KR100610198B1 - Method and system for providing internet access by using mobile bridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and system for connecting to the Internet using a mobile bridge. The method includes: (a) performing a call connection to a mobile communication network; (b) receiving a public IP from the mobile communication network and notifying the NMS of the MAC address and the assigned IP address; (c) associating with the mobile terminal and assigning a private IP to the mobile terminal; And (d) receiving an authentication request of a mobile communication terminal and transmitting the authentication request to an authentication server, and receiving wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server, and accessing the internet network through a mobile communication network. Provide a method and system.

According to the present invention, by installing a mobile bridge in the area where the mobile communication service is available, there is an effect that the wireless LAN subscribers can use the Internet service through the mobile communication network.

Mobile Bridge, Mobile Network, Wireless LAN, AAA, NMS

Description

Method and System for Providing Internet Access by Using Mobile Bridge}

1 is a block diagram showing an Internet access system using a mobile bridge according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a view showing the components of the mobile bridge of the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating an internet access method using a mobile bridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating an internet access method using a mobile bridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: mobile communication terminal 110: mobile bridge

120: base station 130: mobile communication network

140: Internet network 150: WLAN IP network

160: NMS 170: authentication server

200: mobile communication modem 210: USB host

220: memory 230: microprocessor

240: wireless LAN module 242: access point module

244: bridge module

The present invention relates to a method and system for connecting to the Internet using a mobile bridge. More specifically, the mobile bridge performs a call connection to the mobile communication network, receives a public IP address from the mobile communication network, notifies the NMS of the MAC address and the assigned IP address, performs an association with the mobile communication terminal, and sends a call to the mobile communication terminal. The present invention relates to a method and system for accessing the Internet using a mobile bridge which allocates a private IP, receives an authentication request of a mobile communication terminal, transmits the authentication request to an authentication server, and receives a wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server to access an internet network through a mobile communication network.

With the development of communication technology, mobile communication technology using wireless communication network and mobile communication terminal has been established. Mobile communication, which started in the 1980s, became a breakthrough, and was divided into GSM (Global System for Mobile) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) methods. GSM has been widely spread around Europe and Southeast Asia, and CDMA has been widely distributed in North America and Korea.

In the early mobile communication methods, the data service remained at a rudimentary level, such as a text message service. However, as the spread of mobile communication networks and wireless Internet services become available, various application services using mobile communication have begun to develop. Typical examples are online games, e-mail transmissions, and web search using a mobile communication network. As these services are created, mobile communication networks have evolved into data services such as packet data as well as existing voice-oriented services.

The GSM method has evolved to GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and has enhanced data services. The CDMA method has evolved to EV-DO (Evolution Data only), a packet data dedicated network. In addition, WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) service, which is a third generation communication network, has been commercialized, and mobile communication systems have been developed to provide multimedia services through faster data rates.

Meanwhile, wireless local area network (WLAN) technology has been commercialized as part of a wired / wireless integrated service for realizing convenient mobility even in a conventional wired communication network. The WLAN service installs an access point (AP) for WLAN at the subscriber network end such as ADSL, VDSL, E1, etc., and the subscriber uses a terminal equipped with a WLAN network adapter within the coverage of the access point. It is a service that can receive wireless Internet service. Wireless LAN service is limited to the access point installation location of the access point because the coverage of the access point is only a few tens of meters, but there is an advantage that can use the data service by connecting to a wired network wirelessly over a short distance.

Conventionally, as described above, the wireless LAN is used in a manner of connecting with a wired network, but an attempt has been made to provide a mobile communication service to a wireless LAN subscriber by connecting a wireless LAN network and a mobile communication network from a mobile service provider side. However, when a terminal user is connected to a mobile communication network through a wireless LAN and accesses the Internet, the terminal user cannot be differentiated from the conventional mobile communication network call access method.

Accordingly, the wireless LAN network is linked based on the mobile communication network, and the mobility of the WLAN is extended to overcome the limitations of the existing installation location of the WLAN access point so that the WLAN network can be used at any location within the mobile communication coverage. There is a need for an internet access system that can accommodate mobile communication methods.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention performs a call connection to a mobile communication network in a mobile bridge, receives a public IP from the mobile communication network, notifies the NMS of the MAC address and the assigned IP address, and performs an association with the mobile communication terminal. And assigning a private IP to the mobile communication terminal, receiving an authentication request from the mobile communication terminal, passing the authentication server to the authentication server, and receiving a wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server, accessing the Internet through a mobile communication network, and using the mobile bridge. It is an object to provide a system.

