Method and apparatus for associating service provider network identifiers with access network identifiers
First Claim
1. A method at a network node associated with a service provider network that is external to an access network, said method comprising:
- receiving an external identifier that has been assigned by an access network for externally identifying a wireless device that also has a predefined service provider network identifier for using a service provided by the service provider network;
triggering the wireless device to establish a data session with the access network for use in registering for the service with the service provider network, based on sending triggering signaling toward the access network that identifies the wireless device via the external identifier and includes a token for forwarding to the wireless device;
receiving registration signaling sent from the wireless device via the access network, said registration signaling sent responsive to the triggering signaling sent from the service provider network; and
responsive to recognizing that the registration signaling includes the forwarded token, binding the external identifier of the wireless device to the service provider network identifier of the wireless device, to thereby establish a mapping between the external identifier and the service provider network identifier, for subsequent use by the service provider network in triggering communications with the wireless device through the access network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to one aspect of the teachings herein, a token is logically bound to an external identifier and provided to a wireless device via triggering signaling sent to the wireless device through an access network. The wireless device is configured to send registration signaling through the access network to a service provider network, in response to the triggering signaling and to return the token in such signaling. With this advantageous approach, the service provider network recognizes the token returned from the wireless device and thereby learns the association between a service provider network identifier that is received in the registration signaling for identifying the wireless device with respect to a service provided by the service provider network, and an external identifier assigned by the access network for use by the service provider network in identifying the wireless device to the access network.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method at a network node associated with a service provider network that is external to an access network, said method comprising:
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receiving an external identifier that has been assigned by an access network for externally identifying a wireless device that also has a predefined service provider network identifier for using a service provided by the service provider network; triggering the wireless device to establish a data session with the access network for use in registering for the service with the service provider network, based on sending triggering signaling toward the access network that identifies the wireless device via the external identifier and includes a token for forwarding to the wireless device; receiving registration signaling sent from the wireless device via the access network, said registration signaling sent responsive to the triggering signaling sent from the service provider network; and responsive to recognizing that the registration signaling includes the forwarded token, binding the external identifier of the wireless device to the service provider network identifier of the wireless device, to thereby establish a mapping between the external identifier and the service provider network identifier, for subsequent use by the service provider network in triggering communications with the wireless device through the access network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network node comprising:
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a communication interface configured to send signaling to and receive signaling from an access network; and a processing circuit configured to; receive an external identifier that has been assigned by the access network for externally identifying a wireless device that also has a predefined service provider network identifier for using a service provided by the service provider network; trigger the wireless device to establish a data session with the access network for use in registering for the service with the service provider network, based on sending triggering signaling toward the access network that identifies the wireless device via the external identifier and includes a token for forwarding to the wireless device; receive registration signaling sent from the wireless device via the access network, said registration signaling sent responsive to the triggering signaling sent from the service provider network; and responsive to recognizing that the registration signaling includes the forwarded token, bind the external identifier of the wireless device to the service provider network identifier of the wireless device, to thereby establish a mapping between the external identifier and the service provider network identifier, for subsequent use by the service provider network in triggering communications with the wireless device through the access network. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method at a network node that communicatively couples an access network and a service provider network that is external to the access network, said method comprising:
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receiving an external identifier and an associated token in first triggering signaling sent from the service provider network to the network node, to trigger communication with a wireless device as identified by the external identifier; obtaining an access network identifier for the wireless device from the access network, based on submitting the external identifier to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or other node in the access network having access to a defined mapping between the external identifier of the wireless device and the access network identifier of the wireless device; and sending second triggering signaling toward the wireless device via the access network to trigger the wireless device to establish a data session with the access network for sending registration signaling to the service provider network, said second triggering signaling using the access network identifier to identify the wireless device and including the token, to thereby enable the wireless device to return the token to the service provider network in the registration signaling, for recognition by the service provider network as matching the token sent in the first triggering signaling. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A network node configured to implement an Inter-Working Function (IWF) between an access network and a service provider network, said network node comprising:
