# US 11,910,480 B2 · Systems and methods for null-scheme access authorization

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- Number: US 11,910,480 B2
- Document ID: US11910480B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/233,030
- Filed: 2021-04-16
- Published: 2022-10-20
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-16
- Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Inventors: Yousif Targali; Vinod Kumar Choyi; Sudhakar Reddy Patil; Michael A. Gallagher
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910480B2

## CPC

- H04W 8/20: Transfer of user or subscriber data
- H04W 8/12: between location registers or mobility servers
- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 12/08: Access security
- H04W 12/72: Subscriber identity
- H04W 60/04: using triggered events
- H04W 60/001: {Registration rejection or failure}
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method may include receiving, at a network device, a registration request that comprises a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI) associated with a particular user equipment (UE) device. The network device determines whether the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access; and retrieves a scheme authorization parameter for the UE device when it is determined that the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access. The scheme authorization parameter indicates whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme access to a service provider network. The network device determines whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the retrieved scheme authorization parameter and performs processing associated with null-scheme network access when it is determined that the particular UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, at a network device, a registration request that comprises a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI) associated with a user equipment (UE) device;
determining, by the network device, whether the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access;
retrieving, by the network device and from at least one of a user data repository (UDR) device or a subscriber location function (SLF) device, a scheme authorization parameter for the UE device when it is determined that the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access,
wherein the scheme authorization parameter indicates whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme access to a service provider network;
determining, by the network device, whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the retrieved scheme authorization parameter;
performing, by the network device, processing associated with null-scheme network access when it is determined that the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
preventing null-scheme network access when it is determined that the UE device is not authorized for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein preventing null-scheme network access comprises:
generating, by the network device, a registration failure code; and
performing at least one of:
forwarding the registration failure code to the UE device, or
generating a notification based on the registration failure code.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
logging the registration failure code for subsequent retrieval and review.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises an authentication server function (AUSF) device that includes a scheme authorization function.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, the method further comprising:
transmitting, by the AUSF device and to a network repository function (NRF) device, a discover unified data management (UDM) device and scheme authorization parameter request,
wherein the NRF device is configured to identify one or more UDM devices based on the request and retrieve the scheme authorization parameter from the UDR device or SLF device;
receiving, by the AUSF device, the identification of the one or more UDM devices and the scheme authorization parameter from the NRF device; and
determining, by the AUSF device, whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the received scheme authorization parameter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a unified data management (UDM) device that includes a scheme authorization function.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the UDM device, an authentication information request that includes the SUCI;
transmitting, by the UDM device, a scheme authorization parameter request;
receiving, by the UDM device, the scheme authorization parameter; and
determining, by the UDM device, whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the received scheme authorization parameter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a radio access network (RAN) device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
receiving, from the UE device and by the RAN device, an attach request message that includes the SUCI;
determining, by the RAN device, whether the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access; and
performing, by the RAN device, null-scheme authorization when it is determined that the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 11

A network device comprising:
at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive a registration request that comprises a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI) associated with a user equipment (UE) device;
determine whether the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access;
retrieve, from at least one of a user data repository (UDR) device or a subscriber location function (SLF) device, a scheme authorization parameter for the UE device when it is determined that the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access,
wherein the scheme authorization parameter indicates whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme access to a service provider network;
determine whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the retrieved scheme authorization parameter; and
perform processing associated with null-scheme network access when it is determined that the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The network device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to prevent null-scheme network access when it is determined that the UE device is not authorized for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The network device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
generate a registration failure code when it is determined that the UE device is not authorized for null-scheme network access; and
perform at least one of:
forward the registration failure code to the UE device,
generate a notification based on the registration failure code, or
log the registration failure code for future auditing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The network device of claim 11,
wherein the network device comprises an authentication server function (AUSF) device that includes a scheme authorization function.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The network device of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
transmit a discover unified data management (UDM) device and scheme authorization parameter request to a network repository function (NRF) device,
wherein the NRF device is configured to identify one or more UDM devices based on the request and retrieve the scheme authorization parameter from the UDR device or SLF device;
receive the identification of the one or more UDM devices and the scheme authorization parameter from the NRF device; and
determine whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the received scheme authorization parameter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device comprises a unified data management (UDM) device that includes a scheme authorization function.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The network device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive an authentication information request that includes the SUCI;
transmit a scheme authorization parameter request;
receive the scheme authorization parameter in response to the scheme authorization parameter request; and
determine whether the particular UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the received scheme authorization parameter.

### Claim 18

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive, at a network device, a registration request that comprises a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI) associated with a user equipment (UE) device;
determine, by the network device, whether the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access;
retrieve, by the network device and from at least one of a user data repository (UDR) device or a subscriber location function (SLF) device, a scheme authorization parameter for the UE device when it is determined that the SUCI indicates a request for null-scheme network access,
wherein the scheme authorization parameter indicates whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme access to a service provider network;
determine, by the network device, whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the retrieved scheme authorization parameter; and
perform, by the network device, processing associated with null-scheme network access when it is determined that the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
generate, by the network device, a registration failure code; and
perform at least one of:
forward the registration failure code to the UE device,
generate a notification based on the registration failure code, or
log the registration failure code for future auditing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
transmit a discover unified data management (UDM) device and scheme authorization parameter request to a network repository function (NRF) device,
wherein the NRF device is configured to identify one or more UDM devices based on the request and retrieve the scheme authorization parameter from the UDR device or SLF device;
receive the identification of the one or more UDM devices and the scheme authorization parameter from the NRF device; and
determine whether the UE device is authorized for null-scheme network access based on the received scheme authorization parameter.