Method and apparatus for managing access to a wireless communication network

• US 9,949,117 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pandey, Vinod, Cui, Zhi, Fung, Liza, Liu, Cheng, Smith, Jr., Paul Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TACDIRAN, ANDRE GEE
• Application Number:
  US14/473,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including initiating, by a system comprising a processor, a third generation partnership project link between a mobile user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network, initiating a non-tunneling link between stationary user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network, and transmitting packet data from the stationary user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

receiving a connection request from user equipment via a wireless link to the user equipment;

determining a first address of the user equipment from the connection request;

querying a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network for a second address of a stationary subscriber device of the mobile communication network;

receiving the second address from the mobile packet core;

comparing the first address and the second address;

determining whether the user equipment is mobile or stationary based on the comparing;

responsive to determining that the user equipment is mobile;

initiating a tunneling protocol link between the user equipment and mobile management entity of the mobile packet core of the mobile communication network, wherein the mobile management entity assigns a bearer gateway for the user equipment; and

transmitting first packet data from the user equipment to a first service through the bearer gateway via the tunneling protocol link; and

responsive to determining that the user equipment is stationary;

initiating a non-tunneling link between the user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network;

transmitting an authentication protocol message to an authentication server via the stationary packet core and converting the connection request from a Non-Access Stratum protocol to an authentication protocol responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link; and

transmitting second packet data from the user equipment to a second service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting an authentication request to the mobile management entity responsive to initiating the tunneling protocol link.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the mobile management entity sends a mobile authentication protocol message to the authentication server.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-tunneling link comprises a TCP/IP link.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise closing the non-tunneling link responsive to transmitting the second packet data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the stationary packet core stores an authentication state for the user equipment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile management entity maintains assignment of the bearer gateway responsive to transmitting of the first packet data.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second service is hosted at a mobile device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second service is hosted at a server device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the stationary packet core comprises a router.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein operations further comprise:

determining whether the user equipment is not authenticated, responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link; and

authenticating the user equipment via the stationary packet core responsive to determining that the user equipment is not authenticated.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile management entity updates the bearer gateway responsive to a location change for the user equipment.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

determining a first address of a user equipment from a connection request;

querying a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network for a second address of a stationary subscriber device of the mobile communication network;

receiving the second address from the mobile packet core;

comparing the first address and the second address;

determining whether the user equipment is mobile or stationary based on the comparing;

and

responsive to determining that the user equipment is stationary;

initiating a TCP/IP link between the user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network;

transmitting an authentication protocol message to an authentication server via the stationary packet core and converting the connection request of the user equipment from a Non-Access Stratum protocol to an authentication protocol of the authentication protocol message responsive to initiating the TCP/IP link; and

transmitting packet data from the user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the TCP/IP link.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein, responsive to determining that the user equipment is mobile, initiating a tunneling protocol link between the user equipment and a mobile management entity of the mobile packet core of the mobile communication network.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein, the mobile management entity assigns a bearer gateway for the user equipment.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise closing the TCP/IP link responsive to transmitting the packet data.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein, responsive to determining that the user equipment is mobile, the operations further comprise transmitting second packet data from the user equipment to a second service through the bearer gateway via the tunneling protocol link.

18. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a processing system including a processor, a third generation partnership project link between a user equipment and a mobile management entity of a mobile packet core of a mobile communication network;

determining, by the processing system, a first address of the user equipment from a connection request;

receiving, by the processing system, second addresses of stationary subscriber devices located in an area supported by the processing system from the mobile packet core of the mobile communication network;

comparing, by the processing system, the first address and the second addresses;

identifying, by the processing system, that the user equipment is stationary based on the comparing;

initiating, by the processing system, a non-tunneling link between the user equipment and a stationary packet core of the mobile communication network, based on identifying that the user equipment is stationary;

converting the connection request from a Non-Access Stratum protocol to an authentication protocol responsive to initiating the non-tunneling link; and

transmitting, by the processing system, packet data from the user equipment to a service through the stationary packet core via the non-tunneling link.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each secondary address of the second addresses is received when a service plan has been contracted for a corresponding stationary subscriber device of the stationary subscriber devices.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the non-tunneling link comprises a TCP/IP link.