METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSTANCE IDENTIFIER BASED ON A UNIQUE DEVICE IDENTIFIER

• US 20100008254A1
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lindholm, Frederik, Heidermark, Alf, Schneyer, Sean Kendall
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords H04L9/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use in a communications network whereby an Instance Identifier (ID) is created to uniquely identify a device such as a mobile device or User Equipment (UE) in the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for use by a device in a network, the device adapted to support the creation of a Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU) and an Instance identifier (ID), comprising the step of:

creating an Instance ID to uniquely identify the device in the network while ensuring the privacy of the device ID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the network and the device create identical Instance IDs in the creation of the GRUU.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is 3GPP compliant and the unique device identification (DevID) known to the network is derived from the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or IMEI Software Version (IMEISV).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:

pre-selecting a hash algorithm;

creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the IMEI or IMEISV;

when using the TAC and SNR, omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;

placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;

concatenating the name space ID and DevID;

computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;

setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;

placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is compliant with the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) standards.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique ID that belongs to the device and is known to the network (DevID) is derived from the Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:

pre-selecting a hash algorithm;

creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the MEID or ESN;

when using the Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR), omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;

placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;

concatenating the name space ID and DevID;

computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;

setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;

placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string Mobile Equipment Identifier

9. The method of claim 1, for use in a non-3GPP compliant and non-3GPP2 compliant device, and wherein the DevID uses a private identity to create the Instance ID.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the private identity is a Network Access Identifier (NAI).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein constructing the Instance ID as a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) Uniform Resource Name (URN) (UUID URN) using the string representation of a UUID, further comprises the steps of:

pre-selecting a hash algorithm;

creating a DevID by extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and a Serial Number (SNR) from the NAI;

when using the TAC and SNR, omitting the spare digit for a total of 14 digits;

placing a name space ID and DevID in network byte order;

concatenating the name space ID and DevID;

computing the hash of the concatenated string using the pre-selected hash algorithm;

setting the UUID fields using the hash and creating a string representation;

placing the string representation in urn form by pre-pending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string Mobile Equipment Identifier

12. A method of providing device identification (DevID) protection in a user equipment of network, comprising the steps of:

constructing, by a User Equipment (UE), an Instance ID derived from an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI);

performing a REGISTER request from a UE to a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF);

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the request to the Interrogating-Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF);

making, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to an Home Subscriber Server (HSS);

returning, by the HSS, the Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) required capabilities to the I-CSCF;

using, by the I-CSCF, the S-CSCF required capabilities information to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

challenging, by the S-CSCF, the registration request;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the response to the P-CSCF;

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the response to the UE;

resending, by the UE, the REGISTER request with authentication credentials;

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the request to the I-CSCF;

making, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to an HSS;

returning, by the HSS the S-CSCF required capabilities;

using, by the I-CSCF, the information about the S-CSCF required capabilities to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

informing, by the S-CSCF, the HSS that the user has been registered;

including, upon being requested by the S-CSCF, by the HSS the user profile in the response sent to the S-CSCF;

constructing, by the S-CSCF acting as registrar, a Globally Routable User Agent (GRUU) based on the Instance ID;

sending, by the S-CSCF sends a 200 (OK) response, including the GRUU, to the I-CSCF indicating that registration was successful;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to the P-CSCF indicating that registration was successful; and

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to UE indicating that registration was successful.

13. A method of providing a level of privacy protection to a device identification (DevID) when sent in the clear during device registration with a network, comprising the step of defining procedures in the network for constructing a Globally Routable User Agent (UA) URIs (GRUU) based on an Instance ID in a way that does not reveal the DevID.

14. The method claim 13, wherein a registrar, such as a Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) creates the GRUU.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the S-CSCF, a REGISTER message;

identifying, by the S-CSCF that the Instance ID contains a DevID sent in the clear based on the URN scheme used in the Instance ID;

choosing a hash algorithm;

extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR);

placing the name space ID, TAC and SNR in network byte order;

concatenating the name space ID, TAC and SNR;

computing the hash of the concatenated string using the selected hash algorithm;

setting the UUID fields using the computed hash;

creating and placing a string representation in urn form by prepending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string (UUID URN); and

assigning the UUID URN as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the TAC and SNR comprise one selected from the group of and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI);

a IMEI Software Version (IMEISV);

a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID); and

an Electronic Serial Number (ESN).

