Access control for a wireless local area network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9769659-B2
Application number	US-201214419690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

According to a first aspect there is provided a method of operating an entity of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The method comprises receiving a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a device that is attempting to associate with the WLAN (S 101 ), and determining if an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN (S 102 ). The method further comprises, if an IMSI associated with the MAC address is not stored in the WLAN, obtaining an IMSI for the device during authentication of device stored IMSI of the device to the WLAN (S 103 ), and causing storage within the WLAN of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address (S 104 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating an entity of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:
receiving a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a device that is currently attempting to associate with the WLAN;
determining if an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN; and
in response to an IMSI associated with the MAC address not being stored in the WLAN:
obtaining an IMSI for the device during authentication of the device to the WLAN; and
causing storage, within the WLAN, of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MAC address is obtained during establishment of a Layer 2 connection between the device and the WLAN.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to an IMSI already being associated with the MAC address in the WLAN, using the stored IMSI to obtain information related to the device from a 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is authenticated using any of:
Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for 3rd Generation Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA); and
Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for Global System for Mobile Communications Subscriber Identity Modules (EAP-SIM).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining if an IMSI associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN comprises:
sending a request for an IMSI to a further entity of the WLAN, the request including the MAC address; and
receiving a response from the further entity of the WLAN.

6. The method of claim 5 :
wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP);
wherein the further entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing storage within the WLAN of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address comprises sending a storage request to a further entity of the WLAN, wherein the storage request includes the obtained IMSI and the MAC address.

8. The method of claim 7 :
wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP);
wherein the further entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining if an IMSI associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN comprises determining if the entity stores an IMSI associated with MAC address.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing storage within the WLAN of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address comprises storing the obtained IMSI in association with MAC address at the entity.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

13. An entity of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the entity comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a device that is currently attempting to associate with the WLAN;
a processing circuit configured to:
determine if an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN;
in response to an IMSI associated with the MAC address not being stored in the WLAN:
obtain an IMSI for the device during authentication of the device to the WLAN; and
cause storage, within the WLAN, of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address.

14. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the MAC address during establishment of a Layer 2 connection between the device and the WLAN.

15. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to, in response to the IMSI associated with the MAC address already being stored in the WLAN, use the stored IMSI to obtain information related to the device from a 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN).

16. The entity of claim 13 :
wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine if an IMSI associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN by generating a request for an IMSI, wherein the request includes the MAC address;
wherein the entity further comprises a transmitter configured to send the request for an IMSI to a further entity of the WLAN;
wherein the receiver is configured to receive a response from the further entity of the WLAN.

17. The entity of claim 16 :
wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP);
wherein the further entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

18. The entity of claim 16 :
wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause storage, within the WLAN, of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address by generating a storage request, wherein the storage request includes the obtained IMSI and the MAC address;
wherein the transmitter is configured to send the storage request to the further entity of the WLAN.

19. The entity of claim 18 :
wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP);
wherein the further entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

20. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine if an IMSI associated with the MAC address is stored in the WLAN by determining if the entity stores an IMSI associated with MAC address.

21. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause storage within the WLAN of the obtained IMSI in association with the MAC address by storing the obtained IMSI in association with MAC address at the entity.

22. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Point (AP).

23. The entity of claim 13 , wherein the entity of the WLAN is a WLAN Access Controller (AC).

24. The entity of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to authenticate the device using any of:
Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for 3rd Generation Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA); and
Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for Global System for Mobile Communications Subscriber Identity Modules (EAP-SIM).

Assignees

• Buchmayer Mats
• Zee Oscar
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Buchmayer Mats
• Zee Oscar

Classifications

• H04L63/162 Primary

  at the data link layer · CPC title

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W8/06

  Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title