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EP-3975630-B1 - METHODS AND APPARATUS TO REGISTER WITH EXTERNAL NETWORKS IN WIRELESS NETWORK ENVIRONMENTS

EP3975630B1EP 3975630 B1EP3975630 B1EP 3975630B1EP-3975630-B1

Inventors

  • MONTEMURRO, MICHAEL
  • MCCANN, STEPHEN

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20100716

Claims (15)

  1. A method to enhance connectivity for a user device (114) in a wireless local area network (102a), WLAN, configured in accordance with IEEE802.11, the method comprising, while the user device (114) is in a discovery state, in which the user device (114) is in the process of discovering the WLAN, the following steps: sending (710) a registration request (116) from the user device (114) to a network entity; receiving (716) a registration response (118) at the user device (114) in response to the registration request, the registration response indicating one or more registration plans (119) associated with registering the user device (114) with an external network (106a, 108a) in communication with the WLAN (102a); selecting (720), by the user device (114), a registration plan (314) from the one or more registration plans (119); sending (724), by the user device (114), registration information (120) associated with the user device (114) to the network entity, the registration information being based on the selected registration plan; and receiving (736), by the user device (114) from the network entity, a registration status (122) indicating whether the registration information (316) has been determined by a server of the external network (106a, 108a) as valid for a successful registration.
  2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising sending an identifier of the selected registration plan (314) to the network entity in association with the registration information (316).
  3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the registration information (120) includes at least one of: a terms and conditions acceptance, a username, or a user identity.
  4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the network entity provides access to a local area network.
  5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the local area network is the WLAN.
  6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the external network is a service provider network (108a) that operates based on subscription-based services available to the user device (114) based on the one or more registration plans (119).
  7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more registration plans (119) are in an extensible markup language, XML, format.
  8. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising: in response to receiving the registration status (122), sending (746) payment information (318) associated with the successful registration, wherein the payment information includes at least one of: a credit card number, a pre-paid account number, or a coupon number.
  9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a registration status (122) indicating that the registration information (120) has been determined by the server of the external network (106a, 108a) to be invalid for a successful registration: the user device (114) foregoes registering with and ignores the presence of the WLAN; or the user device (114) prompts a user for valid registration information.
  10. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein said registration request (116) and registration information (120) are sent, from the user device (114) to the network entity, and said registration response (118) and registration status (122) are received, by the user device (114) from the network entity, through a media access control, MAC, sub-layer network connection.
  11. A user device (114) comprising: a processor configured to carry out the method of any one of the preceding claims.
  12. A computer readable medium (510) including instructions that, when performed by a processor (502) of a user device (114), cause the user device (114) to perform the method of any one of the claims 1-10.
  13. A method comprising, while a user device (114) in a wireless local area network (102a), WLAN, configured in accordance with IEEE802.11, is in a discovery state, in which the user device (114) is in the process of discovering the WLAN, the following steps: receiving (710), by a network entity, a registration request (116) from the user device (114); sending (716), by the network entity, a registration response (118) to the user device (114) in response to the registration request, the registration response indicating one or more registration plans (119) associated with registering the user device (114) with an external network (106a, 108a) in communication with the WLAN (102a); receiving (724), by the network entity, registration information (120) associated with the user device (114), the registration information being based on a registration plan (314) selected by the user device (114); sending (728), by the network entity, the registration information (120) associated with the user device (114) to a server of the external network (106a, 108a); receiving (730), by the network entity, a registration status (122) indicating whether the registration information (120) has been determined by the server as valid for a successful registration; and sending (736), by the network entity, the registration status (122) to the user device (114).
  14. A network entity comprising a processor configured to perform the method of claim 13.
  15. A computer readable medium including instructions that, when performed by a processor of a network entity, cause the network entity to perform the method of claim 13.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to network communications and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus to register with external networks in wireless network environments. BACKGROUND Wireless network deployments, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), allow wireless terminals to access network and Internet services when within proximity of wireless communication signals of those wireless networks. Commercially available WLANs, such as those located in retail environments or other publically accessible establishments, operate in unsecure modes to enable wireless terminals to establish communications with the WLANs and external networks (e.g., service provider networks, carrier networks, etc.) accessible via those WLANs. This unsecure mode of operation allows wireless terminals to negotiate connection and registration information with the external networks via high-level communications using Internet protocol (IP) addresses and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to enable registration of the wireless terminals with the external networks. However, such unsecure modes of operation using high-level communications leaves external networks vulnerable to malicious attacks or other undesirable activity aimed at circumventing network procedures created for orderly and deterministic wireless terminal registration. WO2009/027853 discloses a method including: detecting a roaming operator by a mobile communications device, wherein the mobile communications device is associated with a home operator; receiving a data service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator independent of the home operator; sending information, from the mobile communications device, to the roaming operator for the roaming operator to authenticate the mobile communications device with the home operator; and receiving a voice service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator. WO2005/094011 discloses a system for providing wireless network or internet access comprising: a monitor configured to detect status of a wireless device associated with a user or in the control of said user, an access point providing network or internet access dependent on a condition, and means for notifying or alerting a user of any change in said access, status or condition. WO2004/064306 discloses a wireless local area network, WLAN, communication system that includes an access point in communication with a mobile station and at least one Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting, AAA, server. The system provides an authentication process whereby a user of the mobile station selects a WLAN service provider from among one or more WLAN service providers and/or one or more 3GPP service providers before being authenticated, and makes a decision to subscribe to the services of the selected service provider based on network service information, other than or in addition to a Service Set Identifier, SSID, associated with the selected service provider. SUMMARY According to aspects of the present disclosure, there are provided a method, a user device and a computer readable medium according to claims 1, 11 and 12, respectively. According to further aspects, there are provided a method, network entity and computer readable medium according to claims 13, 14 and 15. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts an example communication network in which a plurality of wireless local area network access locations are communicatively coupled to one or more external networks.FIG. 2 depicts an example communication layer architecture.FIG. 3 depicts an example registration plan selection process implemented using an external network and wireless terminal of FIG. 1.FIG. 4 depicts an example registration parameters data structure showing a plurality of example registration parameters selectable by service providers to enable wireless terminals to register with their external networks.FIG. 5 depicts an example wireless terminal that may be used to implement the example methods and apparatus described herein.FIG. 6 depicts an example wireless access point that may be used to implement the example methods and apparatus described herein.FIGS. 7A and 7B depict flow diagrams representative of example processes that may be used to register a wireless terminal to an external network via a wireless network.FIG. 8 depicts a flow diagram representative of an example process that may be used to select a registration plan for registering a wireless terminal to an external network via a wireless network. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Although the following discloses example methods and apparatus including, among other components, software executed on hardware, it should be noted that such methods and apparatus are merely illustrative and should not be considered as limiting. For example, it is con