Radio communication system, shared key management server and terminal

• US 20040139320A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shinohara, Masahito
• Application Number:
  US10/745,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139320A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A shared key management server generates a shared key by using an issue request of a shared key, output from a terminal through a second communication network, as a trigger, and informs an authentication unit and the terminal through a second communication network of the generated shared key. The authentication unit authenticates true/false of the terminal by using an authentication request, output from the terminal based on the shared key, as a trigger, and informs the terminal of the authentication result. The terminal outputs to the authentication unit an authentication request based on the shared key by using the information from the shared key management server as a trigger, and performs data communications based on the shared key through the first communication network by using the authentication result as a trigger.

Claims

1. A radio communication system using a shared key for protecting a security, comprising:

a first communication network through which data communications are performed;

a second communication network formed independent of the first communication network;

a terminal connecting with the first communication network and the second communication network;

a shared key management server connecting with the first communication network and the second communication network; and

an authentication unit provided to the first communication network;

wherein

the shared key management server has a function of generating a shared key by using an issue request of a shared key, output from the terminal through the second communication network, as a trigger, and informing the authentication unit and the terminal through the second communication network of a generated shared key;

the authentication unit has a function of authenticating true/false of the terminal by using an authentication request, output from the terminal based on the shared key, as a trigger, and informing the terminal of an authentication result, and

the terminal outputs to the authentication unit the information from the shared key management server as a trigger, and performs data communications through the first communication network based on the shared key by using the authentication result from the authentication unit as a trigger.

2. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first communication network is formed of a wireless LAN connecting with the terminal over a radio channel,

the authentication unit includes at least one access point device and connects with the wireless LAN over a wire LAN, and

the second communication network is a mobile telephone network which covers at least one location registering area.

3. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shared key management server informs each access point device, existing in an area to which a terminal location is registered on the second communication network, of the shared key.

4. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shared key management server informs each access point device of a different shared key, and informs the terminal of every shared key.

5. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal outputs the issue request of the shared key to the shared key management server at intervals of a prescribed time.

6. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the terminal outputs the issue request of the shared key to the shared key management server every time the terminal requests a location registration to the second communication network.

7. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shared key management server generates a shared key for the terminal at intervals of a prescribed time, and informs the terminal and the first communication network of the shared key.

8. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shared key is used for encrypting data to be transmitted/received by the terminal and the first communication network.

9. The radio communication system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shared key is used by the authentication unit to authenticate the terminal.

10. A shared key management server for use in a radio communication system including, a first communication network for data communications performed by a terminal, and a second communication network which is formed independent of the first communication network and is provided for generating a shared key for use in the data communications, the shared key management server comprising:

means for receiving an issue request, which receives, from the terminal through the second communication network, an issue request of the shared key for use in the first communication network;

means for generating a shared key, which generates a shared key for the terminal according to the issue request of the shared key from the terminal, the issue request being received at the means for receiving the issue request; and

means for informing a shared key, which informs the terminal and the first communication network of the shared key generated at the means for generating the shared key.

11. The shared key management server, as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the first communication network is formed of a wireless LAN which connects with the terminal over a radio channel, and is provided with an authentication unit;

the authentication unit has a function of authenticating true/false of the terminal by using an authentication request output from the terminal based on the shared key as a trigger, and informing the terminal of the authentication result;

the authentication unit includes at least one access point device and connects with the wireless LAN over a wire LAN; and

the second communication network is a mobile telephone network which covers at least one location registering area.

12. The shared key management server, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for informing a shared key informs each access point device, existing in an area to which a terminal location is registered on the second communication network, of the shared key.

13. The shared key management server, as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the means for generating a shared key generates a different shared key for each access point device,

the means for informing a shared key informs each corresponding access point device of the shared key generated for each access point device, and informs the terminal of every shared key.

14. The shared key management server, as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for generating a shared key generates a shared key for the terminal at intervals of a prescribed time without any request from the terminal.

15. A terminal for use in a radio communication system including, a first communication network for data communications performed by the terminal, and a second communication network which is formed independent of the first communication network and is provided for generating a shared key for use in the data communications, the terminal, which connects with the first communication network and the second communication network over a radio channel, comprising:

first communication controlling means for controlling radio communications performed through the first communication network;

second communication controlling means for controlling communications performed through the second communication network; and

main controlling means for requesting, via the second communication controlling means, a shared key management server which manages a shared key to issue the shared key, and informs the first communication controlling means of the shared key generated by and input from the server, for use between the first communication controlling means and the first communication network.

16. The terminal, as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the first communication network is formed of a wireless LAN which connects with the terminal over a radio channel, and is provided with an authentication unit;

the authentication unit has a function of authenticating true/false of the terminal by using an authentication request, output from the terminal based on the shared key, as a trigger, and informing the terminal of an authentication result;

the authentication unit includes at least one access point device and connects with the wireless LAN over a wire LAN; and

the second communication network is a mobile telephone network which covers at least one location registering area.

17. The terminal, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the main controlling means requests the server to issue the shared key at intervals of a prescribed time.

18. The terminal, as claimed in claim 16, wherein the main controlling means requests the server to issue a shared key every time the main controlling means performs a location registration to the second communication network.

19. The terminal, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first communication controlling means uses the shared key for encrypting data to be transmitted/received between the first communication network.

20. The terminal, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first communication controlling means uses the shared key for an authentication by the first communication network.