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EP-4740529-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING SUBSCRIBER DURING TRANSITION BETWEEN FIRST NETWORK AND SECOND NETWORK

EP4740529A1EP 4740529 A1EP4740529 A1EP 4740529A1EP-4740529-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (108) and a method (600) for authenticating a subscriber during transition between a first network (106) and a second network (114). The method (600) includes the step of receiving a registration request from an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) unit (110) to register the subscriber from the first network (106) onto the second network (114), the registration request comprises identity particulars of the subscriber and a registration indication of the subscriber, the registration indication is one of true and false. The method (600) further includes the step of parsing the registration request to determine if the registration indication is one of true and false. The method (600) further includes the step of registering the subscriber to an assigned database (220) in response to the registration indication being false. The method (600) further includes the step of transmitting to the AMF unit (110) with a registration response subsequent to successful completion of registration of the subscriber.

Inventors

  • BHATNAGAR, AAYUSH
  • JHA, ADITYAKAR
  • REDDY, AJITH
  • KATHURIA, Depak
  • CHAHUHAN, Himanshu
  • VERMA, NITIN
  • VASHISHTH, Yog

Assignees

  • Jio Platforms Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240629

Claims (11)

  1. 1. A method (600) of authenticating a subscriber during transition between a first network (106) and a second network (114), the method (600) comprising the steps of: receiving, by a one or more processors (202), a registration request from an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) unit (110) to register the subscriber from the first network (106) onto the second network (114), wherein the registration request comprises identity particulars of the subscriber and a registration indication of the subscriber, wherein the registration indication is one of true and false; parsing, by the one or more processors (202), the registration request to determine if the registration indication is one of true and false; registering, by the one or more processors (202), the subscriber to an assigned database (220) in response to the registration indication being false; and transmitting, by the one or more processors (202), to the AMF unit (110) with a registration response subsequent to successful completion of registration of the subscriber.
  2. 2. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AMF unit (110) is configured to periodically receive location co-ordinates of the subscriber from a User Equipment (UE) (102), wherein the AMF unit (110) is configured to transmit the registration request to the one or more processors (202)to transition a subscriber from the first network (106) to the second network (114), in response to the subscriber located in a location where strength of the second network (114) is greater than strength of the first network (106).
  3. 3. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identity particulars of the subscriber pertains to a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and includes a set of subscriber credentials for verification purpose.
  4. 4. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the registration indication of the subscriber is false, when one of: the subscriber is already registered in the first network (106) with identical identity particulars of the subscriber; and a Home Subscription Server (HSS) unit (112) and the one or more processors (202) of the first network (106) and the second network (114) are part of a same network service provider.
  5. 5. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: transmitting, by the one or more processors (202), a de-registration notification to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) unit (112) to deregister the subscriber from the HSS unit (112), and transmitting, by the one or more processors (202) the registration response to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) unit (118), thereby allowing the HSS unit (112) to deregister the subscriber without raising a deregistration query to the MME (118).
  6. 6. A system (108) of authenticating a subscriber during transition between a first network (106) and a second network (112), the system (108) comprising: a transceiver (206), configured to, receive, a registration request from an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) unit (110) to register the subscriber from the first network (106) onto the second network (114), wherein the registration request comprises identity particulars of the subscriber and a registration indication of the subscriber, wherein the registration indication is one of true and false; a parsing unit (208), configured to, parse, the registration request to determine if the registration indication is one of true and false; a registering unit (210), configured to, register, the subscriber to an assigned database in response to the registration indication being false; and the transceiver (206), configured to, transmit, to the AMF unit (110) with a registration response subsequent to successful completion of registration of the subscriber.
  7. 7. The system (108) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the identity particulars of the subscriber pertains to Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and includes a set of subscriber credentials for verification purpose.
  8. 8. The system (108) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the registration indication of the subscriber is false, when one of: the subscriber is already registered in the first network (106) with identical identity particulars of the subscriber; and a Home Subscription Server (HSS) unit (112) and the system (108) of the first network (106) and the second network (114) are part of a same network service provider.
  9. 9. The system (108) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transceiver (206) is further configured to: transmit, a de-registration notification to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) unit (112) to deregister the subscriber from the HSS unit (112), and transmit, the registration response to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) unit (118), thereby allowing the HSS unit (112) to deregister the subscriber without raising a deregistration query to the MME (118).
