KR20110019996A - Mobile terminal, wireless communication system and method for mobile terminal authentication in wireless communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal, a wireless communication system, and a mobile terminal authentication method are provided to rapidly perform handoff of a mobile terminal. CONSTITUTION: When a mobile terminal(140) is about to move from a first wireless AP(Access Point)(110) region to a second AP(120) region, the mobile terminal terminates wireless communication with the first AP(Access Point) during a first predetermined time in performing wireless communication. The mobile terminal transmits and receives an authentication messages with the second AP. The mobile terminal continues wireless communication with the first AP after elapsing the predetermined time.

Description

Mobile terminal, wireless communication system and method for mobile terminal authentication in wireless communication system

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a mobile terminal, a wireless communication system, and a mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system, and more particularly, a mobile terminal capable of performing a handoff by a mobile terminal quickly and efficiently; A wireless communication system including the same, and a mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system.

Recently, with the development of various types of wireless access networks, various types of mobile terminals have emerged. In general, the mobile terminal can select a different access network according to the current situation of the wireless access network and use it to perform seamless wireless data communication. Such a technique for enabling continuous wireless data communication between different wireless access networks is called vertical handoff.

Standardization techniques for supporting vertical handoff include IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handoff (MIH) and 3GPP camp UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) / VCC (Voice Call Continuity).

When the mobile terminal performs vertical handoff, the mobile terminal must receive user authentication from a wireless access point that has jurisdiction over the area to be moved. This user authentication process is an important step for judging legitimate users between different communication networks.

For example, when the mobile terminal performs a handoff to a hotspot area, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) of IEEE 802.11, the time required for the authentication process as part of the entire handoff step is wireless. It takes a subtle amount of time compared to the time spent searching and scanning the connection point.

However, the authentication process must break-before-make the active connection with the current wireless access point (break-before-make), the service provided can be disconnected.

1 is a view for explaining a conventional mobile terminal authentication method.

First, FIG. 1A illustrates a mobile terminal authentication method that is generally used.

As shown in FIG. 1A, according to a general mobile terminal authentication method, the mobile terminal 140 moves from the jurisdiction of the first wireless access point 110 to the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point 120. The mobile terminal 140 releases a wireless channel formed between itself and the first wireless access point 110 (ie, terminates wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110), 2 performs a mobile terminal authentication operation with the wireless access point 120, and iii) if authentication is completed, forms a channel with the second wireless access point 120 to perform wireless communication. Therefore, from the time when the mobile terminal 140 terminates the wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110, the mobile terminal provides a communication service through the wireless access point from the time point when the mobile terminal 140 starts wireless communication with the second wireless access point 120. This can lead to a loss of service.

Since a number of other processes are performed in addition to authentication of the mobile terminal in the process of performing the handoff, as shown in FIG. 1A, if the wireless communication system performs the authentication operation of the mobile terminal during the performance of the handoff, This interruption period becomes long, which causes a problem that the disconnection period of the service becomes long.

In order to solve this problem, an authentication method of a mobile terminal through pre-authentication as shown in FIG.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 1, the authentication method of a mobile terminal through conventional line authentication will be described below.

The mobile terminal 140, i) before releasing a channel formed between itself and the first wireless base station 110, first the Internet network 130 to which the first wireless access point 110 and the second wireless access point 120 are connected. Perform a mobile terminal authentication operation with the second wireless access point 120 using ii), ii) when authentication is completed, form a channel with the second wireless access point 120, and iii) with the second wireless access point 120. When the channel formation is completed, the connection with the first wireless access point 110 is released. That is, according to the authentication method of the mobile terminal through pre-authentication, the wireless communication system performs authentication on the mobile terminal before the handoff event occurs, thereby minimizing service disconnection and ensuring high connectivity. It becomes possible.

However, since the authentication method of the mobile terminal through the pre-authentication has to modify the communication protocol for all the wireless access points, there is a problem that a lot of cost is consumed.