According to a first object of the present invention, a mobile communication terminal, a wireless LAN IP network, an Internet network, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, an authentication server (AAA: Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) and NMS (Network Management) An internet access method using a mobile bridge for transmitting and receiving data between a wireless LAN and a mobile communication network in a system comprising: (a) performing a call connection to the mobile communication network; (b) receiving a public IP from the mobile communication network and notifying the NMS of the MAC address and the assigned IP address; (c) performing an association with the mobile communication terminal and assigning a private IP to the mobile communication terminal; And (d) receiving an authentication request of the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the authentication request to the authentication server, and receiving wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server to access the internet network through the mobile communication network. Provides an internet access method using a bridge.

According to a second object of the present invention, a system for transmitting and receiving data between a wireless LAN and a mobile communication network in a system including a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN IP network, an internet network, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, an authentication server, and an NMS. An internet access method using a mobile bridge, the method comprising: (a) performing an association by receiving a connection request of the mobile communication terminal from the mobile bridge in a Dormant state; (b) performing call access and point-to-point (PPP) reconfiguration for the mobile communication network; (c) receiving a public IP from the mobile communication network and notifying the NMS of the MAC address and the allocated IP address and allocating a private IP to the mobile communication terminal; And (d) receiving an authentication request of the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the authentication request to the authentication server, and receiving wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server to access the internet network through the mobile communication network. It provides a method of connecting to the Internet using a bridge.

According to a third object of the present invention, in a system for accessing the Internet through a wireless LAN and a mobile communication network to a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, transmitting and receiving data between the wireless LAN and the mobile communication network, A mobile bridge configured to perform a call connection to a communication network, allocate a public IP, allocate a private IP to the mobile communication terminal, receive a wireless LAN subscriber authentication for the mobile communication terminal, and access the Internet through the mobile communication network; An NMS connected to the mobile communication network via a WLAN IP network, receiving an MAC address and an IP address from the mobile bridge, and storing and managing access information of the mobile bridge; And an authentication server connected to the mobile communication network via the wireless LAN IP network, receiving an authentication request of the mobile bridge, performing wireless LAN subscriber authentication to notify the authentication result, and performing charging for the wireless LAN subscriber. It provides an Internet connection system characterized in that.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First of all, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used as much as possible even if displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related well-known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a block diagram showing an Internet access system using a mobile bridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the Internet access system of the present invention includes a mobile communication terminal 100, a mobile bridge 110, a base station 120, a mobile communication network 130, an internet network 140, and a wireless LAN IP network ( 150), an NMS 160, an authentication server (AAA or RADIUS: Remote Authentication Dial-In User Services) 170, or the like.

The mobile communication terminal 100 not only conducts a telephone call through a mobile communication with the other party via the mobile communication network 130, but also accesses the Internet network 140 using the provided information search function to search for desired information. It is a terminal. In addition, the mobile communication terminal 100 is a terminal equipped with a WLAN network adapter (ie, a WLAN card) to transmit and receive a WLAN signal through the mobile bridge 110. The mobile communication terminal 100 can access an Internet service through a mobile communication network through the mobile bridge 110. In this case, the mobile communication terminal 100 transmits and receives data using a wireless LAN mode without using a mobile communication mode.

The mobile communication terminal 100 includes a notebook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a hand-held PC, a code division multiple access (CDMA) phone, a global system for mobile (GSM) phone, a wideband CDMA (WCDMA) phone. And a portable communication terminal such as a mobile broadband system (MBS) phone. Here, MBS phone refers to a mobile communication terminal to be used in the fourth generation system that is currently discussed.

