Processing an access request in a wireless communication system

• US 8,750,208 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Chindapol, Aik
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lequang, John
• Application Number:
  US13/150,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 370202-205, 726/4
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates

Abstract

A system and method for processing an access request by a wireless device to access an IP data network is provided. An access request from a wireless device is received and denied a predetermined number of times, and the wireless device is granted a limited access to the IP data network. When the access request from wireless device is authenticated, the wireless device is granted an unlimited access to the IP data network.

Claims

1. A method of processing an access request by a wireless device to access an IP data network, comprising the acts of:

receiving an access request from the wireless device to access the IP data network;

denying the access request;

repeating the receiving and the denying a predetermined plurality of times;

granting to the wireless device a limited access to the IP data network when the access request is denied the predetermined plurality of times to remedy a factor which caused the denying of the access request, wherein the limited access comprises preventing the wireless device from using services on the IP data network which require a bandwidth greater than a predetermined threshold, and wherein the predetermined threshold is below an amount of bandwidth needed to provide at least one of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services and streaming video services to the wireless device from the IP data network;

authenticating the access request when the factor is remedied; and

granting to the wireless device an unlimited access to the IP data network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited access comprises permitting the wireless device to access a subset of the unlimited access to the IP data network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited access comprises limiting the access of the wireless device to the IP data network to a maximum data rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited access comprises limiting the access of the wireless device to the IP data network to a maximum amount of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of denying further comprises:

determining that a credential file of the wireless device is corrupted and denying the access request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of authenticating further comprises:

transmitting an uncorrupted credential file to the wireless device and authenticating the access request using the uncorrupted credential file.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of authenticating further comprises at least one of verifying authentication credentials and updating a service agreement, and authenticating the access request using the verified authentication credentials or the updated service agreement.

8. A system for processing an access request by a wireless device to access an IP data network, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) access node to receive an access request from the wireless device to access the IP data network;

an authentication node, in communication with the RF access node, to grant the wireless device a limited access to the IP data network when the access request has been received and denied a predetermined plurality of times to remedy a factor which caused the denial of the access request, and to grant the wireless device an unlimited access to the IP data network when the factor is remedied and the access request is authenticated, wherein the limited access comprises access to the IP network where the wireless device is prevented from using services on the IP data network which require a bandwidth greater than a predetermined threshold, and wherein the predetermined threshold is below an amount of bandwidth needed to provide at least one of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services and streaming video services to the wireless device from the IP data network; and

an access node, in communication with the authentication node and the RF access node, to provide the wireless device with the limited access and the unlimited access to the IP data network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the limited access comprises access to a subset of the unlimited access to the IP data network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the limited access comprises access to the IP data network subject to a maximum data rate limitation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the limited access comprises access to the IP network subject to a maximum amount of data limitation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication node further determines that a credential file of the wireless device is corrupted and denies the access request.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein an uncorrupted credential file is transmitted to the wireless device and the authentication node authenticates the access request using the uncorrupted credential file.