Techniques for performing UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) authentication using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) messages

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instruction executable by the machine to perform a method of authenticating a user agent to a server using SIP messages, the method comprising:

• receiving an SIP request from the user agent to the server;
• forwarding a request for authentication from the server to the user agent in response to the SIP request, the request for authentication including information that the authentication will be performed using a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) AKA (Authentication and Key Agreement) mechanism;
• receiving an authentication response from the user agent to the server in response to the request for authentication in accordance with UMTS AKA mechanism;
• and
• performing an invoked SIP procedure on the server in response to the SIP request if the authentication is deemed successful in view of the authentication response.

A server for authenticating a user agent using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) messages, the server comprising:

• receiving means for receiving an SIP request from the user agent;
• forwarding means for forwarding a request for authentication to the user agent in response to the SIP request, the request for authentication including information that the authentication will be performed using a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) AKA (Authentication and Key Agreement) mechanism;
• receiving means for receiving an authentication response from the user agent in response to the request for authentication in accordance with UMTS AKA mechanism;
• and performing means for performing an invoked SIP procedure in response to the SIP request if the authentication is deemed successful in view of the authentication response.

A terminal device being authenticated to a server using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) messages, the terminal device comprising:

• transmitting means for transmitting an SIP request to the server;
• receiving means for receiving a request for authentication from the server in response to the SIP request, the request for authentication including information that the authentication will be performed using a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) AKA (Authentication and Key Agreement) mechanism;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting an authentication response to the server in response to the request for authentication in accordance with UMTS AKA mechanism, wherein an invoked SIP procedure is performed on the server in response to the SIP request if the authentication is deemed successful in view of the authentication response.

A system, comprising:

• a user agent transmitting an SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) request;
• and
• a server receiving the SIP request and forwarding a request for authentication to the user agent in response to the SIP request, the request for authentication including information that the authentication will be performed using a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) AKA (Authentication and Key Agreement) mechanism, wherein the user agent receives the request for authentication from the server and transmits an authentication response to the server in response to the request for authentication in accordance with the UMTS AKA mechanism, wherein an invoked SIP procedure is performed on the server in response to the SIP request if the authentication is deemed successful in view of the authentication response, and
• the server receives the authentication response from the user agent and performs an invoked SIP procedure in response to the SIP request if the authentication is deemed successful in view of the authentication response.