Generic access network (GAN) controller selection in PLMN environment

• US 20060095954A1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Bumiller, George Baldwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming

Abstract

In one embodiment, a scheme is provided for selecting a generic access network (GAN) controller by a user equipment (UE) device disposed in a network environment including a GAN. Responsive to a query request by the UE device, one or more IP addresses of GANC nodes are obtained, each node for accessing a particular Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). The UE device then authenticates with at least one GANC node for obtaining access service to a PLMN coupled thereto.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a generic access network (GAN) controller (GANC) by a user equipment (UE) device disposed in a network environment including a GAN, comprising:

generating a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) by said UE device for transmission to said GAN;

responsive to transmitting said FQDN, obtaining one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from said GAN, each IP address corresponding to a GANC node operably coupled to a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); and

authenticating by said UE device with at least one GANC node for obtaining access service via said GAN to a PLMN operably coupled thereto.

2. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said PLMN comprises one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, and a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

3. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one GANC node is operable in a frequency band compliant with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard selected from at least one of:

IEEE 802.11b standard, IEEE 802.11a standard, IEEE 802.11g standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

4. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said UE device authenticates with said at least one GANC node using a Root Network Access Identifier (NAI).

5. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said UE device authenticates with said at least one GANC node using an Alternative Network Access Identifier (NAI).

6. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said UE device authenticates with said at least one GANC node using a Decorated Network Access Identifier (NAI).

7. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said FQDN is constructed by said UE device using a list of PLMNs obtained via an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication procedure.

8. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said FQDN is constructed by said UE device using a list of PLMNs discovered via a cellular band scanning procedure.

9. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said FQDN is constructed by said UE device using a generic human-readable TCP/IP address format.

10. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said FQDN is constructed by said UE device using a TCP/IP address corresponding to a home GANC node.

11. The method for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one GANC node is effectuated as a virtual partition on a single physical GANC coupled to said GAN.

12. A system for selecting a generic access network (GAN) controller (GANC) by a user equipment (UE) device disposed in a network environment including a GAN, comprising:

means associated with said UE device for generating a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) by said UE device for transmission to said GAN;

means, operating responsive to said FQDN received at said GAN, for providing one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses supported by said GAN, each IP address corresponding to a GANC node operably coupled to a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); and

means associated with said UE device for authenticating with at least one GANC node for obtaining access service via said GAN to a PLMN operably coupled thereto.

13. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said PLMN comprises one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, and a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

14. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least one GANC node is operable in a frequency band compliant with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard selected from at least one of:

IEEE 802.11b standard, IEEE 802.11a standard, IEEE 802.11g standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

15. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for authenticating comprises means operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using a Root Network Access Identifier (NAI).

16. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for authenticating comprises means operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using an Alternative Network Access Identifier (NAI).

17. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for authenticating comprises means operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using a Decorated Network Access Identifier (NAI).

18. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for generating comprises means for constructing said FQDN based on a list of PLMNs obtained via an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication procedure.

19. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for generating comprises means for constructing said FQDN based on a list of PLMNs discovered via a cellular band scanning procedure.

20. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for generating comprises means for constructing said FQDN based on a generic human-readable TCP/IP address format.

21. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said means associated with said UE device for generating comprises means for constructing said FQDN based on a TCP/IP address corresponding to a home GANC node.

22. The system for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) by a UE device disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least one GANC node is effectuated as a virtual partition on a single physical GANC coupled to said GAN.

23. A user equipment (UE) device operable for selecting a generic access network (GAN) controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment including a GAN, comprising:

a logic module operable to generate a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for transmission by said UE device to said GAN; and

a logic module, operable responsive to one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses obtained from said GAN, each IP address corresponding to a GANC node operably coupled to a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), for authenticating with at least one GANC node for obtaining access service via said GAN to a PLMN operably coupled thereto.

24. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module for authenticating comprises logic operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using a Root Network Access Identifier (NAI).

25. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module for authenticating comprises logic operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using an Alternative Network Access Identifier (NAI).

26. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module for authenticating comprises logic operable to authenticate with said at least one GANC node using a Decorated Network Access Identifier (NAI).

27. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module operable to generate said FQDN comprises logic for constructing said FQDN based on a list of PLMNs obtained via an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication procedure.

28. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module operable to generate said FQDN comprises logic for constructing said FQDN based on a list of PLMNs discovered via a cellular band scanning procedure.

29. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module operable to generate said FQDN comprises logic for constructing said FQDN based on a generic human-readable TCP/IP address format.

30. The UE device operable for selecting a GAN controller (GANC) disposed in a network environment as recited in claim 23, wherein said logic module operable to generate said FQDN comprises logic for constructing said FQDN based on a TCP/IP address corresponding to a home GANC node corresponding to said UE device.