METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090190761A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuyuki, Sato, Takaaki, Hata, Masafumi, Tamura, Motoshi, Uchiyama, Nobuhide, Igarashi, Daisuke, Uchikoshi, Akihiro, Okamoto, Akiko, Ishikawa, Nobutaka, Hagiwara, Junichiro, Miki, Mutsumaru, Hamajima, Takuya, Yunoki, Kazufumi, Yasuda, Yoshiyuki, Kusunose, Kenya, Yamagata, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,730 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 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 encipherment-procedure-notifying-means for notifying the network about encipherment-procedure-specifying-information specifying one or more possible encipherment procedures of the mobile station.

2. A mobile station communicating with a network over the air according to claim 1, wherein the encipherment-procedure-notifying-means further includes enciphering key-generation-procedure-notifying-means for notifying the network about enciphering-key-generation-procedure-specifying-information specifying one or more possible enciphering key generation procedures of the mobile station.

3. A mobile station communicating with a network over the air according to claim 1, comprising encipherment communication means for conducting an encipherment procedure corresponding to an encipherment request given by the network and for communicating with the network.

4. A mobile station communicating with a network over the air according to claim 3, wherein the encipherment communication means includes enciphering-key-generating-means for generating an enciphering key corresponding to enciphering-key-generation-procedure-specifying-means specifying an enciphering key generation procedure notified by the network;

and

enciphering means for conducting an encipherment procedure using the enciphering key generated by the enciphering-key-generating-means.

5. A controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising:

encipherment-procedure-selecting means for selecting an encipherment procedure for communication in accordance with encipherment-procedure-specifying-information, specifying one or more possible encipherment procedures of the mobile station, notified by the mobile station; and

encipherment requesting means for notifying the mobile station about an encipherment request requesting the mobile station to conduct an encipherment using the encipherment procedure selected by the encipherment-procedure-selecting means.

6. A controller in a network according to claim 5, further comprising:

enciphering-key-generation-procedure-selecting-means for selecting an enciphering key generation procedure in accordance with enciphering-key-generation-procedure-specifying-information, specifying one or more possible encipherment procedures of the mobile station, notified by the mobile station; and

encipherment-key-notifying means for notifying the base station about the enciphering key generation procedure selected by the enciphering-key-generation-procedure-selecting-means.