Pre-registration security support in multi-technology interworking

1. A method for use in a computing device of a communication system, wherein the communication system supports two or more access technologies for permitting a given communication device to access the communication system, and wherein at least part of a first security context is generated at the computing device for the given communication device permitting the given communication device to access the communication system via a first access technology, the method comprising:

generating at the computing device at least part of at least a second security context for the given communication device such that the given communication device is pre-registered to access the communication system via at least a second access technology while maintaining the first security context and such that the given communication device is able to continue to access the communication system via the first access technology and is pre-registered to subsequently access the communication system via the second access technology;

wherein the second security context is generated before a decision is made to perform a handover from the first access technology to the second access technology.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computing device:

receiving a request to require initiation of a re-authentication procedure from the first access technology for the given communication device;

generating, in response to a successful re-authentication procedure, at least part of a new security context for the given communication device for the first access technology; and

replacing the first security context with the new security context.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computing device verifying whether the given communication device is authorized for access from the second access technology before generating the second security context.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the computing device rejects the pre-registration when it is determined that the given communication device is not authorized to access the communication system via the second access technology.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computing device deleting one or more security contexts when at least one of: (i) the one or more security contexts expire; and (ii) the one or more security contexts are de-registered on one or more of the access technologies.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computing device deleting any corresponding security contexts when a session in which the given communication device is accessing the communication system is terminated.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the given communication device accesses the communication system via the second access technology in the same communication session that the given communication device accessed the communication system via the first access technology.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises an authentication server managed by a network service provider in the communication system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first access technology and the second access technology comprises a WiFi network, and the other of the first access technology and the second access technology comprises a WiMAX network.

10. Apparatus for use in a computing device of a communication system, wherein the communication system supports two or more access technologies for permitting a given communication device to access the communication system, and wherein at least part of a first security context is generated at the computing device for the given communication device permitting the given communication device to access the communication system via a first access technology, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to generate at the computing device at least part of at least a second security context for the given communication device such that the given communication device is pre-registered to access the communication system via at least a second access technology while maintaining the first security context such that the given communication device is able to continue to access the communication system via the first access technology and is pre-registered to subsequently access the communication system via the second access technology;

wherein the second security context is generated before a decision is made to perform a handover from the first access technology to the second access technology.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request to require initiation of a re-authentication procedure from the first access technology for the given communication device;

generate, in response to a successful re-authentication procedure, a new security context for the given communication device for the first access technology; and

replace the first security context with the new security context.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to verify whether the given communication device is authorized for access from the second access technology before generating the second security context.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor rejects the pre-registration when it is determined that the given communication device is not authorized to access the communication system via the second access technology.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to delete one or more security contexts when at least one of: (i) the one or more security contexts expire; and (ii) the one or more security contexts are de-registered on one or more of the access technologies.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to delete any corresponding security contexts when a session in which the given communication device is accessing the communication system is terminated.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the given communication device accesses the communication system via the second access technology in the same communication session that the given communication device accessed the communication system via the first access technology.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises an authentication server managed by a network service provider in the communication system.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein one of the first access technology and the second access technology comprises a WiFi network, and the other of the first access technology and the second access technology comprises a WiMAX network.

19. A method for use in a communication device of a communication system, wherein the communication system supports two or more access technologies for permitting the communication device to access the communication system, and wherein at least part of a first security context is generated at the communication device permitting the communication device to access the communication system via a first access technology, the method comprising:

generating at the communication device at least part of at least a second security context for the communication device such that the communication device is pre-registered to access the communication system via at least a second access technology while maintaining the first security context such that the communication device is able to continue to access the communication system via the first access technology and is pre-registered to subsequently access the communication system via the second access technology;

wherein the second security context is generated before a decision is made to perform a handover from the first access technology to the second access technology.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least a part of the first security context is generated by a first supplicant instantiated in the communication device, and the at least a part of the second security context is generated by a second supplicant instantiated in the communication device.

21. Apparatus for use in a communication device of a communication system, wherein the communication system supports two or more access technologies for permitting the communication device to access the communication system, and wherein at least part of a first security context is generated at the communication device permitting the communication device to access the communication system via a first access technology, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to generate at the communication device at least part of at least a second security context for the communication device such that the communication device is pre-registered to access the communication system via at least a second access technology while maintaining the first security context such that the communication device is able to continue to access the communication system via the first access technology and is pre-registered to subsequently access the communication system via the second access technology;

wherein the second security context is generated before a decision is made to perform a handover from the first access technology to the second access technology.