System and related methods to facilitate delivery of enhanced data services in a mobile wireless communications environment

• US 7,339,908 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ArrayComm LLC (Ygomi LLC)
• Inventors: Uhlik, Christopher, Cai, Zhifeng, Sinha, Neeraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Salman
• Application Number:
  US10/003,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370331-332, 370/335, 370/353, 370/467, 370/401, 455/432.1
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A system and related methods to facilitate the delivery of enhanced data services in a mobile wireless communications environment is generally described. According to one aspect of the invention, a data networking protocol is introduced generally comprising control commands and attribute-value pairs. The one or more control commands including one or more control commands selectively employed to establish, manage and tear-down a communication session by and between elements of a data network. The one or more attribute-value pair(s) (AVP), selectively employed by a network element to define one or more parameters of an accompanying control command, the AVPs including one or more mobility management AVPs to facilitate exchange of mobility information between at least a subset of the network elements of the data network participating in a point-to-point component of the communication session.

Claims

1. A data networking protocol comprising:

one or more control commands employed by a respective network element to establish and manage wireless communication sessions of a wireless subscriber unit in a data network; and

one or more mobility management attribute-value pair(s)(AVP) employed by the network element to define one or more parameters of an accompanying one or more of the control commands, to facilitate exchange of mobility information in the data network, and to facilitate secure mobility of wireless communication sessions including,

a first AVP indicating whether a call is a new call or a handover and to be provided when initiating a session,

a second AVP indicating a cookie-based session identifier and to be provided when the session is initiated, and

a third AVP indicating a security module-generated session identifier and to be provided with the cookie-based session identifier.

2. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management AVPs further include a fourth AVP indicating an authentication challenge or challenge response and to be provided by network elements participating in a point-to-point communication session to authenticate network elements during a handoff of a communication session from one network element to another network element.

3. A data networking protocol according to claim 2, wherein the fourth AVP is employed to authenticate an identity of a subscriber unit initiating handoff of a communication session from one servicing basestation to another servicing basestation.

4. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the mobility management AVPs further include a fifth AVP indicating a security certificate and to be provided by a basestation element of a point-to-point communication session to obtain a security certificate from a network element when authenticating the basestation to requesting subscriber(s).

5. A data networking protocol according to claim 4, wherein the fifth AVP is selectively invoked by the basestation to a network access server (NAS), which solicits an updated certificate from a third-party certification agency on behalf of and for delivery to the basestation.

6. The data networking protocol of claim 1, wherein the first and second AVP follow a communication session of a network element as it traverses through mobile communication link handoffs, the first and second AVP being used at least in pan to implement mobility security features.

7. The data networking protocol of claim 6, wherein the first and second AVPs are used to authenticate a mobile communication link handoff.

8. The data networking protocol of claim 1, wherein the first and second AVPs comprise an extension of the Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) and are employed to define one or more parameters of one or more existing L2TP control commands.

9. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the second AVP communicates a deterministic element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of a point-to-point communication session.

10. A data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the second AVP communicates a random element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of a point-to-point communication session.

11. The data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the first AVP is used by a basestation to establish a new communication session through a network access server (NAS).

12. The data networking protocol according to claim 1, wherein the second and third AVPs are used by the NAS to reply to the basestation to establish the new communication session.

13. A wireless end-user terminal, comprising:

a transceiver to receive data transmissions for simultaneous wireless communication sessions;

a wireless modem coupled with the transceiver, the modem having a communications agent that employs one or more control commands to establish and manage wireless communication sessions, the agent also to employ one or more mobility management attribute-value pair(s)(AVP) to define one or more parameters of an accompanying one or more of the control commands, to facilitate exchange of mobility information in a data network, and to facilitate secure inability of the wireless communication sessions including,

a first AVP indicating whether a call is a new call or a handover and to be provided when initiating a session.

a second AVP indicating a cookie-based session identifier and to be provided when the session is initiated, and

a third AVP indicating a security module-generated session identifier and to be provided with the cookie-based session identifier.

14. The wireless end-user terminal of claim 13, wherein the mobility management AVPs further include a fourth AVP indicating an authentication challenge or challenge response and to be provided by network elements participating in a point-to-point communication session to authenticate one or more network elements during a handoff of a communication session from one network element to another network element.

15. The wireless end-user terminal of claim 13, wherein the first and second AVP follow a communication session of a network element as it traverses through mobile communication link handoffs, the first and second AVP being used at least in part to implement mobility security features.

16. The wireless end-user terminal of claim 13, wherein the first and second AVPs are is used to authenticate a mobile communication link handoff.

17. A method comprising:

sending a control command from a network element to initiate a wireless communication session of a wireless subscriber unit in a data network, the control command including a first mobility management attribute-value pair(s) (AVP) to facilitate exchange of mobility information in the data network indicating whether a call is a new call or a handover;

receiving a control command from a network element to initiate the wireless communication session, the control command including a second AVP indicating a cookie-based session identifier and a third AVP indicating a security module-generated session identifier to facilitate secure mobility of wireless communication sessions.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising sending a control command including a fourth AVP indicating an authentication challenge or challenge response from the network clement to authenticate the network element during a handoff of the communication session from one network element to another network element.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the fourth AVP is employed to authenticate an identity of a subscriber unit initiating handoff of a communication session from one servicing basestation to another servicing basestation.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising receiving a control command including a fifth AVP indicating a security certificate provided by a basestation element of a point-to-point communication session to obtain a security certificate from a network element when authenticating the basestation to requesting subscriber(s).

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the fifth AVP is selectively invoked by the basestation to a network access server (NAS). which solicits an updated certificate from a third-party certification agency on behalf of and for delivery to the basestation.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second AVP follow a communication session of the wireless subscriber unit as it traverses through mobile communication link handoffs, the first and second AVP being used at least in part to implement mobility security features.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the first and second AVP follow a communication session of the wireless subscriber unit as it traverses through mobile communication link handoffs, the first and second AVP being used at least in part to implement mobility security features.

24. The medium of claim 22, wherein the first and second AVPs are used to authenticate a mobile communication link handoff.

25. A medium according to claim 22, wherein the second AVP communicates a deterministic element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of a point-to-point communication session.

26. A medium according to claim 25, wherein the second AVP communicates a random element of the communication session ID between one or more elements of a point-to-point communication session.

27. An apparatus comprising a processor and a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor, to perform operations comprising:

sending a control command from a network element to initiate a wireless communication session of a wireless subscriber unit in a data network, the control command including a first mobility management attribute-value pair(s) (AVP) to facilitate exchange of mobility information in the data network indicating whether a call is a new call or a handover;

receiving a control command from a network element to initiate the wireless communication session, the control command including a second AVP indicating a cookie-based session identifier and a third AVP indicating a security module-generated session identifier to facilitate secure mobility of wireless communication sessions.