Method and apparatus for instance identifier based on a unique device identifier

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use in a communications network whereby an Instance Identifier (ID) is created to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for use by a device in a network, the device adapted to support the creation of a Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU) and an Instance identifier (ID), comprising the step of:
 creating an Instance ID to uniquely identify the device in the network while ensuring the privacy of the device ID.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the network and the device create identical Instance IDs in the creation of the GRUU. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the device is 3GPP compliant and the unique device identification (DevID) known to the network is derived from the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or IMEI Software Version (IMEISV). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:
 pre-selecting a hash algorithm;   creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the IMEI or IMEISV;   when using the TAC and SNR, omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;   placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;   concatenating the name space ID and DevID;   computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;   setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;   placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “urn:uuid” to the string.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the device is compliant with the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) standards. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the unique ID that belongs to the device and is known to the network (DevID) is derived from the Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:
 pre-selecting a hash algorithm;   creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the MEID or ESN;   when using the Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR), omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;   placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;   concatenating the name space ID and DevID;   computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;   setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;   placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “urn:uuid” to the string Mobile Equipment Identifier   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , for use in a non-3GPP compliant and non-3GPP2 compliant device, and wherein the DevID uses a private identity to create the Instance ID. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the private identity is a Network Access Identifier (NAI). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) (UUID URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:
 pre-selecting a hash algorithm;   creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the NAI;   when using the TAC and SNR, omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;   placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;   concatenating the name space ID and DevID;   computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;   setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;   placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “urn:uuid” to the string Mobile Equipment Identifier   
     
     
         12 . A method of providing a level of privacy protection to a device identification (DevID) when sent in the clear during device registration with a network, comprising the step of defining procedures in the network for constructing a Globally Routable User Agent (UA) URis (GRUU) based on an Instance ID in a way that does not reveal the DeviD. 
     
     
         13 . The method  claim 12 , wherein a registrar, such as a Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) creates the GRUU. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at the S-CSCF, a REGISTER message;   identifying, by the S-CSCF that the Instance ID contains a DevID sent in the clear based on the URN scheme used in the Instance ID;   choosing a hash algorithm;   extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR);   placing the name space ID, TAC and SNR in network byte order;   concatenating the name space ID, TAC and SNR;   computing the hash of the concatenated string using the selected hash algorithm;   setting the UUID fields using the computed hash;   creating and placing a string representation in urn form by prepending “urn:uuid” to the string (UUID URN); and   assigning the UUID URN as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the TAC and SNR comprise one selected from the group of and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI); a IMEI Software Version (IMEISY); a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID); and an Electronic Serial Number (ESN). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at the S-CSCF, a REGISTER message;   identifying, by the S-CSCF that the Instance ID contains a DevID sent in the clear based on the URN scheme used in the Instance ID;   choosing a hash algorithm;   extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR);   placing the name space ID, TAC and SNR in network byte order;   concatenating the name space ID, TAC and SNR;   computing the hash of the concatenated string using the selected hash algorithm;   setting the UUID fields using the computed hash;   creating a Universally Unique Identifier Uniform Resource Name (UUID URN) by   placing the concatenated string representation in urn form by prepending “urn:uuid” to the string; and   assigning the UUID URN as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.   
     
     
         17 . A method of providing a level of privacy protection to a device identification (DevID) when sent in the clear during device registration with a network, comprising the steps of:
 selecting a has algorithm;   extract the name space specific (NSS) string from a Uniform Resource Name (URN) from an Instance ID;   placing the NSS in network byte order;   computing the hash of the NSS; and   assigning the hashed value as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.