Service provisioning by local operator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018041897-A1
Application number	US-201615349423-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product related to coexistence of two network operators, for example a local operator and an incumbent operator. In certain embodiments, a method may include monitoring if network information from a server part of an application is received by a client part of the application. The client part is connected to the server part via a first network that uses a radio access technology. The network information is related to a second network that uses the radio access technology, the second network being different from the first network. The method also includes controlling a cellular radio layer such that it interworks with the second network based on the received network and authentication information.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least: monitor if network information from a server part of an application is received by a client part of the application, wherein the client part is connected to the server part via a first network that uses a radio access technology, wherein the network information is related to a second network that uses the radio access technology, the second network being different from the first network; and control a cellular radio layer such that the cellular radio layer interworks with the second network based on the received network information.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
access the second network via the cellular radio layer when the network information comprises a request to connect the client part of an application to the server part of an application via the second network; and connect the client part to the server part via the second network after the accessing of the second network.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, is configured to cause the apparatus to at least access the second network via the cellular radio layer using an access parameter of the second network, wherein the network information comprises the access parameter of the second network.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, is configured to cause the apparatus to at least authenticate a user of the client part of the application to the second network using credentials, wherein the client part is authenticated to the application by credentials, and the user is authenticated to the first network by user information different from the credentials.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, is configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
provide the server part of the application credentials from a virtual subscriber identity module or soft subscriber identity module, wherein the credentials are used to authenticate the client part of the application.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an internet protocol address of the client part of the application is authenticated using network access credentials or provisioning network access credentials received from a secure credential storage.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the client part of the application is authenticated on an application layer using network access credentials from an embedded universal integrated circuit card.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein application layer of the client part provides network information to a lower layer of a user equipment in which the client part of the application is located.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the received network information originates at a spectrum access server.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, is configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
determine at the client part of the application whether to access the second network based on cell selection criteria, wherein the cell selection criteria comprises at least one of an identification of the second network, location history of a user equipment in which the client part of the application is located, a type of the user equipment, or a subscription of a user of the client part of the application.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
download the network information at a user equipment to a virtual subscriber identity module or a soft subscriber identity module.

12 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least: provide, by a server part of an application, network information to a client part of the application via a first network using a radio access technology, wherein the network information is related to a predetermined second network that uses the radio access technology, the second network being different from the first network.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the network information comprises at least one of an access parameter of the second network or a request to connect the client part to the server part via the second network.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the network information is provided to a virtual subscriber identity module or a soft subscriber identity module of the user equipment.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
authenticate the client part of the application server using credentials from a virtual or soft subscriber identity module.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
receive network information at the server part of the application server from a spectrum access server.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least:
authenticate an internet protocol address of the client part of the application before providing the client part of the application the network information, wherein the authentication depends in part on credentials received from the client part of the application.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the credentials are network access credentials or provisioning network access credentials received from a secure credential storage

19 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the authentication of the internet protocol address occurs in an application layer.

20 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one processor, with the at least one memory and the computer program code, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least: receive at a base station user credentials from a client part of an application via a first network using a radio access technology; forward the user credentials to a server part of the application; receive network information from the server part of the application based on the forwarded user credentials; and transmit the network information from the base station to the client part of an application, wherein the network information is related to a predetermined second network that uses the radio access technology, the second network being different from the first network.

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Prasad Athul
• Holtmanns Silke
• Li Zexian
• Uusitalo Mikko Aleksi

Classifications

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W16/14

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04L69/14

  Multichannel or multilink protocols · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title