In order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, the present invention allows a mobile terminal to perform a handoff quickly and efficiently, a wireless communication system including the same, and mobile terminal authentication in a wireless communication system I would like to suggest a method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication system and a method for authenticating a mobile terminal in a wireless communication system capable of pre-authenticating a mobile terminal that a wireless access point wants to enter its jurisdiction by utilizing an existing wireless communication network as it is. .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal; A first wireless access point performing wireless communication with the mobile terminal; And a second wireless access point located adjacent to the first wireless access point, wherein the mobile terminal is to move from the jurisdiction of the first wireless access point to the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point. During a predetermined time interval from the first time point during the wireless communication with the access point, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point is stopped, and messages for authentication of the mobile terminal are transmitted and received with the second wireless access point. A wireless communication system is provided for resuming wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a second time point at which the predetermined time interval has elapsed from the first time point.

In this case, when the second wireless access point authenticates the mobile terminal, the second wireless access point at a third time point when the mobile terminal enters the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point after the second time point. Wireless communication with the first wireless access point may be terminated.

The first wireless communication network by the first wireless access point and the second wireless communication network by the second wireless access point may be the same wireless communication network, or may be different wireless communication networks.

In addition, messages for authentication of the mobile terminal include an authentication request message transmitted by the mobile terminal to the second wireless access point, and an authentication response message transmitted by the second wireless access point to the mobile terminal in response to the authentication request message. It may include.

Further, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in a mobile terminal performing wireless communication with a wireless access point, the mobile terminal is located in a second area adjacent to the first wireless access point in the jurisdiction of the first wireless access point If the user wants to move to the jurisdiction of the access point, the wireless terminal stops the wireless communication with the first wireless access point for a predetermined time interval from the first time point during the wireless communication with the first wireless access point, and the mobile terminal A mobile terminal is provided comprising a pre-authentication module for transmitting and receiving messages for authentication with the second wireless access point.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a step in which a mobile terminal initiates wireless communication with a first wireless access point; Discontinuing, by the mobile terminal, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a first time while performing the wireless communication with the first wireless access point; Transmitting and receiving messages for authentication of the mobile terminal during a preset time interval from the first time point, the mobile terminal and a second wireless access point located adjacent to the first wireless access point; And resuming, by the mobile terminal, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a second time point after the preset time interval has elapsed from the first time point. do.

According to the present invention, a mobile terminal can perform a handoff quickly and efficiently.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to pre-authenticate a mobile terminal to which a wireless access point intends to enter its jurisdiction by utilizing an existing wireless communication network as it is.

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to or connected to that other component, but other components may be present in the middle. It should be understood. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Terms such as those defined in the commonly used dictionaries should be construed as having meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and shall not be construed in ideal or excessively formal meanings unless expressly defined in this application. Do not.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same means regardless of the number of the drawings.

2 is a diagram illustrating an authentication operation of a mobile terminal performed in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The wireless access points 110 and 120 illustrated in FIG. 2 collectively refer to the first network equipment capable of wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal 140. In the wireless LAN, the wireless access points 110 and 120 are referred to as access points, and in a cellular network. It is called a base station.

Hereinafter, an authentication operation of a mobile terminal performed in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

First, unlike the general mobile terminal authentication method described with reference to FIG. 1A, the mobile terminal 140 releases a wireless channel formed between itself and the first wireless access point 110 (that is, the first wireless access point 110). ) And the wireless communication with the terminal is not terminated.

Next, the mobile terminal 140 stops wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110 for a predetermined time interval from the first time point during the wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110, Messages for authentication of the mobile terminal 140 are transmitted and received with the second wireless access point 130.

That is, unlike the conventional authentication method of the mobile terminal through the pre-authentication described in (b) of Figure 1, the mobile terminal 140 is the Internet that the first wireless access point 110 and the second wireless access point 120 is connected While performing wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110 without performing a mobile terminal authentication operation with the second wireless access point 120 using the network 130, through fast channel switching. After performing the mobile terminal authentication operation with the second wireless access point 120 for a while, the second wireless access point 120 may authenticate the mobile terminal 140 before the handoff event occurs.

