Techniques for Roaming Between Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for roaming between heterogeneous wireless networks. In some examples, an authorization request for user equipment (UE) to access a visited wireless local area network (WLAN) may be received via a first protocol. The authorization request may be interworked by an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) interworking function (AIF) to enable the UE to be authenticated and authorized for access to the visited WLAN via information exchanged between a visited AAA server and a home AAA server. The visited home AAA server may be associated with different types of wireless networks to include wireless wide area networks (WWANs) or with a different WLAN. Interworking by the AIF may include translating the authentication request received via the first protocol to a second protocol to allow for the exchange of information between the visited AAA server and the home AAA server. Other examples are described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor circuit;   a receive component to be executed by the processor circuit to receive an authorization request for user equipment (UE) to access a visited wireless local area network (WLAN), the authorization request received using a first remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) protocol for a wireless roaming intermediary exchange-interconnect (WRIX-i) or international roaming.61 (IR.61) interface;   an interworking component to be executed by the processor circuit to interwork the authorization request for the UE to access the visited WLAN via an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) interworking function (AIF), interworking via the AIF to authenticate and authorize the UE for access to the visited WLAN via information received from a visited AAA server and information received from a home AAA server, the visited AAA server associated with the visited WLAN and the home AAA server associated with a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and   a forwarding component to be executed by the processor circuit to forward the authorization request to the visited AAA server.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the visited WLAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more wireless communication standards associated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standard to include IEEE 802.11-2012. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the WWAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more or more 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), standards prior to Release 8 (3G) or standards that include Release 8 and subsequent to Release 8 (4G). 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising the authorization request received from an access point for the visited WLAN, the home AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a Wi-Fi service provider, the visited AAA server to forward an authentication request responsive to receiving the authorization request, the authentication request forwarded using the first RADIUS protocol and received by the receive component, interworking via the AIF to include the authentication request received using the first RADIUS protocol translated to a second RADIUS protocol, the forwarding component to forward the translated authentication request to the home AAA server operated by the 3G 3GPP service provider via a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.234 compliant interface. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising the authorization request received from an access point for the visited WLAN, the home AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider, interworking via the AIF to include the authorization request translated from the first RADIUS protocol to a Diameter protocol, the forwarding component to forward the translated authorization request to the visited AAA server operated by the 4G 3GPP service provider via a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.273 compliant interface. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising the authorization request received from the visited AAA server, the home AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a Wi-Fi service provider, the visited AAA server to forward an authentication request responsive to receiving the authorization request, the authentication request forwarded using the first RADIUS protocol and received by the receive component, interworking via the AIF to include the authentication request received using the first RADIUS protocol translated to a Diameter protocol, the forwarding component to forward the translated authentication request to the home AAA server operated by the 4G 3GPP service provider via a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.273 compliant interface. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising the authorization request received from an access point for the visited WLAN, the home AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider and the first type of service provider is a 3G 3GPP service provider, the visited AAA server to forward an authentication request responsive to receipt of the authorization request, the authentication request forwarded using a second RADIUS protocol for a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.234 compliant interface, the authentication request received by the receive component, interworking via the AIF to include the authentication request received using the second RADIUS protocol translated to the first RADIUS protocol, the forwarding component to forward the translated authentication request towards the home AAA server operated by the 4G 3GPP service provider. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the UE configured to access the visited WLAN via a username and password or access the WWAN via subscriber identity module (SIM) or universal SIM (USIM) credentials. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the apparatus located at one of a computing device operated by a third party capable of providing inter-connection services to a first service provider that operates the home AAA server and a second service provider that operates the visited AAA server, the AAA visited server or the AAA home server. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 static random access memory (SRAM) to at least temporarily maintain information associated with receiving the authorization request using the first RADIUS protocol.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device, a request for authorization of user equipment (UE) to access a visited wireless local area network (WLAN);   interworking the request for authorization of the UE to access the visited WLAN via an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) interworking function (AIF), interworking via the AIF to authenticate and authorize the UE for access to the visited WLAN via information received from a visited AAA server and received from a home AAA server, the visited AAA server associated with the visited WLAN and the home AAA server associated with a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and   forwarding the interworked request for authorization to the visited AAA server.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising the request for authorization received from an access point for the visited WLAN via a wireless roaming intermediary exchange-interconnect (WRIX-i) or international roaming.61 (IR.61) interface using a first remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising the UE configured to access the visited WLAN via a username and password or access the WWAN via subscriber identity module (SIM) or universal SIM (USIM) credentials. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising the visited WLAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more wireless communication standards associated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standard to include IEEE 802.11-2012. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising the WWAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more or more 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), standards prior to Release 8 (3G) or standards that include Release 8 and subsequent to Release 8 (4G). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the home AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a Wi-Fi service provider, interworking via the AIF to include:
 translating the request for authorization received using the first RADIUS protocol to a second RADIUS protocol compliant with a 3GPP technical specification (TS) interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.234 interface; and   forwarding the translated request for authorization to the visited AAA server operated by the 3G 3GPP service provider.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the home AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider, interworking via the AIF to include:
 translating the request for authorization received using the first RADIUS protocol to a Diameter protocol compliant with a 3GPP technical specification (TS) interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.273 interface; and   forwarding the translated request for authorization to the visited AAA server operated by the 4G 3GPP service provider.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , the home AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider, interworking via the AIF to include:
 translating the request for authorization received using the first RADIUS protocol to a second RADIUS protocol compliant with a 3GPP technical specification (TS) interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.234 interface; and   forwarding the translated request for authorization to the visited AAA server operated by the 3G 3GPP service provider.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the request received from the visited AAA server via a WRIX-i or IR.61 interface using a first RADIUS protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising the home AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider and the visited AAA server operated by Wi-Fi service provider, interworking via the AIF to include:
 translating the request for authorization received using the first RADIUS protocol to a Diameter protocol compliant with a 3GPP technical specification (TS) interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.273 interface; and   forwarding the translated request for authorization to the visited AAA server operated by the 4G 3GPP service provider.   
     
