METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090154702A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuyuki, Hata, Masafumi, Uchiyama, Nobuhide, Igarashi, Daisuke, Uchikoshi, Akihiro, Okamoto, Akiko, Ishikawa, Nobutaka, Hagiwara, Junichiro, Miki, Mutsumaru, Hamajima, Takuya, Yunoki, Kazufumi, Yasuda, Yoshiyuki, Kusunose, Kenya, Yamagata, Katsuhiko, Sato, Takaaki, Tamura, Motoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

When a network pages the temporary user mobile identifier of a mobile station, the mobile station sends a response to the network. Next, the network checks the authenticity of the user using a ciphering key, corresponding to the temporary user mobile identifier and a random number. If the temporary user mobile identifier is authenticated, a normal incoming call acceptance procedure is executed. If the mobile station is authenticated although the temporary user mobile identifier is wrong, the network reassigns a new temporary user mobile identifier to the mobile station and stops the current communication. In communication, the network and the mobile station mutually notify encipherment-onset time and negotiate about encipherment manner with each other. In addition, diversity handover is commenced upon a call attempt. Furthermore, if a branch replacement is necessary, the current branch is replaced by new branches capable of executing the diversity handover. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, the mobile station uses the same branch structure and the same communication frequency band for all of calls. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, a branch structure and a communication frequency band, which can continue all of the calls, are selected and used. Therefore, the mobile communications system is suitable for transmission of various sorts of data in accordance with the development of multimedia.

Claims

1. A mobile station communicating with a network over the air, comprising decipherment-onset-time-setting-means for setting a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal dependently on a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the network and independently of a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the mobile station.

2. A mobile station according to claim 1 further comprising deciphering means for deciphering an enciphered reception signal received from the network over the air, the decipherment-onset-time-setting-means including:

encipherment-onset-request-determining means for determining if a reception encipherment onset request is received from the network or not; and

decipherment-instructing means for instructing the deciphering means to start deciphering in accordance with a time when the reception encipherment onset request has been received on the basis of the determination.

3. A mobile station communicating with a network over the air, comprising encipherment-onset-time-setting-means for setting a time to start enciphering a transmission signal independently of a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal.

4. A mobile station according to claim 3 further comprising:

transmission-encipherment-onset-requesting means for transmitting a transmission encipherment onset request to the network over the air; and

enciphering means for enciphering the transmission signal so as to generate an enciphered transmission signal, the encipherment-onset-time-setting-means including encipherment-instructing means for instructing the enciphering means to start enciphering in accordance with a time when the transmission encipherment onset request has been transmitted.

5. A controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising decipherment-onset-time-setting-means for setting a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal dependently on a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the mobile station and independently of a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the controller.

6. A controller in a network according to claim 5 further comprising deciphering means for deciphering an enciphered reception signal received from the mobile station over the air, the decipherment-onset-time-setting-means including:

encipherment-onset-request-determining means for determining if a reception encipherment onset request is received from the network or not; and

decipherment-instructing means for instructing the deciphering means to start deciphering in accordance with a time when the reception encipherment onset request has been received on the basis of the determination.

7. A controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising encipherment-onset-time-setting-means for setting a time to start enciphering a transmission signal independently of a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal.

8. A controller in a network according to claim 7, further comprising:

transmission-encipherment-onset-requesting means for transmitting a transmission encipherment onset request to the mobile station over the air; and

enciphering means for enciphering the transmission signal so as to generate an enciphered transmission signal, the encipherment-onset-time-setting-means including encipherment-instructing means for instructing the enciphering means to start enciphering in accordance with a time when the transmission encipherment onset request has been transmitted.

