Femto Base Station Paging Response for Secure Call Setup
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for off-loading incoming calls via a femto base station from the Internet or home network often result in incorrect service requests, leading to rejected calls and compromised security due to the need for user authentication information to be moved from the core network SGSN to the femto base station, potentially degrading the security level.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves temporarily attaching the UE to an SGSN co-located in the femto base station, processing service requests within the femto base station, and modifying the service type of the service request from paging response to signaling, allowing direct call connection establishment between the femto base station and the UE without traversing the core network, thus maintaining security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If user authentication information is moved from the core network SGSN to the femto base station to enable direct call connection establishment, then call connection speed and direct communication capability are improved, but security level is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process by separating the authentication information storage (remaining in core network SGSN) from the authentication verification (performed by femto base station using paging response). This allows the femto base station to verify authentication without storing sensitive user authentication information, thus maintaining security while enabling fast direct call establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a paging response mechanism as an intermediary. The UE responds to a paging message with authentication information, allowing the femto base station to verify authentication status without directly accessing or storing the core authentication database. This intermediary process enables fast authentication verification while keeping security credentials protected in the core network.
2Productivity
If the femto base station processes service requests directly without core network involvement, then communication traffic off-loading and core network load reduction are improved, but incorrect service request processing occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the femto base station send a paging message to the UE before processing the service request. The UE's response to this paging message serves as preliminary authentication verification, ensuring the service request is from a legitimate user before the femto base station proceeds with direct call establishment, thus preventing incorrect service request processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE responds to the paging message with authentication information. This feedback loop allows the femto base station to verify the legitimacy of the service request before processing it directly, ensuring service request processing accuracy while maintaining direct communication capability without core network involvement.
3Reliability
If the UE attaches to the core network SGSN for authentication, then security is maintained, but direct call establishment from femto base station without core network traversal is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication verification function from the core network SGSN attachment process. Instead of requiring full SGSN attachment for every call, the femto base station extracts and verifies authentication information directly from the UE's paging response. This reduces call establishment procedure complexity by eliminating unnecessary core network traversal while maintaining authentication security through the extracted verification mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system capable of normally connecting a call without degrading the security level in a mobile terminal network, even in cases when a call addressed to a set of user equipment (UE) arrives via the Internet or a home network. In ST 101, a femto base station (110) receives a packet addressed to a set of UE (100) via the Internet or a home network and, in ST 102, starts a paging procedure. In ST 103, the set of UE (100) establishes an RRC connection to the femto base station (110). In ST 104, the UE (100) transmits, to the femto base station (110), a paging response addressed to the SGSN (150). In ST 105, the femto base station (110) performs NAS verification. If the femto base station (110) detects the paging response to a paging request made by itself, the femto base station (110), in ST 107, changes the service type of the service request received from the UE (100) from the paging response to signaling.