Mobility protocol selection by an authorization system

• US 8,566,926 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schnellbacher, George Jason, Teixeira de Magalhaes, Joao Carlos Osorio Gouvea, Shojayi, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US12/726,582
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/4, 726/21, 455/410, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or 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 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

An authorization system in a home wireless network comprises a communication interface and a processing system, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet. The communication interface is configured to receive an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network. The processing system is configured to select one of a visited internet connection and a home internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network and wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network. The communication interface is configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network indicating the selected one of the visited internet connection or the home internet connection.

Claims

1. A method of operating an authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network;

in response to the authorization request, selecting one of a visited internet connection and a home internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network and wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network; and

transferring an authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network indicating the selected one of the visited internet connection or the home internet connection, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message and wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a RADIUS response message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a diameter request message and wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a diameter response message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the one of the visited internet connection and the home internet connection comprises selecting the home internet connection based on a user profile for the wireless communication device that indicates an enterprise access user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the one of the visited internet connection and the home internet connection comprises selecting the visited internet connection based on a user profile for the wireless communication device that indicates an Internet access user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the simple IP protocol comprises one of a simple IPv4 protocol and a simple IPv6 protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network by utilizing a mobile internet protocol (mobile IP) protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the mobile IP protocol comprises one of a mobile IPv4 protocol and a mobile IPv6 protocol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the authorization system comprises an authentication, authorization, and accounting server.

11. An authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the authorization system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network;

a processing system configured to, in response to the authorization request, select one of a visited internet connection and a home internet connection for the wireless communication device and direct the communication interface to transfer an authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network and wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network; and

the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network indicating the selected one of the visited internet connection or the home internet connection, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication interface configured to receive the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises the communication interface configured to receive a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message and wherein the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises the communication interface configured to transfer a RADIUS response message.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication interface configured to receive the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises the communication interface configured to receive a diameter request message and wherein the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises the communication interface configured to transfer a diameter response message.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing system configured to select the one of the visited internet connection and the home internet connection comprises the processing system configured to select the home internet connection based on a user profile for the wireless communication device that indicates an enterprise access user.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing system configured to select the one of the visited internet connection and the home internet connection comprises the processing system configured to select the visited internet connection based on a user profile for the wireless communication device that indicates an Internet access user.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the simple IP protocol comprises one of a simple IPv4 protocol and a simple IPv6 protocol.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network by utilizing a mobile internet protocol (mobile IP) protocol.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the mobile IP protocol comprises one of a mobile IPv4 protocol and a mobile IPv6 protocol.

20. A method of operating an authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network, wherein the authorization request comprises a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message;

in response to the authorization request, selecting one of a visited internet connection and a home internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol and wherein the home internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet through the home wireless network by utilizing a mobile internet protocol (mobile IP) protocol; and

transferring an authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network indicating the selected one of the visited internet connection or the home internet connection, wherein the authorization response comprises a RADIUS response message and wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response.