METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY POPULATING A LIST OF MANAGED SECURE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP MEMBERS

• US 20100074446A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: FUCHS, KENNETH C., MURRILL, LARRY
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

Methods of automatically populating a secure group list in a key variable loader and of providing keys to a secure group are presented. After a user selects a secure group and encryption algorithm using inputs of the loader, the loader provides a group identifier and corresponding key for the group. The group identifier, encryption algorithm, and key are transmitted to a portable communication device over a physical connection between the two while a device identifier of the communication device is transmitted concurrently to the loader. The key variable loader automatically populates a stored list of subscribers of the group with the device identifier. When it is desired to transmit a new key to all of or fewer than all of the subscribers, one of the subscribers is connected with the loader and used to wirelessly transmit a new key to the remaining subscribers.

Claims

1. A method to automatically associate a mobile communication device having a device identifier with a secure group established to provide security information between subscribers of the secure group, the method comprising:

receiving identification information of the secure group at a key variable loader;

providing a group identifier for the secure group at the key variable loader;

setting a first key for the secure group at the key variable loader, the first key corresponding to an encryption algorithm;

automatically downloading the device identifier of the mobile communication device to the key variable loader from the communication device over a short range connection connecting the communication device and the key variable loader; and

after downloading the device identifier, uploading the group identifier and the first key for the secure group to the communication device via the short range connection, and automatically associating the downloaded device identifier with the secure group at the key variable loader.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range connection is a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range connection is a secure wireless connection with a range that is sufficiently short to guarantee simultaneous visibility of the key variable loader and the communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the secure group at the key variable loader.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the encryption algorithm, along with the first key, to the communication device from the key variable loader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises storing the device identifier in the key variable loader in a list of subscribers of the secure group.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

disconnecting the key variable loader from the communication device after having downloaded the device identifier and uploaded the group identifier and first key;

reconnecting the key variable loader to the communication device after having disconnected the key variable loader from the communication device;

transmitting at least a portion of the list of subscribers of the secure group and a second key for the secure group from the key variable loader to the communication device; and

transmitting the second key from the communication device to the subscribers in the at least a portion of the list of subscribers.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying the list of subscribers at the key variable loader to remove at least one of the subscribers from the list of subscribers to form the at least a portion of the list of subscribers prior to transmitting the second key from the communication device to the subscribers in the at least a portion of the list of subscribers.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second key is transmitted from the communication device to the subscribers over a radio interface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the list of subscribers and the second key is transmitted from the key variable loader to the communication device over a physical link between the key variable loader and the communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving identification information of a second secure group at a key variable loader after disconnection of the communication device from the key variable loader, the first and second secure groups having overlapping subscribers including the communication device;

providing a second group identifier for the second group at the key variable loader;

establishing a second key for the second secure group at the key variable loader;

verifying the device identifier at the key variable loader after the communication device and the key variable loader have been reconnected via a second short range connection using the downloaded device identifier; and

after verifying the device identifier, uploading the second group identifier and the second key for the second secure group to the communication device via the second short range connection and automatically associating the device identifier with the second secure group.

12. A method of providing security information between a mobile communication device and a secure group established to provide security information between subscribers of the secure group, the method comprising:

a portable key variable loader;

providing a group identifier for the secure group;

providing an encryption algorithm corresponding to a selected type of encryption;

downloading a device identifier of the communication device through a first short range connection connecting the communication device and the key variable loader;

automatically associating the downloaded device identifier with the secure group;

providing a key for the encryption algorithm; and

transmitting the group identifier and the key to the communication device through a second short range connection connecting the communication device and the key variable loader; and

transmitting the key to at least some subscribers of the secure group from the communication device over a wireless connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the key is transmitted to the secure group from the communication device while the communication device is connected with the key variable loader through the second short range connection.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first or second short range connections is a wired connection.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising disconnecting the communication device from the key variable loader between when the device identifier is downloaded and when the key is transmitted to the communication device and subsequently reconnecting the communication device and the key variable loader prior to the key being transmitted to the communication device so that the first and second short range connections are established at different times.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second short range connections are the same connection.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the associating comprises storing the downloaded device identifier in the key variable loader in a list of the subscribers that have each been connected to the key variable loader through a respective short range connection and have transmitted a respective device identifier to the key variable loader through the respective short range connection.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the device identifier in a global list of devices of all communication devices that have been connected to the key variable loader through the respective short range connection and have downloaded a respective device identifier to the key variable loader through the respective short range connection.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the encryption algorithm and an initial key corresponding to the encryption algorithm from the key variable loader to the communication device over the first short range connection, the first short range connection established the first time the communication device is connected to the key variable loader.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the key is transmitted to only those subscribers of the secure group that are secure, the subscribers of the secure group that are secure having been provided to the key variable loader.