The mobile bridge 110 transmits and receives data between the WLAN and the mobile communication network 130 and performs an association for establishing a logical communication path for exchanging data with the mobile communication terminal 100. Since the mobile bridge 110 accesses the Internet through the mobile communication network 130, the mobile bridge 110 first performs a call connection to the mobile communication network 130 before the access procedure of the wireless LAN subscriber, and is public from the mobile communication network 130. Get an IP. The mobile bridge 110 transmits the MAC address and the assigned public IP address to the NMS 160 and allocates a private IP to the mobile communication terminal 100. In addition, the mobile bridge 110 receives the authentication request of the mobile communication terminal 100 and requests the wireless LAN subscriber authentication to the authentication server 170, and when the subscriber authentication is made, the Internet network 140 through the mobile communication network 130 Connect to

The WLAN bridge 110 performs a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) function to dynamically allocate a public IP for accessing the Internet from the mobile communication network 130, and accesses a link to a plurality of mobile communication terminals 100. It performs NAT (Network Address Translation) function to assign private IP to open Access Link. The WLAN bridge 110 may simultaneously perform a function of a WLAN access point according to the IEEE 802.11 b / g standard and a bridge function of relaying a WLAN signal according to the IEEE 802.11a standard. In addition, the mobile bridge 110 is associated with authentication between the mobile terminal 100 and the authentication server 170 using the Extended Authentication Protocol (EAP) according to the IEEE 802.11i standard in order to increase the security of the wireless LAN subscriber authentication procedure. Can send and receive data. An internal configuration of the mobile bridge 110 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

The base station 120 is a network endpoint device that wirelessly transmits a signal received through the mobile communication network 130, and is wirelessly connected to the mobile bridge 110 to transmit and receive mobile communication signals. The mobile communication network 130 transmits and receives a radio signal and may include a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a data core network (DCC), and the like. The mobile communication network 130 is a communication network capable of transmitting and receiving data in association with other networks such as the Internet network 140 and the wireless LAN IP network 150. The mobile communication network 130 performs a call connection with the mobile bridge 110, performs session establishment and point-to-point (PPP) configuration for the mobile bridge 110, and public IP for accessing the Internet network 140. Allocate

The mobile communication network 130 includes an interim standard (IS) -95 network, a global system for mobile (GSM) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 1X network, a CDMA2000 3X network, a CDMA2000 EV-DO (Evolution-Data only) network It may include a Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) network and a Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro) network.

The internet network 140 is connected to various external internet service servers to provide an internet service. The WLAN IP network 150 is a communication network for managing WLAN access points or mobile bridges and is connected to the NMS 160 and the authentication server 170 to be described later.

The NMS 160 is connected to the mobile communication network 130 via the WLAN IP network 150 and receives the MAC address and the IP address from the mobile bridge 110 to store and manage the access information of the mobile bridge 110. . In addition, the NMS 160 includes a function of monitoring system information, traffic and performance statistics, RF parameter information, etc. for the mobile bridge 110 and other WLAN related equipment as well as the above-described connection information.

The authentication server 170 is connected to the mobile communication network 130 via the wireless LAN IP network 150, receives the authentication request of the mobile bridge 110, performs wireless LAN subscriber authentication, and transmits the authentication result to the mobile bridge 110. Notify by). The authentication server 170 may receive authentication request data such as a wireless LAN subscriber ID and a password for subscriber authentication, compare the wireless LAN subscriber information stored in a database, and determine whether to authenticate. EAP can be used. In addition, when the WLAN authentication is performed, the authentication server 170 receives the charging request of the mobile bridge 110 and performs charging for the use of the Internet through the mobile bridge 110.

2 is a view showing the components of the mobile bridge of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile bridge 110 of the present invention includes a mobile communication modem 200, a USB host 210, a memory 220, a microprocessor 230, a WLAN module 240, and the like. It can be configured by.

The mobile communication modem 200 processes a mobile communication signal according to a mobile communication standard, and performs a call processing according to a protocol defined in the mobile communication standard. The USB host 210 is located between the mobile communication modem 200 and the microprocessor 230, and recognizes the mobile communication modem 200 as a USB client to provide a USB interface. Of course, it is also possible to use an existing serial interface (eg, RS-232) for transmitting and receiving data from the mobile modem 200, but the maximum speed of the serial interface is about 230 Kbps EV-DO, which enables high-speed data transmission, When configuring the mobile communication network 130 using WCDMA, WiBro, or the like, it is preferable to use a USB interface.

The memory 220 may store various software and related data for operating the mobile bridge 110. The memory 220 may include a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory and a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). It may contain the same volatile memory. The microprocessor 230 controls and manages the overall operation of the mobile bridge 110 and operates the mobile communication modem 200 and the wireless LAN module 240 to transmit and receive data between the wireless LAN and the mobile communication network 130. To control.

