Generic wlan architecture

• US 20030171112A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Riegel, Maximillian, Morper, Hans-Jochen, Lupper, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, wherein a first network is structured according to a first technology, especially a data network ((W-)LAN), comprising one or several network devices and/or interfaces (hub, bridge, V, VL), which are configured to establish communication with at least one station (W-H; H; MS) using the first technology and have basic functions (AAA, DHCP, DNS) for autonomous operation of the first network. In order to be able to collect subscriber-related data from a data source outside the network, especially a second network structured according to a second technology (GSM, UMTS), more particularly a cellular mobile telephone network, when a subscriber who is not registered in the first network is connected, one of the two networks ((W-)LAN; GSM, UMTS) generically enables logical functions of components of the other network (GSM, UMTS; (W-)LAN). The invention also relates to a network facility enabling the implementation of the above-mentioned method.

Claims

1. A method for performing data interchange in a first network ((W-)LAN) based on a first technology, having

one or more network devices and/or interfaces (hub, bridge, V, VL) which are designed for setting up communication with at least one station (W-H;

H;

MS) using the first technology, and

basic functions (AAA, DHCP, DNS) for autonomous operation of the first network,

characterized in that

one of the two networks ((W-)LAN;

GSM, UMTS) provides network specific logic functions (VLR;

AAA, DHCP, DNS) of the respective other network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN) for data interchange with a second network (GSM, UMTS) based on a second technology within its own network, with the network specific logic functions (VLR;

AAA, DHCP, DNS) allowing authentication and/or authorization of the station (W-H;

H;

MS) in the first or in the second network ((W-)LAN;

GSM, UMTS).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which

a connection device (WAS;

SSG) in the first network ((W-)LAN;

UMTS, GSM) is mapped for the second network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN) as a generic part of the second network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN), and this sets up reciprocal interoperability.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) is connected to the second network (GSM, UMTS) by means of a typical interface (MAP) dedicated to the second network.

4. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) takes on the function of a visitor location register (VLR) in the second network (GSM, UMTS).

5. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) uses a connection server (WAS) to convert functions and messages from a switching interface (MAP) into specific functions and messages in the first network ((W)-LAN, RADIUS).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, in which

the connection server (WAS) has a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) client or dialog and/or service intermittent (proxy) functionality.

7. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) uses a connection server (WAS) to access the home location database (HLR) in the second network (GSM, UMTS), in a cellular mobile radio network.

8. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) requests and/or receives authentication related subscriber information (triplets) from the second network (GSM, UMTS), from its home location register (HLR).

9. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) has Hyper Text Transmission Protocol (HTTP) server functionality by virtue of a connection server.

10. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) prompts and/or performs authentication of the station (H;

W-H;

MS), of a mobile subscriber (MS) or of a mobile data terminal (H;

W-H), by virtue of a connection server.

11. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) and the station (W-H) communicate with one another by generating, and/or using, a key for encrypting an air interface (VL) from authentication parameters obtained from the second network (GSM, UMTS).

12. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

the first network ((W-)LAN) and/or the station (H;

W-H), particularly a mobile data terminal (W-H), access data and functions on a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card (GSM, UMTS) associated with the second network which are required for authentication.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, in which

a SIM card reader associated with the second network or the subscriber station (MS) associated with the second network (GSM, UMTS) is in the region of the station (H;

W-H) in the first network ((W-)LAN),

for authentication purposes, an identity information item (IMSI) for the SIM card or for the subscriber station (MS) is transmitted via the first network ((W-)LAN) for a device (WAS, SSG) which is associated with the first network ((W-)LAN) and has a visitor location register functionality (VLR) in the second network (GSM),

this device (WAS, SSG) transmits a request for authentication parameters (triplet) to the second network (GSM, HLR) from the first network ((W-)LAN), with this device acting as a visitor location register device (VLR) from the point of view of the second network,

the second network (GSM, HLR) transmits requested data (triplet set/triplet sets) relating to the identity information (IMSI) to the first network ((W-)LAN) for authentication purposes, and

depending on the result of authentication, the station (H;

W-H) is permitted or refused data access in the first network ((W-)LAN).

14. The method, particularly as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in a first network ((W-)LAN), based on a first technology, having

one or more network devices and/or interfaces (hub, bridge, V, VL) which are designed for setting up communication with at least one station (W-H;

H;

MS) using the first technology, and

basic functions (AAA, DHCP, DNS) for autonomous operation of the first network,

characterized in that

data which are specific to a subscriber on the station (W-H;

H;

MS) and/or to the station (W-H;

H, MS) are retrieved from and/or provided by a data source (HLR) external to the network.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, in which

the home location database (HLR) in the second network has a database storing subscriber data records in the typical structure of the first network (name, password).

16. The method as claimed in one of claims 14 or 15, in which

subscriber data records in the typical structure (name, password) of the first network ((W-)LAN) are linked on a subscriber specific basis to the data records with the structure (IMSI, MSISDN) of the second network (GSM, UMTS, PSTN, ISDN).

17. The method as claimed in one of claims 14 to 16, in which

a communications subscriber has a subscription in the first network ((W-)LAN) and a subscription in the second network (GSM), and

subscriber specific linkage of the subscriber specific data records from the two networks ((W)-LAN, GSM) implements charging for services used in the first network ((W-)LAN) using the charging infrastructure in the second network (GSM).

18. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which

authentication related data are interchanged between the station (W-H;

H) in the first network ((W-)LAN) and a subscriber terminal (MS) in a second network (GSM, UMTS).

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, in which

the station (W-H;

H), as a subscriber terminal in the first network ((W-)LAN), transmits authentication challenges to the subscriber terminal (MS) in the second network (GSM) and receives corresponding response values from the latter.

20. A network device in a first network ((W-)LAN;

GSM, UMTS) based on a first technology, having one or more network devices and/or interfaces (hub, bridge, V, VL) which are designed for setting up communication with at least one station (W-H;

H;

MS) using the first technology, and basic functions (AAA, DHCP, DNS) for autonomous operation of the first network,

characterized in that

the network device as an access device (WAS;

SSG) is in the form of part of a second network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN) using the second technology such that

the network device (SSG) provides network specific logic functions of components in the second network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN), with the network specific logic functions (VLR;

AAA, DHCP, DNS) allowing authentication and/or authorization of a station (W-H;

H;

MS) using the first or second technology in the second network (GSM, UMTS;

(W-)LAN).