  10. 10. A User Equipment (UE) (102) comprising of: a subscriber identity module (SIM) card; a one or more primary processors (302) having a memory unit (304), communicatively coupled to a one or more processors (202) wherein said memory unit (304) stores instructions which when executed by the one or more primary processors (302) causes the UE (102) to: transmit location co-ordinates of a subscriber to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) unit (110); and wherein the one or more processors (202) is configured to perform the steps as claimed in claim 1.
  11. 11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer- readable instructions that, when executed by a one or more processors (202), causes the one or more processors (202) to: receive, a registration request from an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) unit (110) to register the subscriber from the first network (106) onto the second network (114), wherein the registration request comprises identity particulars of the subscriber and a registration indication of the subscriber, wherein the registration indication is one of true and false; parse, the registration request to determine if the registration indication is one of true and false; register, the subscriber to an assigned database in response to the registration indication being false; and transmit, to the AMF unit (110) with a registration response subsequent to successful completion of registration of the subscriber.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING SUBSCRIBER DURING TRANSITION BETWEEN FIRST NETWORK AND SECOND NETWORK FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication system, more particularly relates to a method and system for authenticating a subscriber during transition between a first network and a second network. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In communication networks, 5G nodes have storage which may include Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or Unified Data Management (UDM). The HSS and UDM may work together and may act as storage (or database) to different nodes and act as database of subscriber information. On the outside, the HSS and UDM come across as independent databases, although they may be co-hosted on a single database. For example, for a subscriber of a 4G or a 5G service, the subscriber information is available only with the service provider. The subscriber information may include information about a serving node dealing with the access and mobility information, or information about whether the subscriber is in the 4G network or in the 5G network. The node may itself contact the service provider to know the subscriber details. Therefore, anytime the 4G network is strong in a location, the subscriber may automatically fall back into 4G even if the subscriber was initially latched into a 5G network, and vice versa. For example, in a scenario, the subscriber who may be in Delhi and travelling (e.g. in a car), may transition between 4G network and 5G depending on which one is more strong. [0003] Every time a subscriber registers on a network, the subscriber is authenticated for that network. Authentication is the process of the initial process of a subscriber being attached or being registered to a network. As such, in the process of registration, the first step is authentication. For example, in a scenario, the authentication may be already done for 4G network because initially the subscriber was in a location where the 4G network was strong. As and when the subscriber moves into 5G network zone, the subscriber is reauthenticated for the 5G network. [0004] However, since the mobility (transition) is happening in a trusted domain (i.e. both the 4G and 5G networks are provided by the same network service provider), the 4G and 5G networks may be inter-working (i.e. working together). In such scenarios, the reauthentication of the subscriber may be a redundant exercise that may cause unnecessary network as well as database overhead for re-authentication. [0005] As such, it is desirable to avoid the overhead incurred by the reauthentication in trusted HSS-UDM interworking domain, when an already authenticated subscriber moves from HSS to UDM for registration, for instance the UE does not perform an initial registration. [0006] It is also desirable to avoid the overhead incurred by the HSS again querying database for MME details to send deregistration notification, when UDM has already queried the database for serving the registration request. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for authenticating a subscriber during transition between a first network and a second network. [0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the method of authenticating a subscriber during transition between the first network and the second network is disclosed. The method includes the step of receiving by a one or more processors, a registration request from an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) unit to register the subscriber from the first network onto the second network, the registration request comprises identity particulars of the subscriber and a registration indication of the subscriber, the registration indication is one of true and false. The method further includes the step of parsing, by the one or more processors, the registration request to determine if the registration indication is one of true and false. The method further includes the step of registering by the one or more processors, the subscriber to an assigned database in response to the registration indication being false. The method further includes the step of transmitting, by the one or more processors, to the AMF unit with a registration response subsequent to successful completion of registration of the subscriber. [0009] In one embodiment, the AMF unit is configured to periodically receive location co-ordinates of the subscriber from a User Equipment (UE). The AMF unit is configured to transmit the registration request to the one or more processors to transition a subscriber from the first network to the second network, in response to the subscriber located in a location where strength of the second network is greater than strength of the first network. [0010] In another embodiment, the identity particulars of the subscriber pertains to a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and includes a set of subscriber credentials for ve