To this end, the mobile terminal 140 detects at least one wireless access point located in the vicinity of the mobile terminal 140 through scanning, and the mobile terminal 140 to move among the detected at least one wireless access point. Any one of the wireless access points that govern the area may be determined as the second wireless access point 120.

As an example, the mobile terminal 140 generates a basic service set (BSS) list for at least one wireless access point located in the vicinity of the mobile terminal 140 through scanning, and uses the second wireless access point. 140 may be determined.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, messages for authentication of the mobile terminal 140 are an authentication request message transmitted by the mobile terminal 140 to the second wireless access point 120, and the received authentication request message. In response to the second wireless access point 120 may include an authentication response (Authentication Response) message transmitted to the mobile terminal 140.

That is, when the mobile terminal 140 is connected to the second wireless access point 120 through a quick channel change, the mobile terminal 140 transmits an authentication request message for requesting its own authentication to the second wireless access point 120. In response to receiving the authentication request message, the second wireless access point 120 analyzes the authentication request message, generates an authentication response message including one of an authentication approval command or an authentication rejection command, and transmits the authentication response message to the mobile terminal 140.

Thereafter, the mobile terminal 140 returns to the channel formed between itself and the first wireless access point 110 at a second time point when the predetermined time interval elapses from the first time point, and wirelessly connects with the first wireless access point 110. Resume communication.

In this case, the preset time interval includes the time when the authentication request message is transmitted from the mobile terminal 140 to the second wireless access point 120 and the authentication response message is transmitted from the second wireless access point 120 to the mobile terminal 140. It may be a time interval between time points. That is, the second time point may correspond to the time point at which the authentication response message is transmitted from the second wireless access point 120 to the mobile terminal 140.

If the second wireless access point 120 fails to authenticate the mobile terminal 140 through a pre-authentication operation through a quick channel change, when the second wireless access point 120 authenticates itself, the mobile terminal 140 authenticates itself. Until then, the operation of "fast channel change, transmission and reception of authentication related messages, and channel return" may be repeatedly performed.

If the second wireless access point 120 authenticates the mobile terminal 140 according to the above procedure, the mobile terminal 140 enters the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point 120 after the second time point. At a third point in time, wireless communication with the second wireless access point 120 is started, and the connection with the first wireless access point 110 is released to terminate the wireless communication with the first wireless access point 110. Accordingly, the handoff from the first wireless access point 110 to the second wireless access point 120 is completed.

As such, according to the present invention, the mobile terminal 140 can seamlessly transmit and receive data with the wireless access point by minimizing service disconnection for the already activated communication connection.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first wireless communication network by the first wireless access point 110 and the second wireless communication network by the second wireless access point 120 may be the same wireless communication network or may be different wireless communication networks. . That is, the authentication operation of the mobile terminal performed in the wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be applied to both a horizontal handoff and a vertical handoff.

As described above, in order to perform the authentication operation of the mobile terminal 140 through a quick channel change, a part of the media access control (MAC) layer existing in the protocol layer of the mobile terminal 140 must be modified. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3, a mobile terminal 140 including a layer of a communication protocol in which a part of the MAC layer is modified will be described in detail according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a communication protocol layer of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the communication protocol layer 310 of the mobile terminal comprises a lower layer 311, a link and MAC layer 312, and an upper layer 313.

The lower layer 311 corresponds to a physical layer (first layer) among seven layers of open systems interconnection (OSI), and is a layer including an operation method required for physical driving of communication hardware.

The link and MAC layer 312 is the second layer of the OSI 7 layer to perform necessary operations between the links.

The upper layer 313 may include a network layer (third layer), a transport layer (fourth layer), a session layer (fifth layer), and a presentation layer among the seven OSI layers. layer (sixth layer) and an application layer.

At this time, the link and MAC layer 312 includes a pre-authentication module 314 for performing pre-authentication of the mobile terminal through a quick channel change.

