Exchanging network server registration credentials over a D2D network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10616808-B2
Application number	US-201615214080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2016
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

In an embodiment, a client device receives a set of network registration credentials configured to authorize access to one or more network services provided by a network server. The client device shares the set of network registration credentials with an external device (e.g., a peer client device or an access point) via D2D. In another embodiment, a device (e.g., the external device or a different device) receives the set of network registration credentials via D2D and interacts with the network server to access a network service using the set of network registration credentials. In another embodiment, the device shares the set of network registration credentials with another client device via D2D.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a client device, comprising:
pairing with one or more other client devices through a respective device-to-device (D2D) connection;
receiving, from a network server that is external to a serving access network of the client device, a set of network registration credentials that are assigned to the client device and are configured to authorize access to one or more network services mediated by the network server via an exchange of data with the network server;
sharing the set of network registration credentials with the paired client devices via the respective device-to-device (D2D) connection to permit the paired client devices to access the one or more network services mediated by the network server by using the shared set of network registration credentials;
receiving, from the paired client devices, one or more sets of network registration credentials obtained by the paired client devices;
updating a network registration credential table with the set of network registration credentials received from the network server and the sets of network registration credentials received from the paired client devices;
identifying a set of network registration credentials in the network registration credential table based on a desired network service; and
accessing the desired network service by using the identified set of network registration credentials.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a transmit-receive function that includes transmitting data, receiving data, or both, between the client device and a radio access network (RAN) to exchange the data with the network server in association with a given network service; and
handing off the transmit-receive function to one of the paired client devices,
wherein the sharing facilitates the handing off of the transmit-receive function to the one of the paired client devices.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the sharing is performed in conjunction with the handing off, or
wherein the sharing is performed before initiation of the handing off.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the network server is an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network component, and
wherein the one or more network services include one or more IMS services.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of network registration credentials include at least one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credential, a username and password, or any combination thereof.

6. A method of operating an access point, comprising:
pairing with a plurality of client devices through a respective device-to-device (D2D) connection;
receiving a set of network registration credentials via the respective device-to-device (D2D) connection from each of the client devices having the set of network registration credentials, wherein the set of network registration credentials was assigned to each of the client devices by a network server that is external to a serving access network of the client device and configured to permit access to one or more network services mediated by the network server via an exchange of data with the network server;
adding each of the received set of network registration credentials to a network registration credential table;
receiving a request to access a network service from one of the client devices; and
sharing one of the set of network registration credentials in the network registration credential table with the requesting client device via the respective D2D connection to permit the requesting client device to access the one or more network services mediated by the network server based on the shared set of network registration credentials.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
interacting with the network server to access the one or more network services based on the set of network registration credentials.

8. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein, prior to the interacting, the first client device performs a transmit-receive function that includes transmitting data, receiving data, or both, between the first client device and a radio access network (RAN) to exchange the data with the network server in association with a given network service, further comprising:
handing off the transmit-receive function to the device; and
performing the transmit-receive function on behalf of the first client device in response to the handing off,
wherein the receiving facilitates the handing off of the transmit-receive function to the device.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the receiving is performed in conjunction with the handing off, or
wherein the receiving is performed before initiation of the handing off.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the interacting includes:
initiating a new connection with the network server with respect to a given network service.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the initiating is triggered by the first client device or a different client device with the device performing a transmit-receive function on behalf of the first client device or the different client device, the transmit-receive function transmitting data, receiving data, or both, between the device and a radio access network (RAN) to exchange the data with the network server in association with the given network service, or
wherein the initiating is triggered at the device without involvement of the first client device or the different client device.

12. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the network server is an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network component, and
wherein the one or more network services include one or more IMS services.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the set of network registration credentials include at least one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credential, a username and password, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device is a peer client device of the first client device.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device is an access point.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the access point is an in-vehicle access point.

17. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
updating, in response to the receiving, a network registration credential table to include the set of network registration credentials, wherein the network registration credential table includes one or more sets of network registration credentials assigned by the network server or a different network server to one or more other client devices.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the interacting is based on a selection of the set of network registration credentials from the network registration credential table.

19. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
scanning a list of the sets of network registration credentials in the network registration credential table to identify one or more sets of network registration credentials capable of providing the network service requested by the requesting client device.

20. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
sending a list of the sets of network registration credentials in the network registration credential table to the requesting client device.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising receiving a selection of one of the sets of network registration credentials in the list from the requesting client device.

22. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the network server is an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network component, and
wherein

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Mohan Prashanth
• Palanisamy Santhana
• Ananda Manjunatha Subbamma

Classifications

• H04L63/061 Primary

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title

• H04W52/0277

  according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected · CPC title

• H04W48/10

  using broadcasted information · CPC title

• H04L63/18

  using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215) · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title