Method for Transmitting SyncML Synchronization Data

• US 20070162518A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tian, Linyi
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for transmitting SyncML synchronization data. One is that the originator constructs a SyncML message after encrypting the user data to be transmitted and then transmits the data in an existing transmission way; the user data includes, but is not confined to, authentication information, terminal capability information and the data to be synchronized; the other method is that the originator encrypts the SyncML message in the transport layer before transmitting the message, and the recipient deciphers the received SyncML message from transport layer and processes the message subsequently. The two methods can be used either separately or together. If they are used together, the transmission of SyncML synchronization data is provided with double safety insurance. By using the present invention, user data can be transmitted safely without being intercepted by the third party.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting SyncML synchronization data, comprising:

a Data Sync Client and a Data Sync Server respectively acquiring a session key and initialization operations being performed therebetween;

the Data Sync Server receiving data to be synchronized from the Data Sync Client encrypted by the session key, decrypting the synchronization data by the acquired session key and performing synchronization operations, encrypting the data to be synchronized of itself with the session key and transmitting the encrypted data to the Data Sync Client;

the Data Sync Client receiving the data to be synchronized from the Data Sync Server, decrypting the data by the session key and performing synchronization operations;

the Data Sync Client sending a synchronization completion request to the Data Sync Server;

ending the current procedure after the Data Sync Client receiving a synchronization completion acknowledgement.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

before the step of the Data Sync Client sending the synchronization completion request to the Data Sync Server, the Data Sync Client determining whether there is still more data to be synchronized, if there is still more data to be synchronized, returning to the second step, i.e., the Data Sync Server receiving data to be synchronized from the Data Sync Client encrypted by the session key, decrypting the synchronization data by the acquired session key and performing synchronization operations, encrypting the data to be synchronized of itself with the session key and transmitting the encrypted data to the Data Sync Client, the Data Sync Client receiving the data to be synchronized from the Data Sync Server, decrypting the data by the session key and performing synchronization operations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the data to be synchronized encrypted by the session key and transmitted to the Data Sync Server by the Data Sync Client further comprises a checksum calculated according to the data to be synchronized;

the method further comprising;

after receiving the synchronization data, the Data Sync Server calculating a checksum by the received data to be synchronized, determining whether the calculated checksum is the same as that from the Data Sync Client, if they are the same, continuing with subsequent operations, otherwise, discarding the received data and ending the current operation and executing subsequent operations;

the checksum is calculated according to the unencrypted data to be synchronized or the encrypted data to be synchronized.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of the Data Sync Client obtaining the session key comprises:

the Data Sync Client generating and obtaining the session key;

the step of the Data Sync Server obtaining the session key generated by Data Sync Client comprises;

after receiving the synchronization initialization request from the Data Sync Client, the Data Sync Server determining whether the request comprises an encryption indicator, if it comprises, executing the subsequent step;

otherwise, sending to the Data Sync Client a synchronization initialization response which comprises a failure reason and failure status information, wherein the failure reason is that the Data Sync Server requires encryption but the Data Sync Client does not send the encryption indicator;

the Data Sync Server determining according to the encrypt indicator whether it supports the algorithm and key length according to the session key in the synchronization initialization request, if it supports, acquiring and storing the session key in the synchronization initialization request and continuing with subsequent initialization operations, otherwise, returning a synchronization initialization response, which comprises the failure reason and failure status information, to Data Sync Client, therein the failure reason is that the Data Sync Server does not support the algorithm or key length or session key.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, the session key and key length exist in the synchronization initialization request sent by the Data Sync Client;

after confirming the session key and the key length being supported, the Data Sync Server directly obtains the session key and the key length from the synchronization initialization request.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

the Data Sync Client obtaining a public key of a certificate at the Data Sync Server beforehand;

the session key being encrypted by the public key of the Data Sync Client and existing as a cryptograph in the synchronization initialization request sent by the Data Sync Client;

after confirming the session key being supported, the Data Sync Server decrypting the encrypted session key in the synchronization initialization request by the stored private key, so as to obtain the session key generated by the Data Sync Client.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the Data Sync Client obtains the certificate of the Data Sync Server by installing the certificate beforehand or by downloading the certificate from networks or by interacting with the Data Sync Server.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, if the Data Sync Server receives the initialization data from the Data Sync Client, therein the data is encrypted by the session key, then the subsequent initialization operations comprises:

the Data Sync Server decrypting the data by the obtained session key, performing initialization operations and then sending a synchronization initialization response to the Data Sync Client, wherein the response comprises success information indicating the Data Sync Server has successfully received the session key and device capability information of the SyncML server encrypted by the session key;

after receiving the response, the Data Sync Client decrypting the device capability information of the Data Sync Server by the generated session key and performing initialization operation according to this device capability information.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein, if the Data Sync Server receives the initialization data from the Data Sync Client, therein the data is not encrypted by the session key, the subsequent initialization operations comprises:

