IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,700,525
Granted Patent B2
US 11,700,525 · App. 17/315,581 · Granted Jul 11, 2023

Providing a roaming policy federation in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network environment

Inventors: Mark Grayson (Maidenhead, GB); Timothy Peter Stammers (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
H04W8/12H04W8/20H04W8/28H04W84/042
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,700,525
App. No.
17/315,581
Granted
Jul 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Presented herein are techniques associated with replicating an OpenRoaming™ policy federation in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network environment. For example, techniques herein provide a roaming policy federation architecture for a 3GPP network environment. In one example a method is provided that may include encoding a multi-bit roaming policy for an identity provider within a plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers in which the multi-bit roaming policy includes bit-wise roaming policy information for the identity provider. The method may further include configuring the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers for a mobile device associated with the identity provider. In one instance, detecting, by the mobile device, at least one multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifier of the plurality of multi-bit broadcasting identifiers being broadcast by a visited radio access network triggers the mobile device to perform an authentication with the identity provider.

Claims (37)

1. A method, comprising:

encoding a multi-bit roaming policy for an identity provider and each of a plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy for the identity provider within each of a plurality of multi-bit Third Generational Partnership Project (3GPP) broadcast identifiers, wherein the multi-bit roaming policy includes a plurality of bits that identify bit-wise roaming policy information for the identity provider; and

configuring the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers at a mobile device associated with the identity provider, wherein detecting, by the mobile device, at least one multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifier of the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers being broadcast by a visited radio access network is to trigger the mobile device to perform an authentication with the identity provider.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visited radio access network is a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) radio access network provided by an access network provider that is not the identity provider.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-bit roaming policy is represented using a Roaming Consortium Organizational Identifier (RCOI).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers are a plurality of closed subscriber group (CSG) identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers are a plurality of network identifiers (NIDs).

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring a first public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier indicating a settled-access for the visited radio access network;

configuring a second PLMN identifier indicating a settlement-free-access for the visited radio access network, wherein the visited radio access network is to broadcast one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier; and

configuring at least one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier for the mobile device.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

encoding a multi-bit roaming policy for an identity provider and each of a plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy for the identity provider within each of a plurality of multi-bit Third Generational Partnership Project (3GPP) broadcast identifiers, wherein the multi-bit roaming policy includes a plurality of bits that identify bit-wise roaming policy information for the identity provider; and

configuring the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers at a mobile device associated with the identity provider, wherein detecting, by the mobile device, at least one multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifier of the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers being broadcast by a visited radio access network is to trigger the mobile device to perform an authentication with the identity provider.

8. The media of claim 7 , wherein the multi-bit roaming policy is represented using a Roaming Consortium Organizational Identifier (RCOI).

9. The media of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers are at least one of a plurality of closed subscriber group (CSG) identifiers or a plurality of network identifiers (NIDs).

10. The media of claim 7 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

configuring a first public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier indicating a settled-access for the visited radio access network;

configuring a second PLMN identifier indicating a settlement-free-access for the visited radio access network, wherein the visited radio access network is to broadcast one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier; and

configuring at least one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier for the mobile device.

11. The media of claim 7 , wherein each bit-wise combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy identifies, at least in part, an identity type that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be accepted by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

12. The media of claim 11 , wherein each bit-wise combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy further identifies, at least in part, a minimum quality of service that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be supported by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

13. A system comprising:

at least one memory element for storing data; and

at least one processor for executing instructions associated with the data, wherein executing the instructions causes the system to perform operations, comprising:

encoding a multi-bit roaming policy for an identity provider and each of a plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy for the identity provider within each of a plurality of multi-bit Third Generational Partnership Project (3GPP) broadcast identifiers, wherein the multi-bit roaming policy includes a plurality of bits that identify bit-wise roaming policy information for the identity provider; and

configuring the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers at a mobile device associated with the identity provider, wherein detecting, by the mobile device, at least one multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifier of the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers being broadcast by a visited radio access network is to trigger the mobile device to perform an authentication with the identity provider.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the multi-bit roaming policy is represented using a Roaming Consortium Organizational Identifier (RCOI).

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of multi-bit 3GPP broadcast identifiers are at least one of a plurality of closed subscriber group (CSG) identifiers or a plurality of network identifiers (NIDs).

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

configuring a first public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier indicating a settled-access for the visited radio access network;

configuring a second PLMN identifier indicating a settlement-free-access for the visited radio access network, wherein the visited radio access network is to broadcast one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier; and

configuring at least one of the first PLMN identifier and the second PLMN identifier for the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein each combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy identifies, at least in part, an identity type that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be accepted by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein each bit-wise combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy further identifies, at least in part, a minimum quality of service that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be supported by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein each bit-wise combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy identifies, at least in part, an identity type that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be accepted by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein each bit-wise combinatorial permutation of the plurality of bit-wise combinatorial permutations of the multi-bit roaming policy further identifies, at least in part, a minimum quality of service that is accepted by the identity provider and that is to be supported by a particular visited radio access network to enable connection of the mobile device to the particular visited radio access network.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2021
From: GRAYSON, MARK; STAMMERS, TIMOTHY PETER
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 056185/0335 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63073642 · Sep 2, 2020
Related Publication 20220070652A1 · Mar 3, 2022