The pre-authentication module 314 refers to a device driver including an operation code for performing pre-authentication for each of the plurality of wireless access points 321 to 323 through a quick channel change. It is implemented inside of 312, and collects information from an upper layer 313 or a lower layer 311 to perform authentication. To this end, the pre-authentication module 314 manages the status and related information of each of the plurality of wireless access points 321 to 323.

Accordingly, the wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform pre-authentication regardless of the communication protocol used in the channel-based wireless communication network, and can perform pre-authentication only by modifying the protocol of the mobile terminal. do.

4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the performance of the authentication operation of the mobile terminal performed in the wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5, a mobile terminal supporting IEEE 802.11b sequentially performs processes of scanning, authentication, and association to perform a handoff from a first wireless access point to a second wireless access point, and each wireless access point. It is assumed that they are not affected by channel interference. In addition, the time required for authentication and handoff delay time were measured while changing the set channel speed to 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, and 11 Mbps.

First, FIG. 4 illustrates the number of datagram loss due to a change in a channel changing period (SP) (the previously described time interval).

Referring to FIG. 4, when the channel change period is 100 msec or more, the data loss amount increases as the channel change period increases, but when the channel change period is 100 msec or less, the data loss amount approaches zero. Therefore, when the channel change period is set to 100 msec, the data transmission service disconnection through the currently active wireless access point (ie, the first wireless access point) is minimized.

Next, in FIG. 5, for each location of the authentication server Radius, a general authentication method (Auth) described in FIG. 1A, a conventional pre-authentication method (Pre-Auth) described in FIG. 1B, and A simulation result comparing the handoff delay time of the OAP (Optimized Pre-Authentication) using a fast channel change according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

Referring to FIG. 5, the general authentication method (Auth), which must perform a discovery process, requires the longest handoff delay in all cases (Intra-domain, Intra-Radius, and Inter-Radius), and It can be seen that the OPA through channel change enables faster handoff of 11.7% and 1.9%, respectively, on average than the conventional authentication (Auth) and the conventional pre-authentication (Pre-Auth).

6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating an overall flow of a mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a process performed for each step will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

In step S610, the mobile terminal initiates wireless communication with the first wireless access point.

In step S620, the mobile terminal detects at least one wireless access point located in the vicinity of the mobile terminal through scanning, and in step S630, the mobile terminal detects an area to which the mobile terminal intends to move among the detected at least one wireless access point. One wireless access point is determined as the second wireless access point.

As an example, the mobile terminal may generate a basic service set (BSS) list for at least one wireless access point located in the vicinity of the mobile terminal through scanning, and use the same to determine the second wireless access point.

In step S640, the mobile terminal stops wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a first time while performing the wireless communication with the first wireless access point, and in step S650 for a preset time from the first time point. The second wireless access point located adjacent to the mobile terminal and the first wireless access point transmits and receives messages for authentication of the mobile terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, step S650 is a step of transmitting the authentication request message to the second wireless access point by the mobile terminal as shown in FIG. 7 (S651) and the authentication request from which the second wireless access point is received. In operation S652, the authentication response message corresponding to the authentication request message may be transmitted to the mobile terminal in response to the message.

In step S660, the mobile terminal resumes wireless communication with the first wireless access point from the second time point when the preset time elapses from the first time point.

In step S670, it is determined whether the second wireless access point authenticates the mobile terminal.

If the mobile terminal is not authenticated in step S670, steps S640 to S660 are repeatedly performed after a predetermined time, and if the mobile terminal is authenticated in step S670, the mobile terminal moves after the second time point. At a third point in time when the terminal enters the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point, the mobile terminal initiates wireless communication with the second wireless access point and ends wireless communication with the first wireless access point (step S680).

The embodiments of the mobile terminal authentication method in the wireless communication system according to the present invention have been described so far, and the configuration of the wireless communication system described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 can be applied to the present embodiment as it is. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be omitted.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of program instructions that may be executed by various computer means to be recorded on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Examples of magneto-optical, and program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. may be executed by a computer using an interpreter as well as machine code such as produced by a compiler. Contains high-level language code. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of one embodiment of the present invention, and vice versa.

