Mobile communications service system, mobile communications service method, authentication apparatus, and home agent apparatus

Claim 2

The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a database for storing the service profile information.

Claim 3

The system according to claim 2, wherein: the authentication server comprises: an authentication request server; and an authentication process server accessible to the database; the authentication request server, for receiving a message containing the location registration request information from the foreign agent, and transmitting the received message to the authentication process server, the authentication process server performing an authenticating process according to the received message, and; the authentication request server for receiving a message containing the location registration reply information from the authentication process server, transmitting the message containing the location registration reply information to the foreign agent; the authentication process server for receiving the message containing the location registration request information from the authentication request server, adding the service profile information to the message containing the location registration request information, and transmitting a message containing the service profile and location registration request information to the home agent; and the authentication process server for receiving a message containing the location registration reply information from the home agent adding the service profile information to the message containing the location registration reply information from the home agent, and transmitting the message containing the service profile and location registration reply information to the authentication request server.

Claim 4

The system of claim 3, wherein the authentication process server comprises a plurality of authentication process servers; and the authentication request server determines an authentication process server from among the plurality of authentication process servers for performing the authenticating process.

Claim 5

The system according to claim 1, wherein: the authentication server comprises: an authentication request server, and an authentication process server; the authentication request server, for receiving the message containing the location registration request information from the foreign agent, and transmitting the received message to the authentication process server, the authentication process server performing an authenticating process according to the received message, the authentication process server adding the service profile information to the message containing the location registration reply information, and transmitting the message containing the service profile and location registration reply information to the authentication request server; the authentication request server receiving the message containing the service profile and location registration reply information from the authentication process server, adding the service profile information to the message containing the location registration request information, and transmitting a message containing the service profile and location registration request information to the home agent; the authentication request server receiving a message containing the location registration reply information from the home agent, adding the service profile information to the message containing the location registration reply information received from the home agent, and transmitting the message containing the service profile and location registration reply information received from the home agent to the foreign agent.

Claim 6

The system of claim 5, wherein the authentication process server comprises a plurality of authentication process servers; and the authentication request server determines an authentication process server from among the plurality of authentication process servers for performing the authenticating process.

Claim 7

The system according to claim 5, wherein when the mobile node is moved from a communications area of a first foreign agent subordinate to an authentication request server to a communications area of a second foreign agent subordinate to the authentication request server, the second foreign agent requests the first foreign agent to delete the service profile information associated with the mobile node.

Claim 8

The system according to claim 4, wherein when the mobile node is moved from a communications area of a first foreign agent subordinate to a first authentication request server to a communications area of a second foreign agent subordinate to a second authentication request server, the authentication process server requests the first authentication request server to delete the service profile information set in the first foreign agent and the first authentication request server in response to a message containing location registration request information from the second foreign agent.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 1, wherein the foreign agent controls transfer of a packet received from the mobile node by priority according to the service profile information.

Claim 10

The system according to claim 1, wherein the foreign agent performs a packet filtering process on a packet received from the mobile node according to the service profile information.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 1, wherein when a destination address of a received packet is a target of an anycast service, the home agent selects an IP address corresponding to the destination address from an anycast address list, and transfers the packet to the selected IP address.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 1, wherein when a destination address of a received packet is a target of an anycast service, the home agent selects a link layer address according to a selection policy set as service profile information, and transfers the packet to the selected link layer address.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 5, wherein the home agent comprises a plurality of home agents; and the authentication process server assigns a location registration request to a home agent from among the plurality home agents, responsive to a predetermined distribution process.

Claim 14

The system according to claim 5, wherein the home agent comprises a plurality of home agents; and the authentication process server assigns a location registration request to a home agent from among the plurality home agents, responsive to an ability of each home agent.

Claim 15

In a mobile communication service, a method for transmitting a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node to a foreign agent, and then to an authentication server, and then to a home agent in this order, and returning a message containing location registration reply information as an answer to the received message in an inverse order from the home agent back to the mobile node, registering a location of the mobile node in the home agent and the foreign agent, and providing a communication service for the mobile node, comprising the steps of: adding through the use of the authentication server corresponding service profile information to the messages containing the location registration request information and the location registration reply information; transmitting the message containing the service profile information to the foreign agent and the home agent; and controlling, in the foreign agent and the home agent the transmission and reception of a packet by the mobile node according to the service profile information contained in the message.

