SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND REPORTING OF THE MAPPING BETWEEN DEVICE IDENTITY AND NETWORK ADDRESS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20080310425A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mformation Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Nath, Badri, Kushwaha, Rakash
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/618 Details of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method and system for communicating the identity of devices detected in a wireless communication system. The devices connect to a mobile wireless network comprising a wireless access network and a core Internet Protocol (IP) network. The identities of devices so detected are specified by a combination of device and network-level identities and is communicated to a management server. In an exemplary embodiment, network elements of the core IP network are used to detect and convey the identity of wireless devices to a management server.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system, a method of updating a mapping between an identity and a network address of a wireless device at a management server, the method comprising:

interacting with the wireless device with a network element of the wireless communication system;

determining mapping information pertaining to the wireless device as a result of the interaction; and

sending the mapping information from the network element to the management server,

wherein an address of the management server to which the mapping information is sent is stored in at least one of the wireless device, the network element and a further network element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping information includes the identity of the wireless device and the network address of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network address of the wireless device includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mapping information includes a duration for which the IP address is assigned to the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element includes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element includes at least one of a Call State Control Function (CSCF) server and a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of an IP Multimedia Sub-system (IMS).

7. The method of claim 1, where the network element includes at least one of a Home Agent and a Foreign Agent deployed in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

8. The method of claim 1, where the network element includes at least one of a a RADIUS server, a DIAMETER server, and a AAA server in a wireless telecommunication system.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the identity of the wireless device includes at least one of an ESN, MEID, IMEI, and MSISDN of the device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the mapping information includes a MAC address associated with a given network interface by which the device communicates.

11. The method of claim 7, where the mapping information includes a MAC address of the network interface and a mobile binding entry time out interval.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity of the wireless device includes at least one of an ESN, SKU, MEID, IMEI, and MSISDN of the device and the mapping information includes a MAC address associated with the network interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the mapping information to the management server occurs whenever the mapping between the identity and the network address of the device changes.

14. The method of claim 1, where the address and any required credentials of the management server is communicated to the network element using option fields or as vendor extensions to any request message sent by the device.

15. In a wireless communication system, a method of updating a mapping between an identity and a network address of a wireless device at a management server, the method comprising:

changing a mapping between an identity and a network address of a wireless device;

determining, at the wireless device, mapping information pertaining to the wireless device as a result of the change in mapping; and

sending the mapping information from the wireless device to the management server,

wherein an address of the management server to which the mapping information is sent is stored in the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the identity is at least one of an ESN, MEID, SKU, IMEI, MSISDN, BIOS string, and a MAC address of network interfaces attached to the device.