Auto-Discovery of Non-Public Network Addresses for Base Stations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile network base transceiver stations (BTS) face challenges in securely connecting to a packet data network without requiring separate provisioning and exposing critical information to potential abuse or denial of service attacks.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an auto-discovery process where BTS registers with a registration server to obtain the IP address of an aggregation gateway, using a secure connection and mutual authentication to protect against denial of service attacks, and eliminating the need for each BTS to be separately provisioned with network information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If BTS is separately provisioned with packet data network address information, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity and provisioning burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidprovisioning complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The BTS performs automatic self-provisioning by discovering the packet data network address through listening to broadcast messages or querying a registration server, eliminating the need for manual configuration and reducing provisioning complexity while maintaining connection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary address discovery and registration before the BTS needs to establish data connections, so that when connections are required, the address information is already available, simplifying the connection establishment process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If packet data network address information is made publicly accessible, then ease of operation is improved, but security and vulnerability to attacks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaddress discovery easeVSAvoiddenial of service attack risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A registration server acts as an intermediary between BTS and the packet data network address information. The BTS queries the registration server to obtain the address, which is not directly exposed to the public network, thereby maintaining ease of address discovery while reducing vulnerability to attacks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The critical address information is extracted from the public broadcast domain and placed in a protected registration server. Only authenticated BTS can obtain this information through controlled queries, separating the public discovery process from the sensitive information storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9059841B2Auto-discovery of a non-advertised public network address

Publication Date: 2015.06.16 AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE LTD

AI summary

Providing a network address is disclosed. A communication indicating that a first node desires to communicate via a packet data network with a second node configured to provide access to a private resource is received. A non-publicly advertised packet data network address usable to communicate with the second node via the packet data network is provided to the first node.