Convergence Server Authentication for Femtocell Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack efficient mechanisms for facilitating the convergence and registration/authentication of mobile stations between femtocell and macrocellular systems, leading to limited capacity and high communications overhead in carrier networks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a convergence server in the core network to initiate authentication procedures for mobile stations attached to a femtocell system, generating registration identifiers and handling authentication requests, including unique challenges, shared secret data updates, and call history counts, to facilitate seamless registration and authentication across networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mobile stations are registered and authenticated through traditional macrocellular systems, then authentication can be performed, but network capacity is limited and communications overhead is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a convergence server as an intermediary component that mediates between the femtocell system and the authentication center. This server receives authentication requests from femtocells, manages registration identifiers, and coordinates authentication procedures, thereby reducing direct communications overhead between femtocells and the core network while increasing overall network capacity.
2Productivity
If femtocell systems are deployed to increase capacity, then subscriber capacity improves, but mechanisms for registration and authentication become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The convergence server is designed as a universal platform that handles multiple functions including registration identifier generation, authentication request management, and coordination between femtocells and authentication centers. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall system architecture by consolidating complex authentication mechanisms into a single versatile component.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating registration identifiers and pre-establishing authentication frameworks before mobile stations actually connect. This allows femtocells to be pre-configured with authentication parameters, reducing the complexity of real-time authentication operations.
3Reliability
If authentication procedures are centralized in the core network, then authentication management is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication system into distinct functional components: femtocells that handle radio access, a convergence server that manages authentication procedures, and authentication centers that verify credentials. This segmentation allows centralized authentication management while distributing system complexity across multiple specialized components rather than concentrating it in a single complex entity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer readable medium that facilitate authentication center-initiated authentication procedures for a mobile station attached with a femtocell system are provided. A femtocell system may generate a registration identification of a mobile station from one or more mobile station authentication parameters. A convergence server located in a core network receives an authentication procedure request from an authentication center for the mobile station attached with the femtocell system and generates an authentication procedure request message that includes the registration identification assigned to the mobile station. The convergence server then transmits the authentication procedure request message to the femtocell system and receives a response to the authentication procedure request message from the femtocell system. The authentication procedure request may comprise a unique challenge, a shared secret data update procedure, or a call history count update procedure.