As described above, the present invention has been described by specific embodiments such as specific components and the like. For those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, various modifications and variations are possible. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims as well as the claims to be described later will belong to the scope of the present invention. .

 1 is a view for explaining a conventional mobile terminal authentication method.

2 is a diagram illustrating an authentication operation of a mobile terminal performed in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a communication protocol layer of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the performance of the authentication operation of the mobile terminal performed in the wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating an overall flow of a mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (13)

A mobile terminal; A first wireless access point performing wireless communication with the mobile terminal; And A second wireless access point located adjacent to the first wireless access point Including, The mobile terminal If you want to move from the jurisdiction of the first wireless access point to the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point, During a predetermined time interval from the first time point during the wireless communication with the first wireless access point, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point is stopped, and messages for authentication of the mobile terminal are received. Send and receive wireless access points, And wireless communication with the first wireless access point is resumed at a second time point after the predetermined time interval has elapsed from the first time point. The method of claim 1, The mobile terminal When the second wireless access point authenticates the mobile terminal, Starting the wireless communication with the second wireless access point and terminating the wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a third time after the second time the mobile terminal enters the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point. A wireless communication system characterized by the above. The method of claim 1, And the first wireless communication network by the first wireless access point and the second wireless communication network by the second wireless access point are the same wireless communication network. The method of claim 1, And the first wireless communication network by the first wireless access point and the second wireless communication network by the second wireless access point are different wireless communication networks. The method of claim 1, Messages for authentication of the mobile terminal An authentication request message transmitted by the mobile terminal to the second wireless access point, and An authentication response message transmitted by the second wireless access point to the mobile terminal in response to the authentication request message. Wireless communication system comprising a. The method of claim 5, The preset time interval may be a time interval between when the authentication request message is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the second wireless access point and when the authentication response message is transmitted from the second wireless access point to the mobile terminal. Wireless communication system. The method of claim 1, The mobile terminal Detecting at least one wireless access point located near the mobile terminal through scanning; The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein any one of the at least one detected wireless access point to determine the area to which the mobile terminal is to move to the second wireless access point. The method of claim 7, wherein The mobile terminal Generating a basic service set (BSS) list for at least one wireless access point located near the mobile terminal through the scanning; And determine the second wireless access point using the basic service set list. A mobile terminal performing wireless communication with a wireless access point, When the mobile terminal is to move from the jurisdiction of the first wireless access point to the jurisdiction of the second wireless access point located adjacent to the first wireless access point, the mobile terminal is in the middle of performing wireless communication with the first wireless access point. A pre-authentication module that interrupts wireless communication with the first wireless access point and transmits and receives messages for authentication of the mobile terminal with the second wireless access point for a preset time interval from one time point. A mobile terminal comprising a. The mobile terminal initiating wireless communication with the first wireless access point; Discontinuing, by the mobile terminal, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a first time while performing the wireless communication with the first wireless access point; Transmitting and receiving messages for authentication of the mobile terminal during a preset time interval from the first time point, the mobile terminal and a second wireless access point located adjacent to the first wireless access point; And Resuming, by the mobile terminal, the wireless communication with the first wireless access point at a second time point after the preset time interval has elapsed from the first time point. Mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system comprising a. The method of claim 10, When the second wireless access point authenticates the mobile terminal, At a third time point after the second time point, the mobile terminal enters a jurisdiction of the second wireless access point, the mobile terminal initiates wireless communication with the second wireless access point, and wireless communication with the first wireless access point. Steps to exit Mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system, characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 10, Transmitting and receiving messages for authentication of the mobile terminal Sending, by the mobile terminal, an authentication request message to the second wireless access point; And Transmitting, by the second wireless access point, an authentication response message corresponding to the authentication request message to the mobile terminal in response to the received authentication request message. Mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system comprising a. The method of claim 10, Detecting, by the mobile terminal, at least one wireless access point located around the mobile terminal through scanning; And Determining, from the detected at least one wireless access point, any one wireless access point for the area to which the mobile terminal is to move as the second wireless access point; Mobile terminal authentication method in a wireless communication system, characterized in that it further comprises.

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