Authentication in a wireless access network
AssigneeVodafone IP Licensing Limited
InventorsNicholas Bone, Peter Howard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To allow devices to authenticate to a wide area mobile network when they temporarily do not have a connection to a SIM card and to authenticate the base station and so protect against false base stations, a system is provided where certain authentication credentials are pre-fetched while connection to the SIM card and the authentication subsystem of the wide area mobile network are in signaling connection. These advance credentials are then presented by the devices in authentication requests without requiring access via the mobile network or the connected presence of the SIM card being necessary for successful authentication.
Claims6
A system for facilitating authentication over a wireless access network, the system comprising:
- an authentication storage means, which is operable to provide authentication information during an authentication process;
- at least one machine device being operable to connect to a wireless access network and having a communication interface with the authentication storage means;
- a core network, which is operable to provide a machine device with advance data to be communicated to the authentication storage means to facilitate subsequent authentication of the said machine device with an access network.
A method for facilitating authentication at least one machine device over one or more wireless access networks, the at least one machine device having an associated authentication storage means, the method comprising:
- providing the machine device with advance data while the machine device and authentication storage means are in signaling connection with the wireless access network;
- and subsequently,
- authenticating said machine device with a core network of the wireless access network in accordance with said advance data while the machine device is in signaling connection with the core network, neither access via the wireless access network nor the connected presence of the authentication storage means being necessary for said authentication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.