US 8,265,046 B2Granted

System and method for generic access network registration by a mobile station during network congestion

AssigneeNokia Corporation

InventorMika Kuokkanen

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Abstract

Systems and methods for providing mobile stations (“MS”) registration to a generic access network (“GAN”) via a wireless LAN interface are disclosed. The MS may receive a rejection message from a GAN controller with a “network congestion” indication set. The MS may also receive a “connection status” information element as part of the rejection message. The MS can determine from the information element whether the MS can release the connections made to a security gateway (“SEGW”) and to the GAN controller and whether it can release its WLAN connection facility. When the MS releases these connections, battery power is conserved while performing a timer decrement loop. At the end of the timer decrement loop, the MS makes another registration request. The network can reallocate resources when the MS releases the connections to the SEGW and the GAN controller. Methods for performing the GAN registration during network congestions are described.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

(a) identifying an access point available for connection over an air interface by a radio transceiver mobile station;
(b) making a secure connection to a gateway over the air interface via the access point;
(c) using the secure connection, making a connection to a generic access network controller over the air interface;
(d) making a request to register with the generic access controller;
(e) receiving a request rejected message from the generic access controller;
(f) receiving a rejection cause field from the message;
(g) determining a connection status field from the rejection cause field of the message;
(h) if the connection status field indicates the connection is to be released, releasing the connection to the generic access network controller and the security gateway;
(i) if the connection status field indicates the connection is to be maintained, maintaining the connections to the generic access network controller and the security gateway;
(j) waiting for an elapsed time;
and
(k) repeating steps (a)-(i),
wherein (j) waiting for an elapsed time further comprises:
receiving a timer value from the message;
loading a timer TU3902 with the timer value;
and
decrementing the timer until the timer reaches an end condition,
wherein the loading of the timer TU3902 with the timer value further comprises:
generating a random number between zero and the timer value;
adding the random number to the timer value to form a sum;
and
loading the timer TU3902 with the sum.

19 more elements

A method, comprising:

(a) providing a mobile station having a spread spectrum radio transceiver for connecting to a wireless local area network over an air interface via a wireless access point;
(b) identifying an access point available for connection by the mobile station;
(c) making a secure connection to a security gateway via the wireless access point;
(d) making a transmission control protocol connection to a generic access network controller via the secure connection;
(e) sending a message one selected from the group of a ‘DISCOVERY REQUEST’ message and a ‘REGISTER REQUEST’ message to the generic access network controller from the mobile station;
(f) receiving in response at the mobile station a respective one of a ‘DISCOVERY REJECT’ message and a ‘REGISTER REJECT’ message, respectively, from the generic access network controller;
(g) extracting a ‘Reject Cause’ information element from the message;
(h) determining that the information element indicates a “network congestion” condition;
(i) extracting a ‘Connection Status’ information element from the received message;
(j) if the ‘Connection Status’ indicates “disconnect,” releasing the secure connection to the security gateway and the transmission control protocol connection to the generic access network controller;
(k) if the ‘Connection Status’ indicates “maintain,” maintaining the secure connection to the security gateway and the transmission control protocol connection to the generic access network controller;
(l) extracting a Timer Value information element from the received message;
(m) loading a timer TU3902 with the Timer Value;
and
(n) repeatedly decrementing timer TU3902 until an end condition is met,
wherein (m) loading a timer TU3902 with the Timer Value further comprises:
generating a random number between zero and the Timer Value;
adding the random number to the Timer Value to form a sum;
and
loading timer TU3902 with the sum.

17 more elements

An apparatus, comprising:

a radio frequency circuit configured to transmit and receive spread spectrum radio frequency signals over an air interface to and from a WLAN access point;
security gateway connection circuitry configured to make a secure connection to a security gateway via the access point over the air interface;
generic access connection circuitry configured to make a transmission control protocol connection to a generic access network controller over the security gateway connection;
message send circuitry configured to send a message one selected from the group of ‘DISCOVERY REQUEST’ and ‘REGISTER REQUEST’ to the generic access network controller over the air interface;
message receive circuitry configured to receive a message one selected from the group of ‘DISCOVERY REJECT’ and ‘REGISTER REJECT’ from the generic access network controller over the air interface;
information element extraction circuitry configured to extract a “reject cause” information element from a received message;
information element extraction circuitry configured to extract a “connection status” information element from a received message containing a “reject cause,”
determination circuitry configured to determine if the “connection status” information element indicates a “maintain” or a “disconnect” status;
maintain connection circuitry configured to maintain the secure connection and the transmission control protocol connection if the determination circuitry indicates a “maintain” status;
and
release connection circuitry configured to release the secure connection and the transmission control protocol connection if the determination circuitry indicates a “disconnect” status;
and
a timer circuit configured to load a timer TU3902 with a timer value from the request rejected message received,
wherein the apparatus is configured to decrement the timer circuit until an end value is reached,
wherein the timer circuit is configured to load the timer TU3902 with the timer value by:
generating a random number between zero and the timer value;
adding the random number to the timer value to form a sum;
and
loading the timer TU3902 with the sum.

16 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing executable instructions that, when executed by a programmable mobile station having a spread spectrum radio transceiver for connecting to a wireless lan over an air interface via a wireless access point perform:

(a) identifying an access point available for connection by the mobile station;
(b) making a secure connection to a security gateway via the access point;
(c) making a transmission control protocol connection to a generic access network controller via the secure connection;
(d) sending a message one selected from the group of a ‘DISCOVERY REQUEST’ message and a ‘REGISTER REQUEST’ message to the generic access network controller from the mobile station;
(e) receiving in response at the mobile station a respective one of a ‘DISCOVERY REJECT’ message and a ‘REGISTER REJECT’ message, respectively, from the generic access network controller;
(f) extracting a ‘Reject Cause’ information element from the message;
(g) determining that the information element indicates a “network congestion” condition;
(h) extracting a ‘Connection Status’ information element from the message;
(i) if the ‘Connection Status’ indicates “disconnect,” releasing the secure connection to the security gateway and the transmission control protocol connection to the generic access network controller;
and
(j) if the ‘Connection Status’ indicates “maintain,” maintaining the secure connection to the security gateway and the transmission control protocol connection to the generic access network controller;
(k) extracting a Timer Value information element from the message;
(l) loading a timer TU3902 with the Timer Value;
and
(m) repeatedly decrementing timer TU3902 until an end condition is met,
wherein (l) loading a timer TU3902 with the Timer Value further comprises:
generating a random number between zero and the Timer Value;
adding the random number to the Timer Value to form a sum;
and
loading timer TU3902 with the sum.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/100,789Filed 10 Apr 2008
Published: US 2009/0257412 A115 Oct 2009
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04W 12/08
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: access security
H04W 76/00
Connection management
H04W 84/12
Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks: wLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
Y02D 30/70
Reducing energy consumption in communication networks: in wireless communication networks