Automated negotiation and selection of authentication protocols

Abstract

Wireless telecommunications networks may implement various forms of authentication. There are a variety of different user and device authentication protocols that follow a similar network architecture, involving various network entities such as a user equipment (UE), a service provider (SP), and an authentication endpoint (AEP). To select an acceptable authentication protocol or credential for authenticating a user or UE, authentication protocol negotiations may take place between various network entities. For example, negotiations may take place in networks implementing a single-sign on (SSO) architecture and/or networks implementing a Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA).

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . In a system comprising a user equipment (UE), a Home Subscription Server (HSS), and a Bootstrapping Server Function (BSF), a method performed by the BSF, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from the UE, the request indicating a Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA) digest protocol; and   based on the request, retrieving a SIP digest authentication vector from the HSS.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a product token indicating the GBA digest protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the product token is included in a user agent header field, the product token set to a string value of the GBA digest protocol. 
     
     
         4 . A Bootstrapping Server Function (BSF) comprising a processor, a memory, and communication circuitry, the BSF configured to connect to a communications network via the communication circuitry, the BSF including computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the BSF which, when executed by the processor of the BSF, perform operations comprising:
 receiving a request from a user equipment, the request indicating a Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA) digest protocol; and   based on the request, retrieving a SIP digest authentication vector from a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).   
     
     
         5 . The BSF of  claim 4 , wherein the request comprises a product token indicating the GBA digest protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The BSF of  claim 5 , wherein the product token is included in a user agent header field, the product token set to a string value of the GBA digest protocol.