Secure Mobile Base Station Connections

Abstract

In addition to other aspects disclosed, through a non-secure network, one or more bidirectional secure logical connections are established between a mobile base station and a secure network interface.

1 . A method comprising:
 establishing, through a non-secure network, at least one bidirectional secure logical connection between a mobile base station and a secure network interface, wherein the mobile base station includes a tunnel manager capable of initiating and terminating the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is established based on user profile parameters. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is configured to transfer one or more types of content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned with a priority. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned to a mobile handset connected to the mobile base station. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned to two or more mobile handsets connected to the mobile base station. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is grouped with another bidirectional secure logical connection based on user profile parameters. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , in which the group of bidirectional secure logical connections is assigned a priority. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a first priority and another bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a second priority, different from the first priority. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is established using IPSec protocol. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a mobile base station capable of establishing, through a non-secure network, at least one bidirectional secure logical connection with a secure network interface, wherein the mobile base station includes a tunnel manager capable of initiating and terminating the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a tunnel manager capable of initiating, terminating and managing the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection, dynamically or statically. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a user profile registry in which user profiles containing user profile parameters of each user are stored and from which the user profiles can be retrieved by the tunnel manager. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , in which the tunnel manager assigns the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection to a mobile handset connected to the mobile base station. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , in which the tunnel manager assigns the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection to two or more mobile handsets connected to the mobile base station. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a first priority and another bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a second priority, different from the first priority. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a secure network that includes a secure network interface; and   at least one mobile base station capable of establishing, through a non-secure network, at least one bidirectional secure logical connection with the secure network interface, wherein the mobile base station includes a tunnel manager capable of initiating and terminating the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising one or more mobile handsets in communication with the at least one mobile base station. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , in which the at least one mobile base station also maintains a user profile registry in which user profiles containing user profile parameters of each user are stored and from which the tunnel manager retrieves the user profile of a user to determine the properties of the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection to be established for that user. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a first priority and another bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a second priority, different from the first priority. 
     
     
         22 . A computer readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution causing the processing device to:
 establish at least one bidirectional secure logical connection between a mobile base station and a secure network interface via a non-secure network.   
     
     
         23 . The medium of  claim 22 , in which the establishment of the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is based on user profile parameters. 
     
     
         24 . The medium of  claim 22 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is grouped with another bidirectional secure logical connection based on user profile parameters. 
     
     
         25 . The medium of  claim 22 , in which the at least one bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a first priority and another bidirectional secure logical connection is assigned a second priority, different from the first priority.