Exchanging network server registration credentials over a d2d network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018027458-A1
Application number	US-201615214080-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2016
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

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:
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 provided by the network server; and sharing the set of network registration credentials with an external device via a device-to-device (D2D) connection to permit the external device to access the one or more network services provided by the network server based on the shared set of network registration credentials.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a transmit-receive function that includes transmitting and/or receiving data 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 the external device, wherein the sharing facilitates the handing off of the transmit-receive function to the external device.

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 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the external device is a peer client device of the client device, or wherein the external device is an access point.

7 . The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the external device is the access point, and wherein the access point is an in-vehicle access point.

8 . A method of operating a device, comprising:
receiving a set of network registration credentials via a device-to-device (D2D) connection, the set of network registration credentials being assigned to a given client device by a network server that is external to a serving access network of the given client device and configured to permit access to one or more network services provided by the network server; and interacting with the network server to access the one or more network services based on the set of network registration credentials.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,
wherein, prior to the interacting, the given client device performs a transmit-receive function that includes transmitting and/or receiving data between the given 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 given client device in response to the handing off, wherein the receiving facilitates the handing off of the transmit-receive function to the device.

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

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the interacting includes:
initiating a new connection with the network server with respect to a given network service.

12 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the initiating is triggered by the given client device or a different client device with the device performing a transmit-receive function on behalf of the given client device or the different client device, the transmit-receive function transmitting and/or receiving data 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 given client device or the different client device.

13 . The method of claim 8 ,
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.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of network registration credentials include at least one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credential, a username and password, or any combination thereof.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the device is a peer client device of the given client device.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the device is an access point.

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

18 . The method of claim 8 , 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.

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

20 . A method of operating a device, comprising:
receiving a set of network registration credentials via a first device-to-device (D2D) connection, the set of network registration credentials being assigned to a first client device by a network server that is external to a serving access network of the first client device and configured to permit access to one or more network services provided by the network server; and sharing the set of network registration credentials with a second client device via a second D2D connection to permit the second client device to access the one or more network services provided by the network server based on the shared set of network registration credentials.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
receiving a request to access a given network service, wherein the sharing occurs in response to the request.

22 . The method of claim 20 , 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.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the sharing is based on a selection of the set of network registration credentials from the network registration credential table.

24 . The method of claim 20 ,
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.

25 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the set of network registration credentials include at least one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credential, a username and password, or any combination thereof.

26 . The method of claim 20 ,
wherein the device is a peer client device of the first and second client devices, or wherein the device is an access point.

27 . A clien

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Mohan Prashanth
• Palanisamy Santhana
• Ananda Manjunatha Subbamma

Classifications

• H04W88/04

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

• H04W36/0038

  of security context information · CPC title

• H04W48/10

  using broadcasted information · CPC title

• 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

• 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