Method and system to support fast hand-over of mobile subscriber stations in broadband wireless networks

A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, which if executed at a base station (BS) of a broadband wireless network perform operations comprising:

• maintaining connection context information corresponding to a current air interface to a mobile subscriber station (MSS) for which the base station is providing a current service flow, wherein the connection context information includes security data used to support secure communication over the air interface;
• forward a first message to request to hand-over the air interface to a target BS;
• in response to the first message to request to hand-over the air interface to a target BS, forwarding a second message to request that the serving BS forward the connection context information to the target BS;
• authenticating the target BS prior to handing over the air interface from the serving BS to the target BS by:
• storing an initial set of authentication credentials for each BS on an authentication server;
• submitting an authentication request from the serving BS to the authentication server identifying the target BS;
• sending an authentication challenge to the target BS;
• returning a current set of authentication credentials for the target BS to the authentication server;
• comparing the initial set of authentication credentials with the current set of authentication credentials to authenticate the target BS;
• and if the target BS is authenticated,
• returning an authentication confirmation to the serving BS;
• otherwise
• returning an authentication denial to the serving BS if the target BS is not authenticated;
• and
• forwarding a third message including connection context information corresponding to the current air interface to the target BS.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• a trusted platform module (TPM) operatively coupled to the processor;
• a plurality of broadband wirelesss network components compliant with the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers) P802.16-based broadband wireless standard, operatively coupled to the processor, the broadband wireless components to facilitate communications over a IEEE P802.16-basad broadband wireless network;
• and
• at least one storage device, operatively coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor perform operations including:
• maintaining connection context information corresponding to a current air interface to a mobile subscriber station (MSS) for which the apparatus is providing a current service flow;
• in respones to a first message to request to hand-over the air interface to a target BS, forwarding a second message to request that the BS forward the connection context information to the target BS;
• forwarding a third message including connection context information corresponding to the current air interface to the target BS;
• and
• authenticating the target BS prior to handing over the air interface from the serving BS to the target BS by;
• storing an initial set of authentication credentials for each BS on an authentication server;
• submitting an authentication request from the serving BS to the authentication server identifying the target BS;
• sending an authentication challenge to the target BS;
• return a current set of authentication credentials for the target BS to the authentication server;
• comparing the initial set of authentication credentials with the current set of authentication credentials to authenticate the target BS;
• and if the target BS is authenticated,
• returning an authentication confirmation to the serving BS;
• otherwise
• returning an authentication denial to the serving BS if the target BS is not authenticated.

A system, comprising:

• a radio access node (RAN);
• and
• a plurality of base stations (BS), each communicatively coupled to the RAN, each BS comprising:
• a processor;
• a plurality of broadband wireless network components compliant with the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers) P802.16-based broadband wireless standard, operatively coupled to the processor, the broadband wireless components to facilitate communications over a IEEE P802.16-based broadband wireless network;
• and
• at least one storage device, operatively coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor perform operations including:
• maintaining connection context information corresponding to a current air interface to a mobile subscriber station (MSS) for which the BS is providing a current service flow;
• in response to a first message to request to hand-over the air interface to a target BS, forwarding a second message to request that the BS forward the connection context information to the target BS;
• authenticating a target BS prior to handing over the air interface from the serving BS to the target BS by:
• storing an initial set of authentication credentials for each BS on the authentication server;
• submitting an authentication request from the serving BS to the authentication server identifying the target BS;
• sending an authentication challenge to the target BS;
• returning a current set of authentication credentials for the target BS to the AS;
• comparing the initial set of authentication credentials with the current set of authentication credentials to authenticate the target BS;
• and if the target BS is authenticated,
• returning an authentication confirmation to the serving BS;
• otherwise
• returning an authentication denial to the serving BS if the target BS is not authenticated;
• and
• forwarding a third message including connection context information corresponding to the current air interface to the target BS.