Method for performing multiple pre-shared key based authentication at once and system for executing the method

• US 20070043945A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ji-Cheol, Choi, Jin-Hyeock, Song, Jun-Hyuk, Alper, Emin
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing a multiple Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication in a single procedure is described, where the multiple PSK based authentication generates a combined credential in a terminal by using a plurality of credentials including a user identifier and the PSK, and authenticates the terminal in an authentication server by using the combined credential.

Claims

1. A method of performing a multiple Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication, the method comprising:

generating a combined credential in a terminal by using a plurality of credentials, at least two of the plurality of credentials each comprising a user identifier and a PSK; and

authenticating the terminal in an authentication server by using the combined credential.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the combined credential comprises:

generating a combined user identifier by combining the user identifier;

generating a combined PSK by combining the PSK; and

generating the combined credential comprising the combined user identifier and the combined PSK.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the combined user identifier and the combined PSK comprise the user identifier and the PSK included in the credential, respectively in an identical order.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating of the PSK is performed when an authentication process of the authentication server has accessed all of PSKs.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the combined user identifier identifies the user identifier based on a discriminator, the discriminator comprising at least one of ‘

|,’

‘

/’ and

22. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating of the combined identifier comprises consecutively combining the user identifier, and the generating of the combined PSK comprises consecutively combining the PSK.

6. A method of performing a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication in a terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a challenge code from an authentication server;

generating a response code, based on the challenge code and an N number of PSKs; and

transmitting the response code to the authentication server,

wherein “

N”

is an integer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the generating of the response code comprises:

converting the challenge code and a first PSK of a first user identifier via a conversion method, and generating a first response result;

converting an n-1^th response result and an n^th PSK of an n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and generating an n^th response result; and

generating the n^th response result as the response code, when the n equals the N,

wherein “

n”

is an integer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the n comprises values between 2 and N, and the method further comprises:

repeating the converting of the n-1^th response result and the n^th PSK of the n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and the generating of the n^th response result, with respect to each of the values of the n.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversion method comprises a hash function.

10. A method of performing a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication in an authentication server, the method comprising:

transmitting a challenge code to a terminal;

generating a first response code, based on the challenge code and an N number of PSKs;

receiving a second response code from the terminal;

comparing the first response code and the second response code; and

authenticating the terminal when the first response code is identical to the second response code,

wherein “

N”

is an integer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the first response code comprises:

converting the challenge code and a first PSK of a first user identifier via a conversion method and generating a first response result; and

converting an n-1^th response result and an n^th PSK of an n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and generating an n^th response result; and

generating the n^th response result as the first response code, when the n equals the N,

wherein “

n”

is an integer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the n comprises values between 2 and N, and the method further comprises:

repeating the converting of the n-1^th response result and the n^th PSK of the n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and the generating of the n^th response result, with respect to each of the values of the n.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the conversion method comprises a hash function.

14. A computer-readable record medium storing a program for implementing a method of performing a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication method, the method comprising:

generating a combined credential in a terminal by using a plurality of credentials, at least two of the plurality of credentials each comprising a user identifier and a PSK; and

authenticating the terminal in an authentication server by using the combined credential.

15. A system for performing a multiple Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication, the system comprising:

a generation unit for generating a combined credential in a terminal by using a plurality of credentials, at least two of the plurality of credentials each comprising a user identifier and a PSK; and

an authentication unit for authenticating the terminal in an authentication server by using the combined credential.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the generation unit comprises:

a combined user identifier generation unit for generating a combined user identifier by combining the user identifier;

a combined PSK generation unit for generating a combined PSK by combining the PSK; and

a combined credential generation unit for generating the combined credential comprising the combined user identifier and the combined PSK.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the combined PSK generation unit generates a combined PSK when an authentication process of the authentication server has accessed all of PSKs.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the combined user identifier and the combined PSK respectively comprises, in an identical order, the user identifier and the PSK comprised in the credential.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the combined user identifier generation unit is configured to generate the combined user identifier by consecutively combining the user identifier, and the combined PSK generation unit is configured to generate the combined PSK by consecutively combining the PSK.

18. A terminal performing a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) based authentication, the terminal comprising:

a challenge code receiving unit for receiving a challenge code from an authentication server;

a generation unit for generating a response code, based on the challenge code and an N number of PSKs; and

a response code transmission unit for transmitting the response code to the authentication server,

wherein “

N”

is an integer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the generation unit comprises:

a first response result generation unit for converting the challenge code and a first PSK of a first user identifier via a conversion method, and generating a first response result;

an n^th response result generation unit for converting an n-1^th response result and an n^th PSK of an n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and generating an n^th response result; and

a response code generation unit for generating the n^th response result as the response code, when the n is identical to the N,

wherein “

n”

is an integer.

20. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the n comprises values between 2 and N, and the terminal further comprises:

a repeating unit for repeating the converting of the n-1^th response result and the n^th PSK of the n^th user identifier via the conversion method, and the generating of the n^th response result, with respect to each of the values of the n.