Methods and Devices of Authenticating Non-SIM Mobile Terminals Accessing a Wireless Communication Network

• US 20170150350A1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: CHEN, Ping, DUAN, Pengbo, WANG, Jiarong, ZOU, Hao
• Granted Patent: US 10,582,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/503 using an authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] protocol, e.g. remote authentication dial-in user service [RADIUS] or Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

In a first aspect of the disclosure, a method performed by an AAA server (103) of authenticating a non-SIM mobile terminal (111) with a wireless network (100) is provided. The method comprises receiving (S201) a request for service of the non-SIM mobile terminal (111), authenticating (S202) the non-SIM mobile terminal (111), submitting (S203) a request for subscriber profile data associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal (111) to an HSS (105), the subscriber profile data request comprising an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal (111) has been authenticated by the AAA server (103), and to receiving (S204) from the HSS (105), in response to the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal (111) has been authenticated, the requested subscription profile data.

Claims

1. A method performed by an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server of authenticating a non-Subscriber Identity Module (non-SIM) mobile terminal with a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for service of the non-SIM mobile terminal;

authenticating the non-SIM mobile terminal;

submitting a request for subscriber profile data associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), the subscriber profile data request comprising an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server; and

receiving from the HSS, in response to the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated, the requested subscription profile data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the non-SIM mobile terminal at the AAA server is performed using public key infrastructure, PKI, based authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the submitting of a request to the HSS comprises:

submitting a Server-Assignment-Request (SAR) comprising the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the requested subscription profile data from the HSS comprises:

receiving a Server-Assignment-Answer (SAA) comprising the requested subscription profile data.

17. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform steps recited in any claim 1 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the device.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to claim 17 embodied thereon.

5. A method performed by a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of providing requested subscriber profile data associated with a non-Subscriber Identity Module (non-SIM) mobile terminal to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, from the AAA server, a request for subscriber profile data associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal, the subscriber profile data request comprising an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server; and

submitting, to the AAA server, in response to the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated, the requested subscription profile data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the authentication of the non-SIM mobile terminal at the AAA server is performed using public key infrastructure, PKI, based authentication.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving of a request from the AAA server comprises:

receiving a Server-Assignment-Request (SAR) comprising the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the submitting of the requested subscription profile data to the AAA server comprises:

submitting a Server-Assignment-Answer (SAA) comprising the requested subscription profile data.

19. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform steps recited in claim 5 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the device.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to claim 19 embodied thereon.

9. Authentication, Authorization and Accounting, (AAA) server configured to authenticate a non-Subscriber Identity Module (non-SIM) mobile terminal with a wireless network, the AAA server comprising a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said AAA server is operative to:

receive a request for service of the non-SIM mobile terminal;

authenticate the non-SIM mobile terminal;

submit a request for subscriber profile data associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), the subscriber profile data request comprising an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server; and

receive from the HSS, in response to the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated, the requested subscription profile data.

10. The AAA server of claim 9, further being operative to:

perform the authentication of the non-SIM mobile terminal using public key infrastructure, PKI, based authentication.

11. The AAA server of claim 9, further being operative to:

submit a Server-Assignment-Request (SAR) comprising the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server.

12. The AAA server of claim 9, further being operative to:

receive a Server-Assignment-Answer (SAA) comprising the requested subscription profile data.

13. A Home Subscriber Server (HSS) configured to provide requested subscriber profile data associated with a non-Subscriber Identity Module (non-SIM) mobile terminal to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting, (AAA) server in a wireless network, the HSS comprising a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said HSS is operative to:

receive, from the AAA server, a request for subscriber profile data associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal, the subscriber profile data request comprising an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server; and

submit, to the AAA server, in response to the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated, the requested subscription profile data.

14. The HSS of claim 13, wherein the authentication of the non-SIM mobile terminal at the AAA server is performed using public key infrastructure, PKI, based authentication.

15. The HSS of claim 13, further being operative to:

receive a Server-Assignment-Request (SAR) comprising the indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal has been authenticated by the AAA server.

16. The HSS of claim 13, further being operative to:

submit a Server-Assignment-Answer (SAA) comprising the requested subscription profile data.