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the S-CSCF, a REGISTER message;

identifying, by the S-CSCF that the Instance ID contains a DevID sent in the clear based on the URN scheme used in the Instance ID;

choosing a hash algorithm;

extracting a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR);

placing the name space ID, TAC and SNR in network byte order;

concatenating the name space ID, TAC and SNR;

computing the hash of the concatenated string using the selected hash algorithm;

setting the UUID fields using the computed hash;

creating a Universally Unique Identifier Uniform Resource Name (UUID URN) by placing the concatenated string representation in urn form by prepending “

urn;

uuid”

to the string; and

assigning the UUID URN as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.

18. A method of providing a level of privacy protection to a device identification (DevID) when sent in the clear during device registration with a network, comprising the steps of:

selecting a has algorithm;

extract the name space specific (NSS) string from a Uniform Resource Name (URN) from an Instance ID;

placing the NSS in network byte order;

computing the hash of the NSS; and

assigning the hashed value as the GRUU based on the received Instance ID.

19. A method for use by a device, such as a User Equipment (UE), for registering in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), towards a registrar, using packet switched access, comprising the steps of:

creating, by the UE, an Instance identification (ID) using a Uniform Resource Name (URN) format which transports a Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR) in clear text;

sending, by the UE, a REGISTER request to a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF);

forwarding, by the P-CSCF to an Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), the REGISTER request;

making, by the I-CSCF, a request for information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of the UE;

returning, by the HSS, the required capabilities;

using, by the I-CSCF, the required capabilities to select a suitable S-CSCF;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF to the selected S-CSCF, the REGISTER request;

challenging, by the selected S-CSCF, the registration request;

if unauthorized, forwarding by the selected I-CSCF, the response to the P-CSCF, the P-CSCF forwarding the response to UE, the UE resending the REGISTER request to the P-CSCF with authentication credentials and the P-CSCF forwarding the request to the I-CSCF.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of performing a user registration status query procedure, comprising:

the I-CSCF requesting information related to the Subscriber registration status by sending the private user identity, public user identity and visited domain name to the HSS.;

the HSS returning the S-CSCF required capabilities and the I-CSCF using this information to select a suitable S-CSCF;

the I-CSCF forwards the REGISTER request to the selected S-CSCF;

the S-CSCF informing the HSS that the user has been registered;

whereupon being requested by the S-CSCF, the HSS will also include the user profile in the response sent to the S-CSCF;

further comprising constructing a Globally Routable User Agent (UA) URIs (GRUU) by the S-CSCF, acting as the registrar.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of sending, by the S-CSCF a 200 (OK) response to the I-CSCF indicating that registration was successful;

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to the P-CSCF indicating that registration was successful; and

forwarding, by the P-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to UE indicating that registration was successful.

22. A method for registering, by a network, a device, such as a User Equipment (UE), using circuit switched (CS) access, comprising the steps of:

CS attaching by a UE to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Server;

performing, by the MSCNisitor Location Registrar (VLR) to a Home Location Registrar/Home Subscriber Server (HLR/HSS), authentication and location updating;

CS attach accepting by the MSC to the UE;

evaluating, by the MSC Server, whether it needs to perform registration with the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), comprising the steps of deriving a home network domain name to perform DNS queries to locate the Interrogating-Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF) in the home network;

creating, by the MSC Server, an Instance ID using a URN format which transports an Type Allocation Code (TAC) and Serial Number (SNR) in clear text;

routing a REGISTER request from the MSC Server to the I-CSCF in the home network;

performing a user registration status query procedure;

forwarding the REGISTER request from the I-CSCF to a selected Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF);

informing, by the S-CSCF, of the HSS that the user has been registered;

constructing a Globally Routable User Agent (UA) URIs (GRUU) by the S-CSCF (acting as the registrar) based on an Instance ID;

sending, by the S-CSCF to the I-CSCF, a 200 (OK) response indicating that Registration was successful, the 200 (OK) response including the GRUU; and

forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the 200 (OK) response to the MSC Server indicating that Registration was successful;