the Data Sync Server directly performing synchronization operation and then sending a synchronization initialization response to the Data Sync Client, wherein the response comprises the success information indicating Data Sync Server has successfully received the session key and the unencrypted device capability information of the Data Sync Server;

after receiving the response, the Data Sync Client performing initialization operation directly according to the device capability information of the Data Sync Server.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the initialization data sent to the Data Sync Server by the Data Sync Client further comprises the checksum of the initialization data;

the method further comprising;

after receiving the initialization data, the Data Sync Server calculating the checksum according to the received initialization data, and determining whether the calculated checksum is completely the same as the checksum from the Data Sync Client, if they are the same, continuing with subsequent operations, otherwise, discarding the received data and ending the current operation and executing subsequent operations.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the initialization data comprises authentication information and device capability information of the Data Sync Server;

the authentication information comprises user credential.

12. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

the Data Sync Server determining whether it supports encryption, if it supports, continuing to execute the step of acquiring the session key, otherwise, receiving the synchronization initialization request from the Data Sync Client and then determining whether there is an encryption indicator, if none, operating as in the related art;

if there is, the Data Sync Server returning a synchronization initialization request response, which comprises the failure reason and the failure status information, to the Data Sync Client, wherein the failure reason is that the SyncML Data Sync Server does not support the encryption request.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after receiving the synchronization initialization request response comprising the failure reason and the failure status information from the Data Sync Server, the Data Sync Client determines whether it can satisfy the required conditions in the failure reason, if it satisfies, the Data Sync Client resending a synchronization initialization request to the SyncML Data Sync Server and the request comprising corresponding conditions in the failure reason, otherwise, the Data Sync Client stopping sending any synchronization initialization request and ending the current session.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, after receiving the synchronization initialization request response comprising the failure reason and the failure status information from the Data Sync Server, the Data Sync Client determines whether it can satisfy the required conditions in the failure reason, if it satisfies, the Data Sync Client resending a synchronization initialization request to the SyncML Data Sync Server and the request comprising corresponding conditions in the failure reason, otherwise, the Data Sync Client stopping sending any synchronization initialization request and ending the current session.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein, the encryption indicator in the synchronization initialization request sent by the Data Sync Client indicates the algorithm type and key length of the session key.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the procedure of acquiring the session key by the Data Sync Client and the Data Sync Server respectively comprises:

one of the Data Sync Client and the Data Sync Server generating the session key and transmitting the session key to the other one in an offline negotiation manner.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the session key is a symmetric key or an asymmetric key.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

an originator constituting a SyncML message to be sent, encapsulating the SyncML message into a transport layer protocol request, and encrypting the encapsulated SyncML message by a secure transport protocol, sending to a recipient;

the recipient decrypting the received request by the secure transport protocol to get the original request after receiving the request, and then executing subsequent operations.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, the originator is the Data Sync Client and the recipient is the Data Sync Server;

or the originator is the Data Sync Server and the recipient is the Data Sync Client.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein, if the Data Sync Client is a mobile terminal, then the adopted secure transport protocol is Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS) protocol, if the Data Sync Client is a fixed terminal, then the adopted secure transport protocol is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

21. A method for transmitting SyncML synchronization data, comprising:

an originator constituting a SyncML message to be sent, encapsulating the SyncML message into a transport layer protocol request, and encrypting the encapsulated SyncML message by a secure transport protocol, sending to a recipient;

the recipient decrypting the received request by the secure transport protocol, and transforming the decrypted request into a SyncML message before subsequent operations.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the originator is a Data Sync Client and the recipient is a Data Sync Server;

or the originator is the Data Sync Server and the recipient is the Data Sync Client.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, if the Data Sync Client is a mobile terminal, then the adopted secure transport protocol is Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS) protocol, if the Data Sync Client is a fixed terminal, then the adopted secure transport protocol is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

24. A method for transmitting SyncML synchronization data, comprising:

a Data Sync Client acquiring a first session key and a Data Sync Server acquiring a second session key;

encrypting data to be synchronized of the Data Sync Client via the first session key by the Data Sync Client, transmitting the encrypted data to the Data Sync Server;

upon receiving the encrypted data by the Data Sync Server, decrypting the data via the second session key and performing synchronization operations;

encrypting data to be synchronized of Data Sync Server via the second session key by the server, transmitting the encrypting data to the Data Sync Client; and

upon receiving the encrypted data by the Data Sync Client, decrypting the data via the first session key and performing synchronization operations.

25. A method for transmitting SyncML synchronization data, comprising:

encapsulating a SyncML message into a transport layer protocol request by an originator, encrypting the request via a secure transport protocol and sending the request; and

upon receiving the request by a recipient, decrypting the request via the secure transport protocol and transforming the decrypting request into the SyncML message.