The WLAN module 240 processes a WLAN signal with the mobile communication terminal 100 and may include an access point module 222 and a bridge module 224. The access point module 222 operates as an access point to which the mobile communication terminal 100 wirelessly connects, and the bridge module 224 relays a WLAN signal to other mobile bridges. Thus, the mobile bridge 110 can perform the access point and the bridge operation at the same time.

In addition, the mobile bridge 110 may include a wired LAN connector for providing an Ethernet interface to be connected to the terminal via a wired LAN.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an internet access method using a mobile bridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, in order to access the Internet using the mobile bridge 110, the mobile communication network 130 needs to be connected first, and thus the mobile bridge 110 performs a call connection to the mobile communication network (S300). Next, the mobile bridge 110 establishes a session with the mobile communication network 130 (S302), and performs PPP establishment (S304). The mobile communication network 130 then assigns a public IP for the Internet connection to the mobile bridge 110 (S306), the mobile bridge 110 notifies the NMS 160 of the MAC address and the assigned IP address ( S308).

The mobile bridge 110 that performs the connection procedure with the mobile communication network 110 performs an association with the mobile communication terminal 100 (S310), and allocates a private IP to the mobile communication terminal (S312). Thereafter, steps S314 to S320 are performed for wireless LAN subscriber authentication. Details are as follows.

In step S314, the mobile communication terminal 100 transmits an EAP-Start message to the mobile bridge 110 to perform an authentication request. In step S316, the mobile bridge 110 transmits an EAP Request message to the mobile communication terminal 100. Request authentication information such as ID and password necessary for subscriber authentication. In operation S318, the mobile bridge 110 receives the authentication request data from the mobile communication terminal 100 and transmits the authentication request data to the authentication server 170 to request subscriber authentication. In operation S320, the authentication server 170 receives authentication request data, determines whether to authenticate, and transmits an EAP-Success message to the mobile communication terminal 100 through the mobile bridge 110 in step S322 to notify the authentication result. .

When the subscriber authentication of the authentication server 170 is made, the mobile bridge 110 requests the authentication server 170 for charging for the Internet access through the wireless LAN (S322), and the Internet network (130) through the mobile communication network 130. In step S324, the mobile terminal 100 provides a data service to the mobile communication terminal 100 through a wireless LAN.

On the other hand, when a call drop for the mobile communication network 130 occurs, the steps S300 to S324 described above are automatically performed again to perform reconnection to the mobile communication network 130, a WLAN reauthentication procedure, and the like. do.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an internet access method using a mobile bridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

After the mobile bridge 110 establishes a connection with the mobile communication network 130 and there is no transmission or reception of packet data for a predetermined time, the mobile communication modem 200 of the mobile bridge 110 transitions to a Dormant state. do.

When the mobile bridge 110 in the dormant state receives a connection request from the mobile communication terminal 100, an association with the mobile communication terminal 100 is first performed (S400). Next, the mobile bridge 110 performs a call connection to the mobile communication network 130 (S402), and the session link is maintained in the dormant state, but the PPP setting is released, so that the PPP reset is performed (S404). . Next, as in steps S306 and S308, the mobile communication network 130 assigns a public IP for the Internet connection to the mobile bridge 110 (S406), and the mobile bridge 110 assigns the MAC address and the assigned IP address. The NMS 160 notifies (S408).

Since the mobile bridge 110 performs the association procedure with the mobile communication network 110 at step S400, the mobile bridge 110 allocates a private IP to the mobile communication terminal (S410). Thereafter, wireless LAN subscriber authentication, billing request, and data service provision procedure are performed from step S412 to step S422, which is the same as step S314 to step S324 of FIG.

The above description is merely illustrative of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may various modifications without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the present invention but to describe the present invention, and the spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited by these embodiments. It is intended that the scope of the invention be interpreted by the following claims, and that all descriptions within the scope equivalent thereto shall be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, the wireless LAN subscribers can access the Internet through the mobile communication network using the mobile bridge, and have the effect of extending the mobility of the wireless LAN by simultaneously performing the roles of the access point and the bridge in the mobile bridge. have.

In addition, the present invention has the effect that it is possible to create a new revenue model by allowing the mobile communication provider to provide the Internet access service linked to the wireless LAN.