Claim 16

In a mobile communication service, a method of providing a communication service for a mobile node, comprising: receiving by the authentication server a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node; transmitting a message containing service profile information to an agent according to the message containing the location registration request information; and controlling, in the agent, the transmission and reception of a packet by the mobile node according to the service profile information contained in the message.

Claim 17

A mobile communications service system, comprising: a foreign agent for transferring to a correspondent node a packet received from a mobile node and addressed to the correspondent node, and decapsuling a received capsuled packet and transferring the decapsuled packet to the mobile node; and a home agent for transmitting a packet received from the correspondent node to the foreign agent after capsuling the packet, and notifying the correspondent node of a care-of address for the mobile node and service profile information about the mobile node by incorporating them into a binding update message, wherein a packet transfer route from the correspondent node to the mobile node is optimized according to the binding update message received by the correspondent node from the home agent.

Claim 18

In a foreign agent apparatus of a mobile communication system, a method of receiving a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node, and registering a location of the mobile node, comprising the steps of: receiving a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node in the mobile communication system and in response transmitting a message containing the location registration request information to an authentication server; and receiving a message containing registration reply information together with service profile information, in response to the transmitted message containing the registration request information, and in response thereto setting service control information according to the registration reply information and the service profile information, and transfer controlling a packet transmitted and received by the mobile node through this foreign agent according to the service profile information.

Claim 19

In an authentication apparatus of a mobile communication system, a method of receiving a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node, and transmitting a corresponding message, comprising the steps of: receiving a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node, and, in response to the message, transmitting to an agent a message containing service profile information required for a value-added service to be provided for the mobile node.

Claim 20

A mobile communications service system providing a communication service for a mobile node, comprising: a database for managing service profile containing information for use in providing a service requested by a mobile node; a plurality of agents each of which can manage one or more addresses, and can accommodate a mobile node; and an authentication server for authenticating a mobile node, wherein a home agent which is an agent for managing an address of the mobile node comprises a request unit for issuing an authentication request to the authentication server upon receipt of a location registration request from the mobile node; the authentication server comprises: an extraction unit for extracting a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database upon receipt of the authentication request; and a reply unit for transmitting to the home agent the service profile extracted by the extraction unit together with an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request, wherein the home agent provides a service according to the service profile received from the authentication server.

Claim 21

A mobile communication service system providing a communication service for a mobile node, comprising: a database managing a service profile containing information for use in providing a service requested by a mobile node; a plurality of agents each of which can manage one or more addresses, and can accommodate a mobile node; and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, wherein a home agent serves as an agent for managing an address of the mobile node comprises: a request unit issuing an authentication request containing location information about the mobile node to the authentication server upon receipt of a location registration request from the mobile node; and a registration unit registering a location of the mobile node according to a location registration request transmitted from the authentication server; the authentication server comprises: an extraction unit extracting a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database upon receipt of the authentication request; and a reply unit transmitting to the home agent a location registration request containing location information received from the home agent, the authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request, and the service profile extracted by the extraction unit, wherein the home agent provides a service according to the service profile received from the authentication server.

Claim 22

The system according to claim 20, wherein the request unit notifies the authentication server of information specifying one of a first procedure and a second procedure; the request unit comprising a circuit for transmitting the authentication reply and the service profile to the home agent upon receipt of information specifying the first procedure from the request unit, and transmitting to the home agent a location registration request for use in registering a location of the mobile node, the authentication reply, and the service profile upon receipt of information specifying the second procedure from the request unit; and the home agent comprising a circuit for registering the location of the mobile node based on the registration request transmitted from the mobile node, when the first procedure is specified and registering the location of the mobile node based on the location registration request from the authentication server when the second procedure is specified.

Claim 23

The system according to claim 20, wherein the home agent has a function of a foreign agent.

Claim 24

In a mobile communication service, the method of providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, a plurality of agents each of which can accommodate a mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, comprising the steps of: receiving in an agent a registration request from a mobile node and transmitting an authentication request to the authentication server; extracting in the authentication server a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database, and transmitting to the agent the service profile together with an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request; and providing a service to the mobile node, through the agent, according to the service profile received from the authentication server.

