Patent ID: 7343490
Filing Date: 2008-03-11
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for facilitating authentication of a mobile station to communicate in a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a network part including plurality of access network portions and a core network portion, the plurality of access network portions being coupled to the core network portion, a plurality of authenticators coupled to the core network portion, each authenticator being associated with one of the plurality of access network portions, the apparatus comprising: an identifier coupled to the mobile station and the core network portion, said identifier being formed of a proxy located at an access network portion selected from said plurality of access network portions, said proxy for converting a protocol used within an access network portion into a signaling protocol used within the core network portion, said identifier for detecting generation of an authentication request in accordance with said access network protocol, the authentication request requesting authentication by the mobile station through interaction with a selected authenticator associated with the selected access network portion, for identifying indicia associated with the selected authenticator, for generating a signaling protocol message in accordance with said signaling protocol, and for inserting the identified indicia into the generated signaling protocol message, the indicia being used to facilitate delivery of the authentication request to the selected authenticator and to specify a type of authentication procedure to be performed.