Tokens/keys for wireless communications

• US 20050154925A1
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singhal, Amit, Shin, Sung-Hyuk, Briancon, Alain Charles Louis, Olesen, Robert Lind, Reznik, Alexander, Carlton, Alan Gerald, Chitrapu, Prabhakar R., Zhang, Guodong, Purkayastha, Debashish, Thommana, John, Herschaft, Richard Dan, Hoffmann, John Erich, Kumoluyi, Akinlolu Oloruntosi, Vanganuru, Kiran Kumar S., Shan, TieJun
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copyright
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 Temporary identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Tokens/keys are produced for wireless communications. These tokens/keys are used for watermarks, signature insertion, encryption and other uses. In one embodiment, contextual information is used to generate tokens/keys. The tokens/keys may be derived directly from the contextual information. The contextual information may be used in conjunction with other information to derive the tokens/keys. Tokens/keys may be exchanged between transmit/receive units. The exchange of these tokens/keys may be encrypted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

producing transmit/receive unit (TRU) specific information;

using the TRU specific information to produce a token/key;

using the produced token/key to produce a watermark, signature or encryption code for using in a wireless communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes information relating to a user of the TRU.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes information relating to hardware/software of the TRU.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes time/date information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes measurements taken by the TRU.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes multipath related information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes antenna related information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes location/velocity related information of the TRU.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes information of a model of a physical environment of the TRU.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes control and signal information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU specific information includes information of a TRU/user group associated with the TRU/TRU'"'"'s user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU is a wireless TRU.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU is a wired TRU.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the TRU is a base station.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the produced token is used to authenticate the TRU.

16. A method comprising:

providing a first token/key for use in producing a watermark, signature or encryption code; and

based on the first token/key, producing a second token/key, the production of the second token/key is either a function of or derived from the first token/key or controlled by the first token/key.

17. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of information for use in generating a token/key, for use in a watermark, signature or encryption code; and

combining the plurality of information and adjusting a length of a result to facilitate the use of the token/key in producing a watermark, signature or encryption code.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of information is information across a plurality of abstraction layers.

19. A method for reducing transmit/receive unit (TRU) processing in a TRU, the method comprising:

producing at least one watermark/signature using at least one token/key; and

inserting the at least one watermark/signature onto a plurality of abstraction layers associated with a wireless communication; and

verifying the watermark/signature on at least a lowest of the plurality of abstraction layers.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the lowest abstraction layer is a physical layer.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising not processing the wireless communication when the verifying the watermark/signature at the lowest abstraction layer fails.

22. A method for determining whether a change in criteria for generating tokens/keys is necessary, the tokens/keys are used for watermarking, signature insertion or encryption, the method comprising:

providing token/key criteria currently used in producing tokens/keys for watermarking, signature insertion or encryption;

determining whether a length of the tokens/keys produced by the criteria meet a length requirement;

determining whether a randomness of the tokens/keys produced by the criteria meet a desired randomness; and

determining whether the tokens/keys produced by the criteria meet a time variance requirement; and

changing the criteria for producing the tokens/keys when any of the length requirement, the desired randomness or the time variance requirement are not met.

23. A method for exchanging tokens/keys between transmit/receive units (TRUs), the method comprising:

a first TRU producing a first token/key, the first token/key produced using TRU specific information;

encrypting the first token/key;

transmitting the encrypted first token/key to a second TRU;

the second TRU receiving the encrypted first token/key and decrypting the encrypted first token/key to produce a first decrypted token/key.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the second TRU using the decrypted first token/key to produce at least one of a watermark, signature or encryption code.

25. A method of varying security in a wireless system, the method comprising:

identifying a security level of a wireless environment;

determining a rate/complexity of exchange of tokens/keys, based on the identified security level, wherein the rate/complexity of token exchange increases as the identified security level increases; and

wirelessly exchanging tokens/keys at the determined rate/complexity.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the identified security level is based on a location of the transmit/receive unit.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the identified security level is based on a number of transmit/receive units in a vicinity.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the tokens/keys are used to produce at least one of a watermark, signature and encryption code.

29. A method of varying security in a wireless system, the method comprising:

identifying a security level of a wireless environment;

determining a type of tokens/keys associated with the identified security level, different ones of the security levels have different types of tokens/keys; and

wirelessly exchanging the determined type of tokens/keys.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein types of tokens/keys includes no tokens/keys, non-transmit/receive unit (TRU) specific tokens/keys, TRU specific tokens/keys and multiple tokens/keys.

31. A method for security in sensor communication, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of sensors;

communicating between the sensors;

at least one sensor determining a characteristic of another sensor; and

the at least one sensor sending a signal when a change in that characteristic occurs as recognition of potential tampering with the another sensor.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the determined characteristic is within a radio/physical layer.

33. A method for providing security in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying a desired security level out of a plurality of security levels associated with the wireless communication system, each of the plurality of security levels providing a different type of watermark/signature/encryption than others of the security levels; and

providing the type of watermark/signature/encryption as identified by the desired security level.

34. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of trust zones;

providing a transmit/receive unit (TRU) in one of the plurality of trust zones;

identifying a node in another of the plurality of trust zones that the TRU wishes to communicate;

exchanging tokens/keys with the another trust zone; and

communicating with the identified node in the another trust zone after the exchange of tokens.

35. A method comprising:

determining a level of security/trust assurance associated with wireless communication for a transmit/receive unit (TRU); and

in response to the determined level, displaying to a user of the TRU an indication of the determined level.

36. A method for providing security in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

providing a security channel over a wireless interface having a low level of detectability; and

exchanging tokens/keys over the wireless channel.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the security channel is carried over other channels of a wireless communication system.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein if the other channels do not have data for transfer, the other channels transferring false data to maintain the security channel.

39. A method for identifying a rogue transmit/receive unit (TRU) in a wireless communication system having a plurality of TRUs, the method comprising:

a network node receiving tokens/keys from a first TRU;

the network node requesting other TRUs to verify information of the first TRU;

comparing the received tokens/keys with the verification information by the network node; and

based on a result of the comparison, the network node determining whether the first TRU is a rogue TRU.

40. A transmit/receive unit (TRU) comprising:

a TRU specific token/key generation device configured to produce a token/key derived from information associated with the TRU; and

a watermark/signature/encryption code generation device having an input configured to receive the token/key and produce a watermark/signature/encryption code; and

a watermark insertion/signature insertion/encryption device having an input configured to receive a communication signal and an output configured to produce a watermark inserted/signature inserted/encrypted signal for wireless transmission.

41. The TRU of claim 40 further comprising:

a token/key recovery device for recovering a token/key from received wireless transmissions.