Connecting to an evolved packet data gateway

• US 9,191,985 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Haynes, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Divito, Walter
• Application Number:
  US13/292,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels

Abstract

A user device may receive an access request to access an application provided by a cellular carrier associated with the user device. The user device may use a first type of tunneling protocol to establish a connection, via an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG), to a server that provides the application; determines whether the connection is established using the first type of tunneling protocol; and use a second type of tunneling protocol to establish the connection when the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol. The user device may also use the connection to access the application via the ePDG.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user device, an access request to access an application provided by a cellular carrier associated with the user device,

the application providing one or more IP multimedia services;

using, by the user device, a first type of tunneling protocol to attempt to establish a connection, via an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG), to a server that provides the application;

determining, by the user device, that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol based on receiving a message that indicates a failure to establish the connection using the first type of tunneling protocol or based on not receiving a response to a request to establish the connection within a particular period of time,

the connection being not established using the first type of tunneling protocol when a firewall, between the user device and the ePDG, does not support the first type of tunneling protocol;

using, by the user device, a second type of tunneling protocol to establish the connection based on determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol,

the second type of tunneling protocol being different from the first type of tunneling protocol; and

using, by the user device, the connection to access the application via the ePDG.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first type of tunneling protocol is an Internet protocol security (IPsec) tunneling protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, where the second type of tunneling protocol is one of:

a transport layer security (TLS) tunneling protocol, or

a point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP).

4. The method of claim 1, where using the first type of tunneling protocol to attempt to establish the connection comprises:

transmitting, to the ePDG, a first request for a list of at least one tunneling protocol supported by the ePDG,

receiving, from the ePDG, the list of the at least one tunneling protocol,

selecting the first type of tunneling protocol from the list of the at least one tunneling protocol, and

transmitting, to the ePDG, a second request to establish the connection by using the first type of tunneling protocol.

5. The method of claim 4,

where using the first type of tunneling protocol to attempt to establish the connection comprises:

transmitting, to the ePDG, the request to establish the connection by using the first type of tunneling protocol, and

where determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol comprises;

determining that the response to the request to establish the connection has not been received,

determining a time period after transmitting the request to establish the connection,

determining that the time period satisfies the particular time period, and

determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol based on determining that the response has not been received and based on determining that the time period satisfies the particular period of time.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting the first type of tunneling protocol based on a priority of the first type of tunneling protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, where determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol comprises:

receiving, from the ePDG, the message that indicates the failure to establish the connection using the first type of tunneling protocol, and

determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol based on the message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that wireless Internet service is provided via a wireless access point;

transmitting, to the wireless access point, a request to establish a wireless Internet connection via the wireless access point; and

receiving, from the wireless access point and before using the first type of tunneling protocol, an Internet protocol (IP) address assigned to the user device.

9. A device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

receive a request to access an application provided by a cellular carrier associated with the device,

the application providing one or more IP multimedia services,

use a first type of tunneling protocol to attempt to establish a connection, via an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG), to a server that provides the application,

determine that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol based on receiving a message that indicates a failure to establish the connection using the first type of tunneling protocol or based on not receiving a response to a request to establish the connection within a particular period of time,

the connection being not established using the first type of tunneling protocol when a firewall, between the device and the ePDG, does not support the first type of tunneling protocol, and

use a second type of tunneling protocol to establish the connection after determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol,

the second type of tunneling protocol being different from the first type of tunneling protocol.

10. The device of claim 9,

where the memory is to store a first list of prioritized tunneling protocols supported by the device, and

where the processor is further to:

select the second type of tunneling protocol that is included in the first list based on determining that the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol.

11. The device of claim 10, where the first type of tunneling protocol has a higher priority than the second type of tunneling protocol in the first list.

12. The device of claim 9, where, when determining that the connection is not established, the processor is to:

determine a time period after using the first type of tunneling protocol,

determine that the time period satisfies the particular time period, and

determine that the connection is not established based on determining that the time period satisfies the particular period of time.

13. The device of claim 9,

where the first type of tunneling protocol is an Internet protocol security (IPsec) tunneling protocol, and

where the second type of tunneling protocol is a transport layer security (TLS) tunneling protocol.

14. The device of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

use, after the connection is established, the connection to access the application via the ePDG.

15. The device of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

transmit, to the ePDG, a request for a list of tunneling protocols supported by the ePDG,

receive, from the ePDG, a message that includes the list of tunneling protocols, and

select the first type of tunneling protocol that is included in the list of tunneling protocols supported by the ePDG.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a network device, cause the one or more processors to receive an access request to access an application provided by a cellular carrier associated with the network device,

the application providing one or more Internet protocol (IP) multimedia services;

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to transmit, to an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) and via an Internet connection, a first request to attempt to establish a first type of tunnel by using a first type of tunneling protocol;

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to determine that the first type of tunnel is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol based on receiving a message that indicates a failure to establish the first type of tunnel by using the first type of tunneling protocol or based on not receiving, within a particular period of time, a response to the first request,

the first type of tunnel being not established when a firewall, between the network device and the ePDG, does not support the first type of tunneling protocol;

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to transmit, to the ePDG and via the Internet connection, a second request to establish a second type of tunnel by using a second type of tunneling protocol based on determining that the first type of tunnel is not established,

the second type of tunneling protocol being different from the first type of tunneling protocol; and

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to use the second type of tunnel after the second type of tunnel is established.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16,

where the first type of tunneling protocol is an Internet protocol security (IPsec) tunneling protocol,

where the first type of tunnel is an IPsec tunnel,

where the second type of tunneling protocol is a transport layer security (TLS) tunneling protocol, and

where the second type of tunnel is a TLS tunnel.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to retrieve a prioritized list of tunneling protocols supported by the network device before transmitting the first request to the ePDG, and

where the first type of tunneling protocol has a higher priority than the second type of tunneling protocol in the prioritized list of tunneling protocols.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to select the first type of tunneling protocol based on a priority of the first type of tunneling protocol.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the network device, cause the one or more processors to establish an Internet connection via a wireless access point before receiving the access request to access the application.