System and method to deliver converged public and private network services over disparate access mediums within a single market
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorsTimothy C. Bleidorn, Cheryl A. Warne, Shane B. Newberg, Christopher J. Teague
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices for instantiating both a private network service (PrNS) gateway virtual network function (VNF) and a public network service (PuNS) gateway VNF for a user equipment (UE) device that is associated with a PrNS and communicatively attached a public WiFi network allow users to access the same set of feature-rich network services (including layer 2 services) when connected through a public hotspot WiFi network as when connected through a home or local area network WiFi network.
Claims21
A public network service (PuNS) authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, comprising:
- a processor configured with processor-executable software instructions to:
- receive an access request message from a network access server, the access request message including a request to receive a service on a user equipment (UE) device that is communicatively attached a public WiFi network;
- determine whether the UE device is associated with a private network service (PrNS);
- determine whether the UE device is flagged for convergence in response to determining that the UE device is associated with the PrNS;
- use a proxy function to request and receive policy information from a PrNS AAA server in response to determining that the UE device is flagged for convergence;
- and
- send the received policy information to the network access server to cause the network access server to create a session on a PrNS gateway virtual network function (VNF) for the UE device communicatively attached the public WiFi network.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor in a public network service (PuNS) authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server to perform operations comprising:
- receiving an access request message from a network access server, the access request message including a request to receive a service on a user equipment (UE) device that is communicatively attached a public WiFi network;
- determining whether the UE device is associated with a private network service (PrNS);
- determining whether the UE device is flagged for convergence in response to determining that the UE device is associated with the PrNS;
- using a proxy function to request and receive policy information from a PrNS AAA server in response to determining that the UE device is flagged for convergence;
- and
- sending the received policy information to the network access server to cause the network access server to create a session on a PrNS gateway virtual network function (VNF) for the UE device communicatively attached the public WiFi network.
A method of providing a user equipment (UE) device that is communicatively attached a public WiFi network with public or private network services, comprising:
- receiving, by a processor in a public network service (PuNS) authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, an access request message from a network access server, the access request message including a request to receive a service on the UE device that is communicatively attached the public WiFi network;
- determining whether the UE device is associated with a private network service (PrNS);
- determining whether the UE device is flagged for convergence in response to determining that the UE device is associated with the PrNS;
- using a proxy function to request and receive policy information from a PrNS AAA server in response to determining that the UE device is flagged for convergence;
- and
- sending the received policy information to the network access server to cause the network access server to create a session on a PrNS gateway virtual network function (VNF) for the UE device communicatively attached the public WiFi network.
A system, comprising:
- a user equipment (UE) device that is associated with a private network service (PrNS) and communicatively attached a public WiFi network;
- a network access server (NAS);
- a PrNS authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server;
- and
- a public network service (PuNS) AAA server;
- wherein the NAS comprises a NAS processor configured with processor-executable software instructions to:
- instantiate both a private network service gateway (PrNS-G) virtual network function (VNF) and a public network service gateway (PuNS-G) VNF for a user equipment (UE) device that is associated with a private network service (PrNS) and communicatively attached to a public WiFi network;
- and
- determine whether to create a session for the UE device associated with the PrNS and communicatively attached to the public WiFi network on the PrNS-G VNF or the PuNS-G VNF;
- and
- wherein the PuNS AAA server comprises a PuNS AAA processor configured with processor-executable software instructions to:
- receive an access request message from the NAS, the access request message including a request to receive a service on the UE device;
- determine whether the UE device is associated with the PrNS;
- determine whether the UE device is flagged for convergence in response to determining that the UE device is associated with the PrNS;
- use a proxy function to request and receive policy information from the PrNS AAA server in response to determining that the UE device is flagged for convergence;
- and
- send the received policy information to the NAS to cause the NAS to create the session on the PrNS gateway VNF for the UE device communicatively attached the public WiFi network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.