Claim 25

In a mobile communication service, a method of providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, a plurality of agents each of which can accommodate a mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, comprising the steps of: receiving in an agent a registration request from a mobile node, registering a location of the mobile node based on the registration request, and transmitting an authentication request to the authentication server; extracting by the authentication server a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database, and transmitting to the agent the service profile together with an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request; and the agent providing a service to the mobile node, through the agent, according to the service profile received from the authentication server.

Claim 26

In a mobile communication service, a method of providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, a plurality of agents each of which can accommodate a mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, comprising the steps of: receiving in an agent a registration request from a mobile node, and transmitting an authentication request containing location information about the mobile node to the authentication server; transmitting by the authentication server to the agent a location registration request containing the location information received from the agent; registering by the agent a location of the mobile node based on the location registration request received from the authentication server, and transmitting to the authentication server a registration reply corresponding to the location registration request; transmitting by the authentication server an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request to the agent; extracting by the authentication server a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database, storing the service profile in at least one of the location registration request and the authentication reply, and then transmitting the service profile to the agent; and providing through the agent a service according to the service profile received from the authentication server.

Claim 27

In a mobile communication service, a method of providing a communications service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, a plurality of agents each of which can accommodate a mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, comprising the steps of: transmitting from an agent accommodating a mobile node an authentication request message requesting the authentication server to authenticate the mobile node; extracting a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database; storing the extracted service profile in an authentication reply message corresponding to the authentication request message; transmitting the authentication reply message from the authentication server to the agent accommodating the mobile node; and providing, by the agent accommodating the mobile node, a service for the mobile node according to the service profile stored in the authentication reply message.

Claim 28

In a mobile communication service, a method of providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, a plurality of agents each of which can accommodate a mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating a mobile node, comprising the steps of: transmitting from an agent accommodating a mobile node an authentication request message containing location information about the mobile node to the authentication server; extracting a service profile corresponding to the mobile node from the database; storing the extracted service profile in a location registration request message for use in registering the location of the mobile node; transmitting the location registration request message to an agent which has to recognize a location of the mobile node from the authentication server; receiving in the agent the location registration request message, and providing through the agent a service for the mobile node according to the service profile.

Claim 29

A home agent apparatus serving as one of a plurality of such agents and used in a mobile communication service system providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile, the service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, the plurality of agents each of which can accommodate the mobile node, and an authentication server authenticating the mobile node, the home agent apparatus comprising: a first generation unit for generating a visitor list and adding a mobile node to the visitor list upon receipt of a location registration request from the mobile node; a request unit for transmitting an authentication request to the authentication server to authenticate the mobile node; a second generation unit generating a mobility binding table for the mobile node upon receipt, from the authentication server, of a service profile corresponding to the mobile node extracted from the database and an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request; and a service control unit providing a service for the mobile node using the service profile, the visitor list, and the mobility binding table.

Claim 30

A mobile communication system having a home service provider, a foreign service provider, and a mobile node with a corresponding mobile service profile, wherein the mobile node being a subscriber to the home service provider, may move to the foreign service provider and request service, the mobile communication system comprising: a foreign agent of the foreign service provider for receiving a location registration request message from the mobile node and generating an authentication request message; an authentication server for receiving the authentication request message, identifying the mobile node, and retrieving a mobile service profile corresponding to the mobile node and generating a registration request message; a home agent of the home service provider for receiving the registration request message, registering the location of the mobile node and generating a registration reply message, the home agent further receiving and storing the service profile from the authentication server; the authentication server further receiving the registration reply message and generating an authentication reply message having the service profile stored therein; and the foreign agent further receiving the authentication reply message, storing the service profile and transmitting a message to the mobile node indicating completion of registration, wherein the foreign agent and the home agent control a transmission of a packet both transmitted and received by the mobile node according to the service profile information received from the authentication server.

Claim 31

The mobile communication system of claim 30, wherein the authentication server assigns the home agent from among a plurality of home agents for receiving the authentication request message.

Claim 32

The mobile communication system of claim 31, wherein the authentication server assigns the home agent by searching a home agent assignment table, selects a home agent having the smallest assignment number, and increments a corresponding registration number in the home agent assignment table.