Claims (14)

Wireless LAN in a system including a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN IP network, an Internet network, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, an authentication server (AAA: Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) and NMS (Network Management System) In the Internet access method using a mobile bridge for transmitting and receiving data between a mobile communication network, (a) performing a call connection to the mobile communication network; (b) receiving a public IP from the mobile communication network and notifying the NMS of the MAC address and the assigned IP address; (c) performing an association with the mobile communication terminal and assigning a private IP to the mobile communication terminal; And (d) receiving an authentication request of the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the authentication request to the authentication server, and receiving wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server, and accessing the internet network through the mobile communication network. Internet connection method using The method of claim 1, In step (a), (a1) requesting access to the mobile communication network; And (a2) A method of accessing the Internet using a mobile bridge, comprising the steps of establishing a session with the mobile communication network and establishing a Point-To-Point (PPP). The method of claim 1, In step (d), (d1) receiving an Extended Authentication Protocol (EAP) -Start message from the mobile communication terminal; (d2) transmitting an EAP Request message to the mobile communication terminal; (d3) receiving subscriber information for WLAN authentication from the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the subscriber information to the authentication server; And (d4) confirming the wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 1, In step (d), And requesting billing to the authentication server after receiving the wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server. The method of claim 1, The method, (e) if a call drop for the mobile communication network occurs, further comprising the step of performing steps (a) to (d) again. Wireless LAN in a system including a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN IP network, an Internet network, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, an authentication server (AAA: Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) and NMS (Network Management System) In the Internet access method using a mobile bridge for transmitting and receiving data between a mobile communication network, (a) receiving an access request of the mobile communication terminal from the mobile bridge in a Dormant state and performing an association; (b) performing call access and point-to-point (PPP) reconfiguration for the mobile communication network; (c) receiving a public IP from the mobile communication network and notifying the NMS of the MAC address and the allocated IP address and allocating a private IP to the mobile communication terminal; And (d) receiving an authentication request of the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the authentication request to the authentication server, and receiving wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server, and accessing the internet network through the mobile communication network. Internet connection method using The method of claim 6, In step (d), (d1) receiving an Extended Authentication Protocol (EAP) -Start message from the mobile communication terminal; (d2) transmitting an EAP Request message to the mobile communication terminal; (d3) receiving subscriber information for WLAN authentication from the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the subscriber information to the authentication server; And (d4) confirming the wireless LAN subscriber authentication of the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the mobile communication terminal. In a system for accessing the Internet through a wireless LAN and a mobile communication network as a mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function, Transmit and receive data between the WLAN and the mobile communication network, perform a call connection to the mobile communication network, allocate a public IP, allocate a private IP to the mobile communication terminal, and authenticate the WLAN subscriber to the mobile communication terminal. A mobile bridge for receiving and accessing an internet network through the mobile communication network; A NMS (Network Management System) connected to the mobile communication network via a WLAN IP network, receiving a MAC address and an IP address from the mobile bridge, and storing and managing access information of the mobile bridge; And An authentication server connected to the mobile communication network via the WLAN IP network, receiving an authentication request from the mobile bridge, performing wireless LAN subscriber authentication, notifying the authentication result, and performing charging for the wireless LAN subscriber (AAA: Internet access system, including Authentication, Authorization, Accounting). The method of claim 8, The mobile communication terminal, the mobile bridge and the authentication server, Internet access system, characterized in that for transmitting and receiving authentication-related data using the Extended Authentication Protocol (EAP). The method of claim 8, The mobile bridge, A mobile communication modem for processing a mobile communication signal according to a communication standard of the mobile communication network; A WLAN module for processing a WLAN signal; And And a microprocessor for controlling the mobile communication modem and the wireless LAN module to transmit and receive data between the wireless LAN and the mobile communication network. The method of claim 10, The mobile bridge, And a USB host located between the mobile communication modem and the microprocessor to provide a USB interface. The method of claim 10, The mobile bridge, Internet connection system further comprises a wired LAN connector providing an Ethernet (Ethernet) interface. The method of claim 10, The wireless LAN module, An access point module operating as a WLAN access point for the mobile communication terminal; And And a bridge module for relaying a WLAN signal to other mobile bridges. The method of claim 8, The mobile communication network, Interim Standard (IS) -95 network, GSM (Global System for Mobile) network, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X network, CDMA2000 3X network, CDMA2000 Evolution-Data only (EV-DO) network, Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) An Internet access system comprising at least one of a network and a WiBro (Wireless Broadband Internet) network.

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