CPC H04W 12/06 (2013.01) [H04W 8/04 (2013.01); H04W 84/06 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
1. A method of authenticating a mobile user device with a mobile network operator (MNO) system, wherein the mobile user device having an MNO subscriber arrangement with the MNO and a satellite network operator (SNO) subscriber arrangement can connect to an orbital base station of a satellite network, the method comprising:
determining a set of mobile user devices to be associated with an overpass region, wherein association indicates mobile user devices that can connect with the orbital base station when the orbital base station passes over the overpass region, and wherein the mobile user device is in the set of mobile user devices to be associated with the overpass region;
sending, from the orbital base station, an authentication request to the MNO system, wherein sending is performed in advance of an MNO authentication request from the mobile user device;
obtaining, in response to the authentication request, a set of authentication vectors related to the mobile user device;
storing the set of authentication vectors into a proxy home location register, the set of authentication vectors including a stored signed response;
receiving, at the orbital base station, the MNO authentication request from the mobile user device;
generating an authentication request response based on the set of authentication vectors;
sending the authentication request response to the mobile user device via the orbital base station;
receiving an authentication response from the mobile user device, the authentication response including a received signed response;
comparing the received signed response received from the mobile user device with the stored signed response;
if the received signed response and the stored signed response match, adding an MNO location update message to a request queue; and
when a channel to the MNO system is available, forwarding the MNO location update message to the MNO system over the channel.
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