Offloading Method Reducing WLAN Access Delay via Pre-shared Security Parameters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless mobile communications networks face network congestion due to increased data usage, and traditional WLAN access methods result in significant delays, leading to communication interruptions during offloading processes.
Innovation Solution
An offloading method that involves a base station sending a security parameter to both user equipment and an access point, enabling bidirectional authentication to facilitate rapid access to a wireless local area network, thereby reducing access delays and improving user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional WLAN access method is used, then user equipment can access the wireless local area network, but access delay is relatively long resulting in communication interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The base station pre-configures security parameters (PMK, PTK, or security policy) to the user equipment before WLAN access is needed. This preliminary provisioning of authentication credentials eliminates the need for time-consuming authentication exchanges during the actual offloading process, thereby reducing access delay while maintaining communication continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary that provisions security parameters to both the user equipment and the access point. This intermediary role enables the user equipment to authenticate with the WLAN access point using pre-shared credentials, bypassing traditional lengthy authentication protocols and reducing access delay
2Reliability
If security parameter provisioning is performed through traditional authentication protocols, then authentication security is ensured, but access time increases causing communication interruption
Solution Approach 1:
Security parameters are provisioned to the user equipment in advance through the base station before the actual WLAN access attempt. This preliminary security setup allows the user equipment to present pre-configured credentials (PMK, PTK, or security policy) during authentication, significantly reducing authentication time while maintaining security through the use of established cryptographic parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the authentication parameters by using pre-provisioned security parameters (PMK, PTK, or security policy) instead of requiring full authentication protocol exchanges. This parameter change enables faster authentication while maintaining security, as the pre-shared parameters are cryptographically secure and eliminate the need for time-consuming challenge-response sequences
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses an offloading method, user equipment, a base station, and an access point. The method includes: receiving, by user equipment, an offloading indication sent by a base station, where the offloading indication is used to indicate an access method for the user equipment to access an access point, the offloading indication includes a security parameter used by the user equipment and the access point to perform bidirectional authentication, the access point belongs to a wireless local area network, the base station belongs to a wireless cellular network, and the security parameter is further sent by the base station to the access point; and performing, by the user equipment, the bidirectional authentication with the access point according to the security parameter sent by the base station to the user equipment, so that the user equipment accesses the access point according to the access method and performs offloading to the wireless local area network. According to the offloading method, the user equipment, the base station, and the access point in embodiments of the present invention, an access delay can be reduced, and user experience can be improved.