Patent ID: 7593716
Filing Date: 2009-09-22
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for transmitting data between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol and a remote authentication server in a further data network connected to the WLAN, wherein the remote authentication sever does not recognize SIP protocol and uses a different protocol but uses the same authentication mechanisms as in the SIP Protocol, comprising: receiving by an access node of the WLAN a WLAN message using SIP protocol from a terminal device, wherein the access node is connected to a computing unit and further connectable to a further data network comprising a remote authentication sever that does not recognize SIP protocol and uses a different protocol, wherein the WLAN message contains a Session Initiation Protocol message (SIP message) comprising SIP authentication data, and wherein the computing unit comprises both a SIP Proxy Server to interface with the terminal device using SIP protocol and a second Server comprising a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) Server or a Diameter Server for processing messages in RADIUS or Diameter Protocol; processing the SIP authentication data by the SIP Proxy Server of the computing unit; extracting the SIP authentication data from the WLAN message by the computing unit, integrating by the computing unit the SIP authentication data as remote authentication data into an authentication message in the different protocol used by the remote authentication server comprising RADIUS protocol or Diameter protocol, wherein the same authentication mechanism is used by the remote authentication server as used by the SIP Proxy Server thereby allowing the SIP authentication data to be the same as the remote authentication data, albeit in a different protocol, transmitting the authentication message in the different protocol to the remote authentication server for processing the remote authentication data in the further data network for authentication, receiving a response at the computing unit in the different protocol from the remote authentication server, processing and extracting the authentication data of the received response in the different protocol by the RADIUS or Diameter Server of the computing unit, incorporating the extracted authentication data back into a SIP message using SIP protocol for processing by the SIP Proxy Server, and transmitting the SIP message to the terminal device for evaluation by the terminal device.