Claim 33

The mobile communication system of claim 31, wherein the authentication server assigns the home agent by extracting information from the service profile associated with the mobile node and assigning by priority a home agent having a capability to provide associated services for the mobile node.

Claim 34

In a mobile communication service system providing a communication service for a mobile node, having plurality of agents each of which can accommodate the mobile node, wherein the mobile node transmits a connection request to one of the plurality of agents requesting a connection to the mobile communication service system, a visitor management system comprising: a visitor list table for managing a mobile node, when the mobile node is connected to an agent; a mobility binding table for managing a service profile corresponding to the mobile node connected to the agent; and an authentication manager that receives the connection requests from the mobile node, provides authentication information to an accommodating agent, extracts from a database the service profile corresponding to the mobile node, and downloads the service profile to the mobility binding table, the service profile containing information used by the agent to provide a service requested by the mobile node.

Claim 35

An agent apparatus of a mobile communication system, the agent capable of receiving a message containing location registration request information which requests the registration of a mobile node, registering a location of the mobile node, and providing communication services for the mobile node, and comprising: a control unit that upon receiving a message containing location registration request information from a mobile node in the mobile communication system generates a registration request message containing the location registration request information and sends the registration request message to an authentication server; a service control unit that upon receiving a message containing registration reply information sets service control information according to the registration reply information; and a router control unit for controlling a packet transmitted and received by the mobile node through the agent according to the service control information.

Claim 36

The agent apparatus of claim 35, wherein the message containing registration reply information is received in response to the transmitted message containing the registration request information and further contains service profile information of the mobile node, and the service control information is set according to the service profile information.

Claim 37

The agent apparatus of claim 35, wherein the control unit upon receiving a registration request message from an authentication server in the mobile communication system retrieves from the registration request message information required to register a new location of the mobile node, and updates the service control unit and the router control unit in order to transfer a packet addressed to the mobile node to the new location of the mobile node according to the service control information.

Claim 38

An authentication apparatus of a mobile communication system, the apparatus capable of receiving a registration request message containing location registration request information, and transmitting a responding message, the apparatus comprising: a service control unit for receiving a registration request message containing location registration request information from a mobile node, and, in response to the message, transmitting to an agent a reply message containing service profile information of the mobile node in order that the agent may provide a value-added service for the mobile node, and a service control transaction unit for managing location information of the mobile node.

Claim 39

The authentication apparatus of claim 38 further comprising: a service control database unit coupled to the service control unit and providing service profile information for the mobile node to the service control unit when the registration request message is received.

Claim 40

The authentication apparatus of claim 39 wherein the location registration request information contains a network access identifier (NAI) that identifies the mobile node, and the service control unit extracts the service profile information stored in the service control database unit corresponding to the NAI.

Claim 41

The authentication apparatus of claim 38 wherein the service control unit assigns a home agent for the mobile node and the service control unit further comprises: a home agent assignment unit for managing assignment information of the assigned home agent.

Claim 42

The authentication apparatus of claim 38 wherein the registration request message is a mobile IP message.

Claim 43

The authentication apparatus of claim 42 wherein a DIAMETER message is formed by setting a DIAMETER header immediately after an IP header and a UDP header of the mobile IP message, and setting a group of AVPs (attribute value pairs) of DIAMETER after the DIAMETER header.

Claim 44

The authentication apparatus of claim 38 wherein the registration request message corresponds to the Diameter protocol.

Claim 45

The authentication apparatus of claim 44 wherein the attribute value pair extensions contain command and data information.

Claim 46

A home agent apparatus serving as one of a plurality of such agents and used in a mobile communication service system providing a communication service for a mobile node in a system having a database for use in managing a service profile containing information used to provide a service requested by the mobile node, each of the plurality of agents capable of accommodating the mobile node, and art authentication server authenticating the mobile node, the home agent apparatus comprising: a first generation unit for generating a visitor list and adding a mobile node to the visitor list upon receipt of a location registration request from the mobile node; a request unit for transmitting an authentication request to the authentication server to authenticate the mobile node; a second generation unit generating a mobility binding table for the mobile node upon receipt from the authentication server of a service profile corresponding to the mobile node extracted from the database and an authentication reply corresponding to the authentication request; and a service control unit providing a service for the mobile node using the service profile, the visitor list, and the mobility binding table.