9. A system for mobile communication comprising a mobile station and a network communicating with each other over the air,

the network comprising:

encipherment-onset-requesting means for transmitting an encipherment onset request to the mobile station over the air;

first-enciphered-transmission-signal-generating means for enciphering a first transmission signal which should be transmitted from the network to the mobile

station after the transmission of the encipherment onset request, thereby generating a first enciphered transmission signal;

first-enciphered-transmission-signal-transmitting means for transmitting the first enciphered transmission signal to the mobile station;

response determining means for determining if an encipher onset response by the mobile station indicating that the encipherment onset request is acceptable is received or not; and

first deciphering means for starting to decipher a second enciphered transmission signal from the mobile station on the basis of the determination of the response determining means when the mobile station accepts the encipherment onset request,

the mobile station comprising;

request determining means for determining if the encipherment onset request is received or not;

encipherment-onset-responding means for transmitting the encipherment onset response on the basis of the determination of the request determining means when the encipherment onset request is accepted;

second deciphering means for starting to decipher the first enciphered transmission signal from the network when the encipherment onset request is accepted;

second-enciphered-transmission-signal-generating means for enciphering a second transmission signal which should be transmitted from the mobile station to the network after the transmission of the encipherment onset response, thereby generating a second enciphered transmission signal; and

second-enciphered-transmission-signal-transmitting means for transmitting the second enciphered transmission signal to the network.

10. A method for controlling a mobile station communicating with a network over the air, comprising the step of setting a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal dependently on a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the network and independently of a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the mobile station.

11. A method for controlling a mobile station according to claim 10, further comprising the step of deciphering an enciphered reception signal received from the network over the air, the step of setting a time to start deciphering including the steps of determining if a reception encipherment onset request is received from the network or not;

and instructing to start the deciphering step in accordance with a time when the reception encipherment onset request has been received on the basis of the determination.

12. A method for controlling a mobile station communicating with a network over the air, comprising the step of setting a time to start enciphering a transmission signal independently of a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal.

13. A method for controlling a mobile station according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of transmitting a transmission encipherment onset request to the network over the air;

and enciphering the transmission signal so as to generate an enciphered transmission signal, the step of setting a time to start enciphering including the step of instructing to start the enciphering step in accordance with a time when the transmission encipherment onset request has been transmitted.

14. A method for controlling a controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising the step of setting a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal dependently on a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the mobile station and independently of a time to start enciphering a transmission signal in the controller.

15. A method for controlling a controller in a network according to claim 14, further comprising the step of deciphering an enciphered reception signal received from the mobile station over the air, the step of setting a time to start deciphering including the steps of determining if a reception encipherment onset request is received from the network or not;

and instructing to start the deciphering step in accordance with a time when the reception encipherment onset request has been received on the basis of the determination.

16. A method for controlling a controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising the step of setting a time to start enciphering a transmission signal independently of a time to start deciphering an enciphered reception signal.

17. A method for controlling a controller in a network according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of

transmitting a transmission encipherment onset request to the mobile station over the air;

and

enciphering the transmission signal so as to generate an enciphered transmission signal, the step of setting a time to start enciphering including the step of instructing to start the enciphering step in accordance with a time when the transmission encipherment onset request has been transmitted.

18. A method for controlling a system for mobile communication in which a mobile station and a network communicate with each other over the air, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an encipherment onset request from the network to the mobile station over the air;

enciphering a first transmission signal which should be transmitted from the network to the mobile station after the transmission of the encipherment onset request, thereby generating a first enciphered transmission signal;

transmitting the first enciphered transmission signal to the mobile station;

determining if an encipher onset response by the mobile station indicating that the encipherment onset request is acceptable is received or not;

starting to decipher a second enciphered transmission signal from the mobile station on the basis of the determination of the response determining step when the mobile station accepts the encipherment onset request;

determining if the encipherment onset request is received or not;

transmitting the encipherment onset response on the basis of the determination of the request determining step when the encipherment onset request is accepted;

starting to decipher the first enciphered transmission signal from the network when the encipherment onset request is accepted;

enciphering a second transmission signal which should be transmitted from the mobile station to the network after the transmission of the encipherment onset response, thereby generating a second enciphered transmission signal; and

transmitting the second enciphered transmission signal to the network.