tariff associated with a communication between a device of the network that facilitates the internet protocol based communications and the multi-mode device.

22. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

accessing, by the system, information representing a default policy of the wireless network;

accessing, by the system, a rule for modifying the information; and

specifying, by the system, a term of the service level agreement based on the rule and the information.

10. A method, comprising:

requesting, by a system, authentication of a subscription of a home network related to a multi-mode device;

receiving, by the system, a service-level policy instruction from a device of the home network in response to the requesting of the authentication, wherein the instruction represents a default access policy specifying a data transfer service associated with the subscription of the home network related to the multi-mode device; and

in response to determining, by the system, that a default access policy of a network associated with internet protocol based communications is distinct from the service-level policy instruction, modifying, by the system, service level agreement information referencing a condition for facilitating establishing a communication, by the multi-mode device, to a device of the network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, application of the service-level policy instruction to an internet protocol data exchange.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transferring, by the system, usage information related to an internet protocol data exchange between the multi-mode device and the device of the home network.

24. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing, by the system, the service level agreement information for facilitating a data exchange between the multi-mode device and a network device of the network associated with the internet protocol based communications.

13. A method, comprising:

verifying, by a system including a processor, that a service-level policy agreement related to a multi-mode device associated with a home wireless network has been created;

in response to determining, by the system, that a default access policy of a network facilitating internet protocol based communications is distinct from another access policy represented by the service-level policy agreement, facilitating, by the system, a modification of a portion of the service-level policy agreement based on a rule specifying the modification; and

forwarding, by the system, policy-related information to a device of the network to facilitate an internet protocol data exchange between the multi-mode device and the device of the network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, reception of identification data related to the multi-mode device by a home authentication server device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a request for authentication of the identification data from a visited authentication server device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

authenticating, by the system, the identification data in response to determining that a subscription associated with the multi-mode device is active.

17. The method of claim 13:

facilitating, by the system, negotiating service level agreement information with a visited policy server device for establishment of policies for data transmission applicable to internet protocol data exchange.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, enforcement of the service-level policy agreement for data exchange between the multi-mode device and the device of the network.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, usage information related to a communication associated with the device of the network.