SECURITY UPDATE PROCEDURE FOR ZONE SWITCHING IN MIXED-MODE WIMAX NETWORK

• US 20110110329A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shan, Chang Hong, