Wireless LAN roaming using a Parlay gateway

• US 20040122687A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Katz, Neil A.
• Application Number:
  US10/326,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method of providing wireless local area network providers with subscriber administration services can include receiving from a processing node in a wireless local area network a request through a gateway interface for approval for a subscriber to access the wireless local area network. The request can specify subscriber identifying information. A determination can be made as to whether the subscriber is approved to access the wireless local area network using the subscriber identifying information by querying a telecommunications subscriber data store. The processing node of the wireless local area network can be notified of the determination results through the gateway interface. If the subscriber is approved, a record of the wireless session can be stored in a session data store.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless local area network providers with subscriber administration services comprising:

receiving from a processing node in a wireless local area network a request through a gateway interface for approval for a subscriber to access the wireless local area network, wherein the request specifies subscriber identifying information;

determining whether the subscriber is approved to access the wireless local area network using the subscriber identifying information by querying a telecommunications subscriber data store;

notifying the processing node of the wireless local area network of the determination results through the gateway interface; and

if the subscriber is approved, storing a record of the wireless session in a session data store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway interface is a Parlay compliant gateway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identifying information comprises a telephone number and a subscriber password.

4. The method of claim 1, said step of storing a record further comprising:

recording in the session data store a time the wireless session started;

receiving a notification that the wireless session has terminated; and

recording in the session data store a time the wireless session terminated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identifying information includes at least a telephone number for the subscriber, said determining step further comprising:

querying the telecommunications subscriber data store using the telephone number for the subscriber, wherein the telecommunications subscriber data store is selected from the group consisting of a Home Location Register or a Visitor Location Register.

6. Within a wireless local area network, a method of performing subscriber administration services comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a request for connecting to the wireless local area network, wherein the request specifies identifying information associated with a subscriber using the wireless device;

sending the identifying information over a gateway interface to a wireless telecommunications resource for performing subscriber validation and verification;

receiving a response indicating whether the subscriber request has been approved, wherein the response is received via the gateway interface; and

granting the wireless device access to the wireless local area network according to the received response.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gateway interface is a Parlay compliant gateway interface.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless telecommunications resource is selected from the group consisting of a Home Location Register and a Visitor Location Register.

9. A system for monitoring usage of wireless resources by subscribers comprising:

a wireless application server configured to authenticate subscribers with at least one telecommunications data store; and

a gateway having a wireless service object executing therein, wherein said wireless service object is configured to communicate with a node of a wireless local area network and said wireless application server

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said wireless application server includes a session application configured to authenticate subscribers with the at least one telecommunications data store, wherein the at least one telecommunications data store is selected form the group consisting of a Home Location Register and a Visiting Location Register.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a session data store, wherein said session application is configured to store wireless local area network session data for subscribers within said session data store.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said wireless application server includes a billing application configured to provide the wireless local area network data to a billing system.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a wireless local area network having at least one node configured to communicate with said gateway.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said node configured to communicate with said gateway is an authentication server having a client executing therein for communicating with said gateway.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said client of said authentication server is a Parlay compliant client and said gateway is a Parlay compliant gateway.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an authorization gateway configured to communicate with at least one wireless access point and said authentication server.

17. A wireless local area network configured to monitor subscriber usage comprising:

an authentication server having a gateway client executing therein for communicating with a gateway for performing subscriber validation and verification using a wireless telecommunication'"'"'s resource;

at least one wireless access point for establishing wireless communications with a wireless device; and

an authorization gateway configured to communicate with the at least one wireless access point and said authentication server and grant access to the wireless device responsive to communications received from said authentication server through said gateway client.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said gateway client is a Parlay compliant client.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said authentication server is a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service compliant server.

20. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving from a processing node in a wireless local area network a request through a gateway interface for approval for a subscriber to access the wireless local area network, wherein the request specifies subscriber identifying information;

determining whether the subscriber is approved to access the wireless local area network using the subscriber identifying information by querying a telecommunications subscriber data store;

notifying the processing node of the wireless local area network of the determination results through the gateway interface; and

if the subscriber is approved, storing a record of the wireless session in a session data store.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein the gateway interface is a Parlay compliant gateway.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein the subscriber identifying information comprises a telephone number and a subscriber password.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 20, said step of storing a record further comprising:

recording in the session data store a time the wireless session started;

receiving a notification that the wireless session has terminated; and

recording in the session data store a time the wireless session terminated.

24. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein the subscriber identifying information includes at least a telephone number for the subscriber, said determining step further comprising:

querying the telecommunications subscriber data store using the telephone number for the subscriber, wherein the telecommunications subscriber data store is selected from the group consisting of a Home Location Register or a Visitor Location Register.

25. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving from a wireless device a request for connecting to the wireless local area network, wherein the request specifies identifying information associated with a subscriber using the wireless device;

sending the identifying information over a gateway interface to a wireless telecommunications resource for performing subscriber validation and verification;

receiving a response indicating whether the subscriber request has been approved, wherein the response is received via the gateway interface; and

granting the wireless device access to the wireless local area network according to the received response.

26. The machine readable storage of claim 25, wherein the gateway interface is a Parlay compliant gateway interface.

27. The machine readable storage of claim 25, wherein the wireless telecommunications resource is selected from the group consisting of a Home Location Register and a Visitor Location Register.