Registration of data packet traffic for a wireless device

1. A method performed by a core network node for handling registration of data packet traffic for a wireless device in a communications network, the method comprising:

registering the data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of a local network gateway of the wireless device and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the first part defining the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless device to which the wireless device belongs, and a second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within the group of wireless devices, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, and wherein at least one of data packets comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes;

mapping the registered of data packet traffic to the identity of the wireless device;

obtaining a verification key of the wireless device from a database using the identity of the wireless device; and

reporting the mapped data packet traffic and information identifying at least the identity of the group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs to a metering entity in the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the first part is a prefix and the second part is a suffix; and

wherein the address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the information identifying at least the identity of the group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs is the identity of the wireless device itself, the identity of the group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs, or information identifying a database entry.

4. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the method further comprises:

validating the authentication header using the verification key.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, in response to the validating being unsuccessful, notifying the local network gateway of the wireless device to block the data packets comprising the address of the wireless device.

6. A method performed by a local network gateway to facilitate registration of data packet traffic for a wireless device in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving data packets, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of the local network gateway and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the identity of the wireless device enables the data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device to be mapped to the identity of the wireless device, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless device to which the wireless device belongs, and a second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within the group of wireless devices, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, and wherein at least one of the data packets comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes;

obtaining a verification of the identity of the wireless device to establish an ownership of each of the data packets;

obtaining a verification key of the wireless device from a database using the identity of the wireless device;

transmitting the data packets upon having successfully established the ownership of the data packets; and

storing at least part of the address for those of the data packets for which the ownership was successfully established.

7. The method of claim 6 :

wherein the verification is obtained from a core network node signaling back to the local network gateway in case a data packet is failing the verification.

8. The method of claim 6 :

wherein the method further comprises:

validating the authentication header using the verification key.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the obtaining the verification comprises:

binding the address to a secured communication at a different protocol layer than Internet Protocol layer between the wireless device and the local network gateway; and

wherein verification to establish ownership of subsequently received data packets comprising an already stored address is obtained through the secured communication without requiring any authentication header of the subsequently received data packets.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing a core network node with information identifying the identity of the wireless device upon having successfully validated the authentication header,

wherein the information identifying the identity of the wireless device is information identifying a database entry, such as a public key of the wireless device.

11. A method performed by a wireless device to facilitate registration of data packet traffic for the wireless device in a communications network, the method comprising:

transmitting data packets to a local network gateway, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of the local network gateway of the wireless device and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless device to which the wireless device belongs, and a second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within a group of the wireless devices, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, wherein the local network gateway obtains a verification key of the wireless device from a database using the identity of the wireless device wherein the identity of the wireless device enables the data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device to be mapped to the identity of the wireless device, and wherein at least one of the data packets transmitted by the wireless device comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

obtaining at least one of information identifying the identity of the wireless device and information to derive the address of the wireless device;

obtaining the first part defining the identity of the local network gateway; and

deriving the address of the wireless device based on the obtained information and the first part.

13. A core network node for registration of data packet traffic for a wireless device in a communications network, the core network node comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the core network node is operative to:

register the data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of a local network gateway of the wireless device and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the first part defining the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs, and a second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within a group of wireless device, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, and wherein at least one of data packets comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes;

map the registered data packet traffic to the identity of the wireless device;

obtain a verification key of the wireless device from a database by use of the identity of the wireless device; and

report the mapped data packet traffic and information identifying at least an identity of a group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs to a metering entity in the communications network.

14. A local network gateway to facilitate registration of data packet traffic for a wireless device in a communications network, the local network gateway comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the local network gateway is operative to:

receive data packets, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of the local network gateway and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs, and a second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within a group of wireless devices, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, wherein the identity of the wireless device enables the data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device to be mapped to the identity of the wireless device, and wherein at least one of the data packets comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes;

obtain a verification of the identity of the wireless device to establish an ownership of each of the data packets;

obtain a verification key of the wireless device from a database by use of the identity of the wireless device;

transmit the data packets upon having successfully established the ownership of the data packets; and

store at least part of the address for those of the data packets for which ownership was successfully established.

15. A wireless device to facilitate registration of data packet traffic for the wireless device in a communications network, the wireless device comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the wireless device is operative to:

transmit data packets to a local network gateway, wherein each data packet comprises an address of the wireless device, wherein the address is mapped to an identity of the wireless device, wherein the address comprises a first part defining an identity of the local network gateway of the wireless device and a second part defining the identity of the wireless device, wherein selection of the second part is independent from the identity of the local network gateway, wherein the second part comprises a first sub-part defining an identity of a group of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs, and second sub-part defining the identity of the wireless device within the group of wireless devices, wherein the second sub-part is a hash of a public key, the public key being unique for the wireless device, wherein the local network gateway obtains a verification key of the wireless device from a database by use of the identity of the wireless device, wherein the identity of the wireless device enables data packet traffic in the communications network for the wireless device to be mapped to the identity of the wireless device, and wherein at least one of the data packets transmitted by the wireless device comprises an authentication header, wherein the authentication header is an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Authentication Header (AH), wherein the at least one of the data packets is integrity protected using a symmetric key of the wireless device or a private key of the wireless device, and wherein the AH comprises a Security Parameter Index (SPI) that indicates that the AH is for charging purposes.