Reauthentication in Non-Seamless WLAN Offload via NRF Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Security management in 5G communication networks faces challenges with user equipment authentication, particularly in non-seamless wireless local area network offload access environments, where existing technologies lack defined procedures for reauthentication and revocation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method involving a first network entity receiving and sending requests for reauthentication or revocation of user equipment in a wireless local area network access environment, utilizing a non-seamless wireless local area network offload function and unified data management to manage user equipment context, enabling stateful operations for reauthentication and revocation procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If non-seamless WLAN offload access is implemented to improve network efficiency and subscriber convenience, then security management becomes more complex and challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security management functionality by introducing a dedicated Network Repository Function (NRF) that separately handles user equipment context information. This segmentation allows the WLAN offload function to operate independently while the NRF manages authentication and revocation requests, reducing overall system complexity despite the added security requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the NRF as an intermediary component between the WLAN offload function and the user equipment. The NRF mediates reauthentication and revocation requests by maintaining UE context information and coordinating with the WLAN access network, thereby simplifying the security management architecture while enabling robust security control.
2Ease of manufacture
If existing authentication technologies are used in non-seamless WLAN offload environments, then implementation is simpler, but defined procedures for reauthentication and revocation are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the NRF pre-store user equipment context information before authentication is needed. This pre-positioning of critical data enables rapid reauthentication and revocation operations without requiring complex real-time queries, thus maintaining implementation simplicity while ensuring complete authentication procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the NRF receives reauthentication and revocation requests from the WLAN offload function, processes them using stored UE context, and returns authentication results. This closed-loop feedback ensures complete and reliable authentication procedures while maintaining straightforward implementation through well-defined request-response interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for managing reauthentication and revocation in a communication network environment. In one example, a method comprises receiving, at a first network entity (e.g., an NSWOF), a request from a second network entity (e.g., a UDM) of a communication network to which user equipment is subscribed (e.g., HN), wherein the received request is for a reauthentication or a revocation of the user equipment in accordance with wireless local area network access. The first network entity identifies the user equipment based on information about the user equipment (e.g., UE context) previously stored by the first network entity. The first network entity sends at least a portion of the received request toward the user equipment, and then continues to participate in the reauthorization or revocation based on the request.