METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE DATA AND SECURITY CONTEXT TRANSFER, AND RE-INITIALIZATION DURING MOBILE DEVICE HANDOVER

• US 20080240439A1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sammour, Mohammed, Miller, James M., Wang, Peter S., Wang, Jin, Somasundaram, Shankar, Mukherjee, Rajat P.
• Application Number:
  US12/048,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/272
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Security context transfer and ROHC context transfer to enable secure and efficient mobile device handoff is facilitated by the introduction of new information elements to the UL Allocation message or separate downlink (DL) physical channel, the use of reverse tunneling during hand off (HO) to provide the User Equipment (UE) with new security parameters, the generation of multiple key sets and automated or context based triggering of the Security Mode Command.

Claims

1. A method for implementing security context transfer by a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) during handover, comprising:

receiving a handover command including an indication of an intention to change a security configuration;

receiving a security context;

receiving a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) context;

processing the security context and the PDCP context and generating corresponding changes to the security context of the WTRU; and

transmitting a handover confirmation in accordance with the processing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving an indication comprises at least one of an indication of an intention to change the control plane security procedure, an indication of an intention to change the user plane security procedure, an indication of an intention to change the control plane data integrity protection procedure, and an indication of an intention to change the user plane data integrity protection procedure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context is via an uplink allocation message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context is via a Handover Command.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context includes at least one of a control plane signaling ciphering key, a control plane signaling integrity protection key, a user plane data ciphering key, a user plane data integrity protection key, a control plane signaling ciphering procedure, a control plane signaling integrity protection procedure, a user plane data ciphering procedure, a user plane data integrity protection procedure, and a parameter enabling the derivation of a key.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context includes a ciphering information element further including a ciphering status indication and a ciphering procedure indication.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context includes an integrity protection information element further including an integrity protection status indication and an integrity protection procedure indication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the security context further comprises receiving a Fresh parameter.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the handover confirmation comprises transmitting a Start parameter.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending the handover confirmation comprises confirming the security configuration wherein the confirming comprises:

sending a success indicator;

sending the security context or an element of the security context.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the handover command and receiving the PDCP context is from an evolved Node B (eNB).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the context transfer is from an evolved Node B (eNB) and the sending the handover confirm is from an eNB.

8. The method of 1 wherein the receiving the security context comprises a Start parameter.

14. A method for implementing reverse tunneling of a security context by a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) during handover, comprising:

receiving a handover command further comprising a security context; and

transmitting a handover confirmation in accordance with the received handover command.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving a handover command comprises receiving a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) context.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving the security context includes at least one of a control plane signaling ciphering key, a control plane signaling integrity protection key, a user plane data ciphering key, a user plane data integrity protection key, a control plane signaling ciphering procedure, a control plane signaling integrity protection procedure, a user plane data ciphering procedure, a user plane data integrity protection procedure, and a parameter enabling the derivation of a key.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving the security context includes a ciphering information element further including a ciphering status indication and a ciphering procedure indication.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving the security context includes an integrity protection information element further including an integrity protection status indication and an integrity protection procedure indication.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the transmitting the handover confirmation comprises confirming the security configuration wherein the confirming comprises:

sending a success indicator; and

sending the security context or an element of the security context.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the transmitting the handover confirmation comprises sending a Start parameter.

21. A method for implementing context transfer by a WTRU during handover, comprising receiving a handover command containing security context including ciphering keys and integrity protection keys.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the security context comprise at least one of a control plane signaling ciphering key, a control plane signaling integrity protection key, a user plane data ciphering key, a user plane data integrity protection key, a control plane signaling ciphering procedure, a control plane signaling integrity protection procedure, a user plane data ciphering procedure, a user plane data integrity protection procedure, and a parameter enabling the derivation of a key.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising sending a handover completion confirmation message wherein the confirming comprises:

sending a success indicator; and

sending the security context or an element of the security context.

24. A method for implementing Robust Header Compression (ROHC) reinitialization, the method comprising receiving an indication that the context transfer has been successful or not successful.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising reinitializing the ROHC context if the indication indicates that the context transfer was not successful.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising not reinitializing the ROHC context if the indication indicates that the context transfer was successful.

27. A method of reinitializing a ROHC context by a WTRU, the method comprising sending a handover confirm message including any of a ROHC context, and a ROHC packet.

28. A method of reinitializing a ROHC context by a WTRU, the method comprising sending, during a handover execution phase, at least one of a ROHC context and a ROHC packet.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising sending, during a handover completion phase, at least one of a ROHC context, and a ROHC packet.

30. A method of reinitializing a ROHC context by a WTRU, the method comprising receiving a handover command including at least one of a ROHC context, and a ROHC packet.

31. A method of reinitializing a PDCP SN context by a WTRU, the method comprising:

checking whether the bearer is an acknowledged mode bearer;

reinitializing the PDCP SN context upon a HO event if bearer is an unacknowledged mode bearer or a transparent mode bearer.

32. A method of reinitializing a PDCP SN context by a WTRU, the method comprising receiving a HO procedure message including an indication of whether to re-initialize the PDCP SN context or continue with the PDCP SN context.

33. A wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) configured to implement a security context transfer during handover, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a handover command including an indication of an intention to change a security configuration, a security context, and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) context;

a processor configured to process the security context and the PDCP context and generate any corresponding changes to the security context of the WTRU; and

a transmitter configured to send a handover confirmation in accordance with the processing.

34. The WTRU of claim 33 wherein the receiver of the processor is further configured to receive an indication comprising at least one of an indication of an intention to change a control plane signaling ciphering procedure, an indication of an intention to change a user plane ciphering security procedure, an indication of an intention to change a control plane signaling integrity protection procedure, and an indication of an intention to change a user plane data integrity protection procedure.

35. The WTRU of claim 33 wherein the security context comprises at least one of a control plane signaling ciphering key, a control plane signaling integrity protection key, a user plane data ciphering key, a user plane data integrity protection key, a control plane signaling ciphering procedure, a control plane signaling integrity protection procedure, a user plane data ciphering procedure, a user plane data integrity protection procedure, and a parameter enabling the derivation of a key.