Gateway system and method for implementing access to various media

• US 8,914,869 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shu, Guiming, Zhong, Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHAO, DON GORDON
• Application Number:
  US12/342,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 726/12, 726/6, 380/247
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices

Abstract

A gateway system for implementing access to various media is provided in the invention, and the gateway system includes: a communication media access module, for establishing a communication link with the corresponding media access network; a Media Independent Handover Functions module, for seamless handover between accesses to various media; and a handover decision module, for selecting a target network for the seamless handover. The gateway system may also include an authentication module, for sharing the authentication information of the User Equipment. Two methods for implementing access to various media are further disclosed in the invention. By the provided gateway system and methods, the User Equipment can access various media via the gateway system, seamlessly hand over between accesses to various media and achieve the access to a service network using the shared authentication information.

Claims

1. A gateway system for implementing access to various media, comprising a processing device configured to:

provide a communication link from the gateway system to a first network of a plurality of networks;

generate a handover request according to status of the communication link from the gateway system to the first network of the plurality of networks;

select a second network of the plurality of networks according to the handover request;

generate information of the second network related to a handover from the first network to the second network; and

establish a communication link from the gateway system to the second network according to the information of the second network;

receive an access request from a second User Equipment,

wherein the processing device is further configured to perform one of;

(i) obtain and store first authentication information for accessing the second network from at least one User Equipment other than the second User Equipment that supports sharing of the authentication information, select second authentication information satisfying access requirements of the second User Equipment different from the at least one User Equipment from the stored first authentication information, according to the access request from the second User Equipment, and implement access from the second User Equipment to the second network, according to the selected second authentication information;

or,

(ii) forward the access request received from the second User Equipment to a first User Equipment of the at least one User Equipment that supports sharing of authentication information, wherein the first User Equipment includes the second authentication information for accessing the second network and has the ability of enabling access to the second network from the second User Equipment via the first User Equipment.

2. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

disconnect the communication link from the gateway system to the first network after the connection of the second User Equipment is handed over to the communication link from the gateway system to the second network.

3. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the generating the handover request according to the status of the communication link to the first network comprises:

generating a handover request, by the gateway system, when uplink access capability of the communication link from the gateway system to the first network fails to satisfy access requirements of the second User Equipment.

4. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the information of the second network includes an address of the second network.

5. A method for implementing access to various media, comprising:

generating a handover request according to status of a communication link from a gateway system to a first network of a plurality of networks; and

selecting a second network of the plurality of networks according to the received handover request;

generating information of the second network related to a handover from the first network to the second network;

establishing a new communication link from the gateway system to the second network according to the information of the second network; and

receiving an access request from a second User Equipment,

wherein the method further includes;

obtaining and storing, by a gateway system, first authentication information used for accessing the second network, wherein the first authentication information is received from at least one User Equipment other than the second User Equipment that supports sharing of the first authentication information;

querying for and selecting second authentication information satisfying access requirements of the second User Equipment different from the at least one User Equipment from the stored first authentication information, according to the access request received from the second User Equipment; and

performing one of;

(i) implementing, by the gateway system, access from the second User Equipment to the second network via a communication media access module, according to the selected second authentication information;

or,

(ii) forwarding, by the gateway system, the access request received from the second User Equipment to a first User Equipment of the at least one User Equipment that supports sharing of authentication information that corresponds to the selected second authentication information, and wherein the access from the second User Equipment to the second network is implemented via the first User Equipment.

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

receiving, by the gateway system, a second access request sent by the second User Equipment;

selecting, by the gateway system, the second authentication information from the first authentication information in the gateway system, according to access requirement information in the received second access request, and sending a first access request to the second network, according to the second authentication information; and

implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the second network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the second network further comprises:

forwarding to the second User Equipment, by the gateway system, information of unauthorization which is returned by the second network in response to the received access request, and establishing a secure communication path to the second network, according to the received information of unauthorization;

forwarding, by the gateway system, a re-access request returned by the second User Equipment to the gateway system in response to the information about unauthorization to the second network via the secure communication path; and

forwarding to the second User Equipment, by the gateway system, information about authorization returned by the second network to the gateway system in response to the re-access request, to complete the access from the second User Equipment to the second network.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the gateway system, a second access request sent by the second User Equipment;

selecting, by the gateway system, the second authentication information from the first authentication information in the gateway system according to access requirement information in the received second access request, and forwarding the second access request to a first User Equipment that supports sharing of the authentication information and corresponds to the second authentication information, and the first User Equipment sends a first access request to the second network via the gateway system by using the second authentication information stored in the first User Equipment according to the received second access request; and

implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the second network through the first User Equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein implementing, by the gateway system, the access from the second User Equipment to the second network through the first User Equipment further comprises:

forwarding to the first User Equipment, by the gateway system, information of unauthorization which is returned by the second network in response to the received first access request;

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received information of unauthorization to the second User Equipment, and establishing a secure communication path to the second network, according to the received information of unauthorization;

sending, by the second User Equipment, a re-access request to the first User Equipment, according to the received information of unauthorization;

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received re-access request to the second network via the secure communication path;

sending, by the second network, information of authorization to the first User Equipment, according the received re-access request; and

forwarding, by the first User Equipment, the received information of authorization to the second User Equipment, to complete the access from the second User Equipment to the second network.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

verifying, by the gateway system, access request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received access request sent by the second User Equipment; and

forwarding, by the gateway system, the access request to the second network, and establishing a connection between the second User Equipment and the second network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein verifying, by the gateway system, the access request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received access request sent by the second User Equipment, further comprises:

determining, by the gateway system, whether the second User Equipment satisfies the access request capability, according the received access request; and

if the second User Equipment satisfies the access request capability, the method further comprises;

forwarding, by the gateway system, the access request to the second network, and establishing a connection between the second User Equipment and the second network;

otherwise, the method proceeds to;

sending, by the gateway system, the re-access request to the second User Equipment; and

completing, by the second User Equipment, the re-access, according to the received re-access request, and subsequently sending an access request to the gateway system, and the method further comprises;

verifying, by the gateway system, the access request capability of the second User Equipment, according to the received access request sent by the second User Equipment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein forwarding, by the gateway system, the access request to the second network and establishing a connection between the second User Equipment and the second network comprises:

forwarding, by the gateway system, the access request of the second User Equipment to the second network;

returning, by the second network, an access request response to the second User Equipment via the gateway system, according to the received access request; and

establishing, by the second User Equipment, a connection to the second network via the gateway system, according to the received access request response.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disconnecting the communication link from the gateway system to the first network after the connection of the User Equipment is handed over to the new communication link.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a handover request according to status of a communication link from the gateway system to the first network comprises:

generating a handover request, by the gateway system, when uplink access capability of the communication link from the gateway system to the first network fails to satisfy access requirements of the User Equipment.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the information of the second network includes an address of the second network.