Mobile network operator and data service provider interoperation
Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, computing devices, and computer-readable media are described herein for allowing a mobile network operator to perform services on behalf of a non-internet protocol multimedia subsystem (non-IMS) data provider. In various embodiments, an application server (“AS”) front end of the data provider is communicatively connected to a user data repository (“UDR”) and a home subscription server (“HSS”). The HSS is also connected to the UDR. Neither the non-IMS AS nor the HSS store user data, but instead communicate with the UDR across various reference points. The communication across the reference points facilitates the HSS performing various user services on behalf of the non-IMS AS. Other embodiments include user access and authentication procedures in such a network architecture, as well as corresponding policy and charging architecture.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a user device, an authentication request at a home subscriber server (HSS)-front end (FE) of a mobile network, the HSS-FE configured to be user data-less;
accessing a user data repository (UDR) of the mobile network from the HSS-FE to identify user data and subscribe to notifications regarding changes to that user data;
receiving a request at the HSS-FE for the user device to access a network application function of a non-internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) data provider;
accessing the UDR of the mobile network from the HSS-FE to determine authentication information for the user device; and
authenticating the user device to the non-IMS data provider based on the authentication information.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HSS-FE communicates with the UDR over a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Ud reference point.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HSS-FE communicates with a non-IMS application server (AS) of the non-IMS data provider over a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Mh reference point.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication information comprises a user profile.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication information comprises an authentication vector.
6. A non-internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server (AS) comprising:
an application module configured to provide one or more applications of the non-IMS AS for access by a user equipment (UE); and
a front end coupled with user data convergence (UDC) components of a mobile network through an interface with a home subscriber server (HSS)—front end (FE) of the UDC components, wherein the front end is configured to use the interface to exchange user profile information associated with the UE with the HSS-FE, and the HSS-FE and the non-IMS AS are configured to not store the user profile information.
7. The non-IMS AS of claim 6 wherein the interface is an Sh+ reference point or a Mh reference point.
8. The non-IMS AS of claim 6 , wherein the interface is a first interface and the non-IMS AS is configured to communicate directly with a user data repository (UDR) of the UDC components over a second interface.
9. The non-IMS AS of claim 8 , wherein the second interface is a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Ud reference point.
10. The non-IMS AS of claim 8 , wherein the front end is configured to check or modify data in the UDR through the first interface and to store data in or retrieve data from the UDR through the second interface.
11. The non-IMS AS of claim 6 , wherein the user profile information comprises user location information or user state information.
12. The non-IMS AS of claim 6 , wherein the front end is further configured to transmit a user service request to the HSS-FE via the interface, the user service request relating to user authentication or user billing.
13. The non-IMS AS of claim 6 , further comprising:
a video on demand server, a process server software server, or a machine-type communication server.
14. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a home subscriber server-front end (HSS-FE) to:
receive, via a first interface, a user service request from a non-internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server (AS) of a data provider, the user service request related to user authentication, user billing, and/or user charging; and
perform, via a second interface, a user service with a user data repository (UDR) based on the user service request, wherein the HSS-FE and the non-IMS AS are configured to not store user data at the HSS-FE and the non-IMS AS.
15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the HSS-FE to temporarily store the user data in the UDR.
16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 wherein the user data is user state data or user location information.
17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the HSS-FE to perform user billing, user charging, or user authentication on behalf of the data provider.
18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the first interface is a 3 rd Generation Parnership Project (3GPP) Mh reference point.
19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a trigger function to:
communicatively couple to a user equipment and to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) such that the trigger function is logically positioned between the user equipment and the PCRF; and
alter one or more aspects of traffic handling of a mobile network with respect to data provided to the user equipment from a non-internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server (AS) of a data provider.
20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to further cause the trigger function to be dynamically controlled by the PCRF.
21. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the trigger function to interact with the PCRF across a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Rx reference point.
22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21 , wherein the Rx reference point is operable to transfer IP filter information, policy control information, charging information, bandwidth requirements, preferential traffic handling identification, a usage threshold, application service provider identification information, or application identification information.
23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the trigger function to interact with the user equipment using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).
24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the trigger function to alter the one or more aspects of the network in response to a request from the user equipment for increased quality of service (QOS).
25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the trigger function to alter the one or more aspects of traffic handling by sending a request from the user equipment to the PCRF.
26. An apparatus comprising:
the one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 19 ; and
one or more processors, coupled with the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the instructions.