METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PEER-TO-PEER ENFORCEMENT

• US 20100285776A1
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: de Froment, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method and a system for establishing a dynamic peer-to-peer communications channel between a first terminal and a second terminal. A first terminal and a second terminal are connectable over secured communications channels to a secured network. The first terminal sends a connection request for establishing a communications channel between the terminals. The connection request is analyzed by an analyzer module. Based on network parameters of the terminals, the analyzer module searches for a further network, and establishes a peer-to-peer communications channel over this further network. Security of the peer-to-peer communications channel may be maintained by means of a central unit of the secured network.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a dynamic communications channel between a first terminal and a second terminal, said method comprising:

connecting the first terminal over a first secured communications channel to a secured network;

connecting the second terminal over a second secured communications channel to the secured network;

generating a connection request, at the first terminal, to establish a communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal;

receiving and analyzing the connection request by an analyzer module;

receiving and analyzing network parameters of the first terminal and of the second terminal by the analyzer module; and

transmitting a connection instruction to at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal from the analyzer module based on the analysis of the connection request and the network parameters of the terminals, said connection instruction including an instruction to enforce a peer-to-peer communications channel, over a network distinct from the secured network, between the first terminal and the second terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing the peer-to-peer communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal as a secured peer-to-peer communications channel based on at least one of an authentication module or an encryption module.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing at least one of an authentication key or an encryption key by a central unit of the secured network to at least one of the authentication module or the encryption module.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, at the central unit, parameters on the status of at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal at predetermined points in time; and

tearing down an established peer-to-peer communications channel as soon as the status of the at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal do not meet predetermined conditions.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising intercepting, by the analyzer module, the connection request generated by the first terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the first secured communications channel between the first terminal and the secured network; and

establishing the second secured communications channel between the second terminal and the secured network,

wherein said establishing first and second secured communications channels comprises using public access points for connecting terminals to public networks, using public communications channels between the public networks and the secured network, and using cryptographic modules for authentication of the terminals and for encryption of the first and second secured communications channels between the terminals and the secured network.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing the peer-to-peer communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal using at least one public network.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing the peer-to-peer communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal over an ad-hoc network between the first terminal and the second terminal.

9. A system for establishing a dynamic communications channel between a first terminal and a second terminal, said system comprising:

the first terminal connected over a first secured communications channel to a secured network;

the second terminal connected over a second secured communications channel to the secured network; and

an analyzer module,

the first terminal including a transmitter configured to generate a connection request to establish a communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal,

the analyzer module including a receiver configured to receive and analyze the connection request generated by the first terminal, and network parameters of the first terminal and of the second terminal, and

the analyzer module including a transmitter configured to transmit a connection instruction to at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal to enforce a peer-to-peer communications channel, over a network distinct from the secured network, between the first terminal and the second terminal.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal includes at least one of an authentication module or an encryption module.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the secured network includes a central unit configured to provide at least one of an authentication key or an encryption key to the corresponding authentication module or encryption module.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the central unit further comprises:

a transmitter configured to request parameters on the status of at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal at predetermined points in time; and

a controller configured to tear down an established peer-to-peer communications channel as soon as the status of at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal does not meet predetermined conditions.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the analyzer module includes a receiver configured to intercept the connection request generated by the first terminal.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein each of the first terminal and the second terminal further comprise a controller configured to establish an ad-hoc network between the first terminal and the second terminal.

15. A method for establishing a dynamic communications channel between a first terminal and a second terminal, said method comprising:

receiving a connection request at an analyzer, the connection request including instructions to establish a communications channel between the first terminal and the second terminal;

receiving network parameters of the first terminal and the second terminal at the analyzer;

analyzing the received connection request and the network parameters at the analyzer; and

transmitting, from the analyzer to at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal, a peer-to-peer connection instruction including instructions to enforce a peer-to-peer communications channel over another network and between the first terminal and the second terminal.