Method of ciphering data transmission in a radio system

• US 20060120530A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Longoni, Fabio, Vialen, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/046 of operations, operands or results of the operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/065 Encryption by serially and continuously modifying data stream elements, e.g. stream cipher systems, RC4, SEAL or A5/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of ciphering data transmission in a radio system, and to a user equipment using the method, and to a radio network subsystem using the method. The method includes the steps of: (602) generating a ciphering key; (604A) producing a ciphering mask in a ciphering algorithm using the ciphering key as an input parameter; (604B) using a logical channel specific parameter or a transport channel specific parameter as an additional input parameter to the ciphering algorithm; and (606) producing ciphered data by applying the ciphering mask to plain data.

Claims

1. A method of ciphering data transmission in a radio system, comprising:

generating a ciphering key;

producing a ciphering mask in a ciphering algorithm using the ciphering key as an input parameter;

producing ciphering data by applying the ciphering mask to plain data; and

using a logical channel specific parameter or a transport channel specific parameter as an additional input parameter to the ciphering algorithm.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

using the direction of transmission as an additional input parameter to the ciphering algorithm.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

using a radio frame specific parameter as an additional input parameter to the ciphering algorithm.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plain data includes one Radio Link Control Layer Protocol Data Unit from one logical channel, and for said logical channel an individual ciphering mask is produced.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ciphering is performed in the Medium Access Control Layer of a protocol stack.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a new ciphering mask is produced for each radio frame of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a new ciphering mask is produced for each interleaving period of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

6-8. -8. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

16. A user equipment, comprising:

generating means for generating a ciphering key;

a ciphering algorithm connected with the generating means (408) for producing a ciphering mask using the ciphering key as an input parameter; and

ciphering means connected with the ciphering algorithm for producing ciphered data by applying the ciphering mask to plain data;

wherein the ciphering algorithm uses a logical channel specific parameter or transport channel specific parameter as an additional input parameter.

17. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the ciphering algorithm uses the direction of transmission as an additional input parameter.

20. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the ciphering algorithm uses a radio frame specific parameter as an additional input parameter.

24. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the ciphering means accept plain data including a Radio Link Control Layer Protocol Data Unit from one logical channel, and the ciphering algorithm produces for said logical channel an individual ciphering mask, and the ciphering means use for said logical channel the ciphering mask of said channel.

28. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the generating means, the ciphering algorithm, and the ciphering means reside in the Medium Access Control Layer of a protocol stack.

29. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the ciphering algorithm produces a new ciphering mask for each radio frame of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

30. The user equipment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the ciphering algorithm produces a new ciphering mask for each interleaving period of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

18-19. -19. (canceled)

21-23. -23. (canceled)

25-27. -27. (canceled)

31. A radio network subsystem, comprising:

generating means for generating a ciphering key;

a ciphering algorithm connected with the generating means for producing a ciphering mask using the ciphering key as an input parameter; and

ciphering means connected with the ciphering algorithm for producing ciphered data by applying the ciphering mask to plain data;

wherein the ciphering algorithm uses a logical channel specific parameter or a transport channel specific parameter as an additional input parameter.

32. The radio network subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the ciphering algorithm uses the direction of transmission as an additional input parameter.

35. The radio subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the ciphering algorithm uses a radio frame specific parameter as an additional input parameter.

39. The radio network subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the ciphering means accept plain data including a Radio Link Control Layer Protocol Data Unit from one logical channel, and the ciphering algorithm produces for said logical channel an individual ciphering mask and the ciphering means use for said logical channel the ciphering mask of said channel.

43. The radio network subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the generating means, the ciphering algorithm, and the ciphering means reside in the Medium Access Control Layer of a protocol stack.

44. The radio network subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the ciphering algorithm produces a new ciphering mask for each radio frame of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

45. The radio network subsystem as claimed in claim 31, wherein the ciphering algorithm produces a new ciphering mask for each interleaving period of the physical layer of the protocol stack.

33-34. -34. (canceled)

36-38. -38. (canceled)

40-42. -42. (canceled)