     
         21 . At least one machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a system cause the system to:
 receive an authorization request for user equipment (UE) to access a visited wireless local area network (WLAN), the authorization request received using a first remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) protocol for a wireless roaming intermediary exchange-interconnect WRIX-i or international roaming.61 (IR.61) interface;   interwork the authorization request for the UE to access the visited WLAN via an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) interworking function (AIF), interworking via the AIF to authenticate and authorize the UE for access to the visited WLAN via information exchanged between a visited AAA server and a home AAA server, the visited AAA server associated with the visited WLAN and also associated with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and the home AAA server associated with a different WLAN; and   forward an authorization request to the visited AAA server.   
     
     
         22 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 21 , comprising the visited WLAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more wireless communication standards associated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standard to include IEEE 802.11-2012. 
     
     
         23 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 21 , comprising the WWAN configured to operate in compliance with one or more or more 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), standards prior to Release 8 (3G) or standards that include Release 8 and subsequent to Release 8 (4G). 
     
     
         24 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 23 , comprising the home AAA server operated by a Wi-Fi service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a 3G 3GPP service provider, interworking via the AIF to include the instructions to cause the system to:
 receive the authentication request from the visited AAA server using a second RADIUS protocol for a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.234 compliant interface;   translate the authentication request received using the second RADIUS protocol to the first RADIUS protocol;   forward the translated authentication request to the home AAA server operated by the Wi-Fi service provider; and   receive authentication information from the home AAA server using the first RADIUS protocol;   translate the received authentication information received using the first RADIUS protocol to the second RADIUS protocol;   forward the translated authentication information to the visited AAA server;   receive grant information for access to the visited WLAN from the visited AAA server based on the authentication information, the grant information received using the second RADIUS protocol;   translating the grant information received using the second RADIUS protocol to the first RADIUS protocol; and   forwarding the translated grant information to the access point for the visited WLAN for the access point to provide the UE access to the visited WLAN.   
     
     
         25 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 23 , comprising the home AAA server operated by a Wi-Fi service provider and the visited AAA server operated by a 4G 3GPP service provider, interworking via the AIF to include the instructions to cause the system to:
 receive the authentication request from the visited AAA server using a Diameter protocol for a 3GPP technical specification (TS) compliant interface to include a 3GPP TS 29.273 compliant interface;   translate the authentication request received using the Diameter protocol to the first RADIUS protocol;   forward the translated authentication request to the home AAA server operated by the Wi-Fi service provider;   receive authentication information from the home AAA server using the first RADIUS protocol;   translate the received authentication information received using the first RADIUS protocol to the Diameter protocol;   forward the translated authentication information to the visited AAA server;   receive grant information for access to the visited WLAN from the visited AAA server based on the authentication information, the grant information received using the Diameter protocol;   translate the grant information received using the Diameter protocol to the first RADIUS protocol; and   forward the translated grant information to the access point for the visited WLAN for the access point to provide the UE access to the visited WLAN.