Internet protocol mapping resolution in fixed mobile convergence networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9401888-B2
Application number	US-201213985870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2012
Priority date	Feb 15, 2011
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for facilitating operation of a communication device having a first internet protocol (IP) address in a first network and a second IP address in a second network include detecting a presence of a network address translation (NAT) table; implementing, when the NAT table is present, a message exchange protocol to obtain a mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address; and reporting, in a communication message, the mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address. In one operational scenario, the first network is a 3 GPP network and the second network is a broadband fixed network such as a DSL or a cable modem network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of facilitating operation of a communication device in Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) architecture having a first internet protocol (IP) address in a first network and a second IP address in a second network, comprising:
detecting a presence of a network address translation (NAT) table;
implementing, when the NAT table is present, a message exchange protocol on a femto base station or a security gateway to obtain a mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address, wherein the message exchange protocol comprises:
obtaining the mapping via an encryption key exchange, wherein IP addresses and associated port numbers are included in a message exchanged in the encryption key exchange, and
selectively notifying the mapping to a femto base station management server based on presence of the femto base station management server; and

reporting, in a communication message, the mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address to a mobility management entity (MME).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encryption key exchange comprises leveraging Internet Key Exchange Version 2 (IKEv2).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
embedding the IP addresses and the associated port numbers in an IKEv2 message header.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
using Vendor ID Payload and Configuration Payload to introduce additional configuration attributes for the IP addresses and the associated port numbers.

5. The method of claim 1 , the message exchange protocol further comprising:
a client-server protocol, integrated into the encryption key exchange, for discovering any firewalls and address translations, determining types of the address translations being used, and learning IP addresses and port bindings allocated by the address translations.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the client-server protocol comprises:
a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the client-server protocol further comprises:
embedding the STUN protocol into the encryption key exchange by modifying the encryption key exchange to support the STUN protocol.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein client-server protocol further comprises:
implementing a separate STUN process on top of the encryption key exchange to send STUN binding requests.

9. An apparatus comprising one or more processors for facilitating operation of a communication device in Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) architecture having a first internet protocol (IP) address in a first network and a second IP address in a second network, further comprising:
a femto base station that provides the communication device an access to the first network;
a security gateway that facilitates secure communication for the communication device to the first network;
a network address translation (NAT) table detector that detects a presence of a NAT table;
an encryption key exchanger that obtains, when the NAT table is present, a mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address using a message exchange protocol implemented on the femto base station or the security gateway, where in the message exchange protocol comprises:
obtaining the mapping via an encryption key exchange, wherein IP addresses and associated port numbers are included in a message exchanged in the encryption key exchange, and
selectively notifying the mapping to a femto base station management server based on presence of the femto base station management server; and
a mapping reporter that reports, in a communication message, the mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address a mobility management entity (MME).

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encryption key exchange comprises leveraging Internet Key Exchange Version 2 (IKEv2).

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
embedding the IP addresses and the associated port numbers in an IKEv2 message header.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
using Vendor ID Payload and Configuration Payload to introduce additional configuration attributes for the IP addresses and the associated port numbers.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , the message exchange protocol further comprising:
a client-server protocol, integrated into the encryption key exchange, for discovering any firewalls and address translations, determining types of the address translations being used, and learning IP addresses and port bindings allocated by the address translations.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the client-server protocol comprises:
a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) protocol.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the client-server protocol further comprises:
embedding the STUN protocol into the encryption key exchange by modifying the encryption key exchange to support the STUN protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein client-server protocol further comprises:
implementing a separate STUN process on top of the encryption key exchange to send STUN binding requests.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to facilitate operation of a communication device having a first internet protocol (IP) address in a first network and a second IP address in a second network, by:
detecting a presence of a network address translation (NAT) table;
implementing, when the NAT table is present, a message exchange protocol on a femto base station or a security gateway to obtain a mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address, wherein the message exchange protocol comprises:
obtaining the mapping via an encryption key exchange, wherein IP addresses and associated port numbers are included in a message exchanged in the encryption key exchange, and
selectively notifying the mapping to a femto base station management server based on presence of the femto base station management server; and
reporting, in a communication message, the mapping between the first IP address and the second IP address a mobility management entity (MME).

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the encryption key exchange comprises leveraging Internet Key Exchange Version 2 (IKEv2).

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
embedding the IP addresses and the associated port numbers in an IKEv2 message header.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the leveraging of IKEv2 further comprises:
using Vendor ID Payload and Configuration Payload to introduce additional configuration attributes for the IP addresses and the associated port numbers.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 , the message exchange protocol comprising:
a client-server protocol, integrated into the encryption key exchange, for discovering any firewalls and address translations, determining types of the address translations being used, and learning IP addresses and port bindings allocated by the address translations.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the client-server protocol comprises:
a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) protocol.

Assignees

• So Tricci
• Zong Zaifeng
• Zhou Xiaoyun
• Bi Yifeng
• Zte Corp
• Zte Usa Inc

Inventors

• So Tricci
• Zong Zaifeng
• Zhou Xiaoyun
• Bi Yifeng

Classifications

• H04L61/2592

  using tunnelling or encapsulation · CPC title

• H04W84/045

  using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B · CPC title

• H04L61/2567

  for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server · CPC title

• H04W8/26

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title

• H04L61/2514 Primary

  between local and global IP addresses · CPC title