Policy-based roaming control for wireless communication devices

• US 9,167,410 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Xue, Wen, Walton, Sean Murphy
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/136,922
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for controlling roaming of wireless communication devices onto wireless communication networks are provided herein. In one example, method of operating a wireless communication network is provided. The method includes, during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network, receiving a request for policy information for the wireless communication device. Responsive to the request for the policy information, the method includes identifying a network address of a roaming gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network. The method includes processing the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session, and transferring the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to authorize roaming communications of a wireless communication device onto a roaming wireless communication network, the method comprising:

during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network, receiving a request for policy information for the wireless communication device;

responsive to the request for the policy information, identifying a network address of a gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network;

processing the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session; and

transferring the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine the roaming authorization status for the communication session comprises determining a location within the roaming wireless communication network based on the network address and the paging tracking area identifier, and determining the roaming authorization status based on at least the location within the roaming wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates a denied roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates an allowed roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is not located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during an attachment process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication system which precedes the communication session initiation process, receiving a roaming authentication request from the roaming wireless communication system, and transferring a response to the roaming authentication request allowing the wireless communication device to attach onto the roaming wireless communication system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the roaming authorization status for the communication session indicates a denied roaming authorization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway serving the wireless communication device comprises a serving gateway (SGW) of the roaming wireless communication network, and wherein receiving the request for the policy information for the wireless communication device comprises receiving the request in a packet data network gateway (PGW) of the wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising a home wireless communication network for the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in the PGW, transferring the request for the policy information, the network address, and the paging tracking area identifier to a Policy and Charging Rules Functions (PCRF) of the wireless communication network, and responsively receiving the roaming authorization status from the PCRF indicating an allowed or denied roaming authorization status.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the request for the policy information, identifying a wireless access node identifier of a wireless access node to which the wireless communication device is attached in the roaming wireless communication network; and

processing the wireless access node identifier, the network address, and the paging tracking area identifier to determine the roaming authorization status for the communication session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates a denied roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network, and further comprising:

responsive to the roaming authorization status indicating the denied roaming authorization, establishing a blocking timer in the wireless communication network to prevent authorization of roaming communication sessions for the wireless communication device on the roaming wireless communication network for a predetermined period of time.

11. A wireless communication network configured to authorize roaming communications of a wireless communication device onto a roaming wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising:

a gateway node configured to receive a request for policy information for the wireless communication device during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network;

responsive to the request for the policy information, a policy node configured to identify a network address of a gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network;

the policy node configured to process the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session; and

the gateway node configured to transfer the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.

12. The wireless communication network of claim 11, comprising:

the policy node configured to determine a location within the roaming wireless communication network based on the network address and the paging tracking area identifier, and determine the roaming authorization status based on at least the location within the roaming wireless communication network.

13. The wireless communication network of claim 12, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates a denied roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network.

14. The wireless communication network of claim 12, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates an allowed roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is not located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network.

15. The wireless communication network of claim 11, further comprising:

a subscriber server configured to receive a roaming authentication request from the roaming wireless communication system during an attachment process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication system which precedes the communication session initiation process, and transfer a response to the roaming authentication request allowing the wireless communication device to attach onto the roaming wireless communication system.

16. The wireless communication network of claim 15, wherein the roaming authorization status for the communication session indicates a denied roaming authorization.

17. The wireless communication network of claim 11, wherein the gateway serving the wireless communication device comprises a serving gateway (SGW) of the roaming wireless communication network, wherein the gateway node comprises a packet data network gateway (PGW) of the wireless communication network, and wherein the wireless communication network comprises a home wireless communication network for the wireless communication device.

18. The wireless communication network of claim 17, comprising:

the PGW configured to transfer the request for the policy information, the network address, and the paging tracking area identifier to a Policy and Charging Rules Functions (PCRF) of the wireless communication network, and responsively receive the roaming authorization status from the PCRF indicating an allowed or denied roaming authorization status.

19. The wireless communication network of claim 11, comprising:

responsive to the request for the policy information, the policy node configured to identify a wireless access node identifier of a wireless access node to which the wireless communication device is attached in the roaming wireless communication network; and

the policy node configured to process the wireless access node identifier, the network address, and the paging tracking area identifier to determine the roaming authorization status for the communication session.

20. The wireless communication network of claim 11, wherein the roaming authorization status indicates a denied roaming authorization when the wireless communication device is located within a coverage area associated with the wireless communication network, and comprising:

responsive to the roaming authorization status indicating the denied roaming authorization, the policy node configured to establish a blocking timer to prevent authorization of roaming communication sessions for the wireless communication device on the roaming wireless communication network for a predetermined period of time.