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a communication interface configured to send signaling toward and to receive signaling from one or more nodes within an access network, and to send signaling toward and to receive signaling from one or more nodes within a service provider network; and a processing circuit operatively associated with the communication interface and configured to; receive an external identifier and an associated token in first triggering signaling sent from the service provider network to the network node, to trigger communication with a wireless device as identified by the external identifier; obtain an access network identifier for the wireless device from the access network, based on submitting the external identifier to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or other node in the access network having access to a defined mapping between the external identifier of the wireless device and the access network identifier of the wireless device; and send second triggering signaling toward the wireless device via the access network to trigger the wireless device to establish a data session with the access network for sending registration signaling to the service provider network, said second triggering signaling using the access network identifier to identify the wireless device and including the token, to thereby enable the wireless device to return the token to the service provider network in the registration signaling, for recognition by the service provider network as matching the token sent in the first triggering signaling. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method in a network node configured as a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in an access network, said method comprising:
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sending a notification to an interworking function that communicatively couples to a service provider network, said notification indicating an external identifier of a wireless device that has attached to the access network, for registering with the service provider network, said external identifier assigned to the wireless device by the access network, for use by the service provider network in identifying the wireless device to the access network; subsequently receiving signaling sent from the interworking function responsive to the service provider network triggering communication with the wireless device via the access network, for registration of the wireless device, said signaling including the external identifier of the wireless device; and responsive to said signaling, mapping the external identifier to an access network identifier of the wireless device, which is used to identify the wireless device within the access network, and returning the access network identifier to the interworking function, for use in triggering the communication with the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A network node configured as a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in an access network, said network node comprising:
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a communication interface configured to communicate with an interworking function that communicatively links the access network to a service provider network that is external to the access network; a processing circuit that is operatively associated with the communication interface and is configured to; send a notification to the interworking function, said notification indicating an external identifier of a wireless device that has attached to the access network, for registering with the service provider network, and said external identifier assigned to the wireless device by the access network, for use by the service provider network in identifying the wireless device to the access network; subsequently receive signaling sent from the interworking function responsive to the service provider network triggering communication with the wireless device via the access network, for registration of the wireless device, said signaling including the external identifier of the wireless device; and responsive to said signaling, map the external identifier to an access network identifier of the wireless device, which is used to identify the wireless device within the access network, and return the access network identifier to the interworking function, for use in triggering the communication with the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method in a wireless device that is configured to communicate with a service provider network via an access network, said method comprising:
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receiving device trigger signaling from the access network that is directed to the wireless device via an access network identifier used by the access network to identify the wireless device internally within the access network and that includes a token, said device trigger signaling sent to the wireless device in response to the access network receiving corresponding trigger signaling from the service provider network that identifies the wireless device via an external identifier that is bound to the token in the service provider network and that has been assigned by the access network for use by the service provider network in identifying the wireless device to the access network; establishing a data session with the access network, for registering for a service with the service provider network; and sending registration signaling to the service provider network via the data session, said registration signaling indicating a service provider network identifier that identifies the wireless device with respect to the service and returning the token, thereby enabling the service provider network to recognize the returned token and thereby bind the service provider network identifier of the wireless device to the external identifier of the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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51. A wireless device comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with an access network and with a service provider network, via signaling conveyed through the access network; and
a processing circuit operatively associated with the communication interface and configured to;receive device trigger signaling from the access network that is directed to the wireless device via an access network identifier used by the access network to identify the wireless device internally within the access network and that includes a token, said device trigger signaling sent to the wireless device in response to the access network receiving corresponding trigger signaling from the service provider network that identifies the wireless device via an external identifier that is bound to the token in the service provider network and that has been assigned by the access network for use by the service provider network in identifying the wireless device to the access network; establish a data session with the access network, for registering for a service with the service provider network; and send registration signaling to the service provider network via the data session, said registration signaling indicating a service provider network identifier that identifies the wireless device with respect to the service and returning the token, thereby enabling the service provider network to recognize the returned token and thereby bind the service provider network identifier of the wireless device to the external identifier of the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
Specification