IoT User Equipment Type Detection via Subscriber Repository
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication networks face challenges in reliably and efficiently detecting user equipment types, particularly for internet-of-things devices, to grant access to specific services while ensuring security and capability-based authorization.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a communication network with a subscriber repository functionality that verifies user equipment type through subscriber and device identity information, allowing alternative authorization and authentication methods, enabling precise identification and access control for internet-of-things devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional user equipment type detection methods are used, then the communication network can serve general user equipments, but it cannot reliably distinguish internet-of-things user equipment types to grant access to specific services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments user equipment into distinct types (traditional UE and IoT UE) based on their identity information characteristics. IoT UEs are identified by the absence of certain identity fields (如imsi, gti) and presence of specific fields (如device identity information), allowing the network to apply different authorization methods tailored to each segment's capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameters from relying on traditional identity information (imsi, gti) to using device identity information and subscription data stored in the subscriber repository functionality. This parameter change enables reliable detection of IoT UE types while maintaining system manageability through structured data fields.
2Reliability
If the communication network applies different authorization methods for different user equipment types, then security and service access control are improved, but the complexity of the authorization and authentication system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The subscriber repository functionality serves multiple functions: it stores subscription data for traditional UEs, stores device identity information for IoT UEs, performs verification for both types, and provides authorization decisions. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise be separate systems into a single universal component.
Solution Approach 2:
The subscriber repository functionality acts as an intermediary between the access network element and the user equipment. It receives service requests, verifies user equipment type based on identity information, determines appropriate authorization methods, and returns authorization decisions. This intermediary simplifies the overall system by centralizing the complex authorization logic.
3Measurement precision
If the communication network verifies user equipment type through multiple identity information checks, then detection accuracy is improved, but the processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network performs preliminary verification of user equipment type immediately upon receiving the service request message, before proceeding with full authorization processing. By checking the presence/absence of identity information fields and verifying against stored subscription data early in the process, the system quickly determines the UE type and routes it to the appropriate authorization flow, minimizing overall processing time.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for enhanced detection of a user equipment type being related to a user equipment requesting access to and/or services from a communication network and/or for applying an alternative authorization method and/or an alternative authentication method to a user equipment requesting access to and/or services from a communication network in case of the user equipment belonging to an internet-of-things user equipment type, wherein the communication network comprises a core network and an access network, and wherein the communication network is able to serve user equipments of different user equipment types, applying different authorization methods and/or different authentication methods for different user equipments belonging to different user equipment types, wherein the user equipment is related to a subscriber identity information and/or to a device identity information, wherein the communication network comprises, as part of the core network, a subscriber repository functionality, the subscriber repository functionality comprising pieces of subscriber identity information and/or pieces of device identity information regarding a plurality of user equipments of different user equipment types, wherein the method comprises the following steps: -- in a first step, the user equipment requests a service from the communication network by means of transmitting a service request message to an access network element or core network element, the service request message comprising the subscriber identity information and/or the device identity information related to the user equipment and an indication that the alternative authorization method and/or the alternative authentication method shall be applied to the user equipment, -- in a second step, subsequent to the first step ― in case that the user equipment belongs to an internet-of-things user equipment type ―, the requested service is granted to the user equipment by means of the user equipment receiving a service authorization message from the access network element or core network element, wherein, prior to the second step, the communication network performs ― based on the subscriber identity information and/or the device identity information ― a verification that the user equipment indeed belongs to the internet-of-things user equipment type.