Device authentication method and devices

A subscriber mobile device configured to transmit and receive radiation, the device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform device registration and network access steps of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system,
• performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers, and
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and in a network access phase:
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase;
• and
• including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate;
• and wherein the token is a nonce with a globally unique identifier (GUID) unique reference number.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software code adapted to be read by a digital processor to perform the device registration and network access steps of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system,
• performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers, and
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase;
• and
• including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate;
• and wherein the token is a nonce with a globally unique identifier (GUID) unique reference number.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software code adapted to be read by a digital processor to perform the authentication system registration and network access steps of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system, performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers, and
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and
• in a network access phase:
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase;
• and
• including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate;
• and wherein the token is a nonce with a globally unique identifier (GUID) unique reference number.

A wireless network access method performed by a subscriber device subscribed to a home mobile network, a WLAN, and an authentication system, the method comprising the steps and sequence of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system,
• performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers,
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and
• in a network access phase:
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase:
• and
• including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate;
• and wherein the token is a nonce with a globally unique identifier (GUID) unique reference number.

A wireless network access method performed by a subscriber device subscribed to a home mobile network, a WLAN, and an authentication system, the method comprising the steps and sequence of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system, performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers, and
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and
• in a network access phase:
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase;
• and
• the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• and including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate.

A subscriber mobile device configured to transmit and receive radiation, the device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform device registration and network access steps of:

• in a once-off registration phase:
• sending, by the device, registration data in a mobile originating short message via a mobile network to the authentication system, performing a query to said home mobile network of a subscriber by the authentication system to validate the subscriber and resolve subscriber and device identifiers, and
• receiving network access information from the authentication system at the device, said network access information allowing the device to generate network access credentials for a subsequent network access;
• and
• in a network access phase:
• generating network access credentials by the device, using said network access information previously received from the authentication system during the once-off registration phase;
• wherein
• the authentication system generates and signs a unique subscriber certificate during the once-off registration phase, and the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• the device uses said unique subscriber certificate to generate and encrypt the network access credentials during the network access phase;
• and
• the device downloads the unique subscriber certificate as part of said network access information;
• and including the step of the device sending a token to the authentication system, the authentication system using the token to sign the unique subscriber certificate, and the device using the token to subsequently retrieve the signed unique subscriber certificate.