System and method for automatic detection and reporting of the mapping between device identity and network address in wireless networks
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.
1. In a wireless communication system, a method of updating, at a device management server, a mapping between a device identity and a network address associated with a wireless device, the method comprising:
interacting with the wireless device with a network element of the wireless communication system, wherein the step of interacting is independent of an assignment of an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the wireless device;
determining mapping information pertaining to the wireless device as a result of the interaction, wherein the mapping information includes the device identity of the wireless device and the network address associated with the wireless device;
sending the mapping information from the network element to the device management server, wherein an address of the device 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 and wherein the address and any credentials required by the device management server are communicated to the network element using option fields or as vendor extensions in a message sent by the wireless device; and
using the mapping information to update, at the device management server, the mapping between the device identity and the network address associated with the wireless device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network address ef associated with the wireless device includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the wireless device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mapping information includes a duration for which the IP address is assigned to the wireless device.
4. 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).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element includes at least one of a Home Agent and a Foreign Agent deployed in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element includes at least one of a RADIUS server, a DIAMETER server, and a AAA server in a wireless telecommunication system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identity of the wireless device includes at least one of an ESN, MEID, IMEI, SKU, BIOS string, MAC address and MSISDN of the wireless device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information includes a MAC address associated with a network interface by which the wireless device communicates.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mapping information includes a mobile binding entry time out interval.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the mapping information to the device management server occurs whenever the mapping between the device identity and the network address associated with the wireless device changes.
11. In a wireless communication system, a method of updating, at a device management server, a mapping between a device identity and a network address associated with a wireless device, the method comprising:
changing a mapping between the device identity and the network address associated with the wireless device, wherein the network address associated with the wireless device includes a link-local address;
determining, at the wireless device, mapping information pertaining to the wireless device as a result of the change in mapping, wherein the mapping information includes the device identity of the wireless device, the network address associated with the wireless device;
sending the mapping information and any credentials required by the device management server from the wireless device to the device management server using option fields or as vendor extensions in a message, wherein an address of the device management server to which the mapping information is sent is stored in the wireless device; and
using the mapping information to update, at the device management server, the mapping between the device identity and the network address associated with the wireless device.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the device identity includes at least one of an ESN, MEID, SKU, IMEI, MSISDN, BIOS string, and a MAC address associated with a network interface by which the wireless device communicates.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the updating of the mapping is triggered by at least one of an address request, an authorization request, a session request, and a provision request.
14. The method of claim 1 comprising establishing a session between the wireless device and the device management server using the mapping information.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of interacting is independent of a request from the wireless device.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network address associated with the wireless device includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to a proxy associated with the wireless device.
17. The method of claim 11 comprising establishing a session between the wireless device and the device management server using the mapping information.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mapping information includes a duration for which the network address is associated with the wireless device.