Granted Patent B2

US 9,980,133 · App. 14/824,898 · Granted May 22, 2018

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE) to a wireless access node in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a network access identifier (NAI) that includes an identifier of a cellular access network node, wherein sending the NAI to the wireless access node in the WLAN is to cause the wireless access node to send, based on the identifier of the cellular access network node in the NAI, an authentication message to the cellular access network node;

receiving, by the UE from the wireless access node in the WLAN, an authentication challenge based on information in the NAI, wherein the authentication challenge is sent by the cellular access network node responsive to the authentication message;

sending, by the UE to the wireless access node in the WLAN, a response to the authentication challenge, to cause the wireless access node in the WLAN to send the response to the cellular access network node; and

receiving, by the UE from the wireless access node in the WLAN, an indication of successful authentication of the UE, the indication sent by the wireless access node in the WLAN.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the cellular access network node comprises a cell identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NAI including the identifier of the cellular access network node comprises a root NAI or a decorated NAI.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier corresponding to the UE, and wherein the identifier corresponding to the UE is selected from among an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a Globally Unique Temporary Identifier (GUTI), a Radio Network Temporary Identity (RNTI), and a Medium Access Control (MAC) address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending of the NAI comprises sending the NAI in an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) message.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a network-provided indication of whether a first type authentication procedure or a second type authentication procedure is to be used, the first type authentication procedure routing authentication messages between a WLAN node and the cellular access network node, and the second type of authentication procedure routing authentication messages between the WLAN node and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server; and

selecting, by the UE based on the network-provided indication, from among the first type authentication procedure and the second type authentication procedure,

wherein the sending of the NAI that includes the identifier of the cellular access network node is responsive to selecting the first type authentication procedure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier of a domain of a cellular operator of a cellular access network that includes the cellular access network node.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response contains a challenge response.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication of successful authentication was generated as a result of comparing the challenge response received from the UE to specified information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of successful authentication was sent by the wireless access node in the WLAN to the UE responsive to an access accept message sent by the cellular access network node in response to the response sent by the wireless access node in the WLAN to the cellular access network node.

11. A cellular access network node comprising:

a wireless interface to communicate wirelessly with user equipments (UEs);

a network interface to communicate with a wireless access node in a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

at least one processor configured to:

receive, from the wireless access node, a first authentication message to authenticate a first UE, the first authentication message being sent responsive to receipt by the wireless access node from the first UE of a network access identifier (NAI) that includes an identifier of the cellular access network node, wherein the cellular access network node is part of a cellular access network that is a different type of wireless access network than the WLAN; and

perform authentication of the first UE in response to the first authentication message;

the authentication comprising:

sending, by the cellular access network node to the wireless access node in the WLAN, an authentication challenge responsive to the first authentication message, to cause the wireless access node in the WLAN to send the authentication challenge to the first UE;

receiving, by the cellular access network node from the wireless access node in the WLAN, a response to the authentication challenge, the response received by the wireless access node in the WLAN from the first UE; and

sending, by the cellular access network node to the wireless access node in the WLAN, a message responsive to the response to the authentication challenge.

12. The cellular access network node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit a second authentication message to a core network node to perform authentication of the first UE, wherein the second authentication message is based on the first authentication message.

13. The cellular access network node of claim 12 , wherein the core network node to which the second authentication message is sent comprises an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server, and wherein the at least one processor is to select, based on an identifier corresponding to the first UE in the NAI, the AAA server from a plurality of AAA servers.

14. The cellular access network node of claim 11 , wherein the authentication comprises using a key to perform the authentication challenge of the first UE.

15. The cellular access network node of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the key from a core network node, or to generate the key.

16. The cellular access network node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to send, to the first UE, an indication of which of a plurality of types of authentication is to be applied by the first UE, wherein the plurality of types of authentication comprises a first type of authentication and a second type of authentication, the first type of authentication routing authentication messages between a WLAN node and the cellular access network node, and the second type of authentication routing authentication messages between the WLAN node and an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

17. The cellular access network node of claim 11 , wherein the cellular access network node is configured to transport information of an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) message using any of the following:

transport the EAP message encapsulated in a DIAMETER or RADIUS message using Stream Control Transmission Protocol/Internet Protocol (SCTP/IP), transport a DIAMETER or RADIUS message encapsulating the EAP message in an X2-AP transparent container,

transport the EAP message directly in an X2-AP transparent container, and

transport extracted content from the EAP message in an X2-AP message.

18. The cellular access network node of claim 11 , wherein the message is an access accept message responsive to the response to the authentication challenge, the access accept message to cause the wireless access node in the WLAN to send, to the first UE, an indication of successful authentication of the first UE.

19. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one wireless interface to communicate with a wireless access node in a wireless local area node (WLAN) and with a cellular access network node; and

at least one processor configured to:

send, to the wireless access node in the WLAN, an authentication request including a network access identifier (NAI), the NAI containing an identifier of the cellular access network node, wherein the sending of the NAI to the wireless access node in the WLAN is to cause the wireless access node to send, based on the identifier of the cellular access network node in the NAI, an authentication message to the cellular access network node;

receive, from the wireless access node in the WLAN, an authentication challenge based on information in the NAT, the authentication challenge sent by the cellular access network node;

send, to the wireless access node in the WLAN, a response to the authentication challenge, to cause the wireless access node in the WLAN to send the response to the cellular access network node; and

receive, from the wireless access node in the WLAN, an indication of successful authentication of the UE.

20. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the NAI further comprises an identifier of a domain of a cellular operator of a cellular access network that includes the cellular access network node.

Assignments (8)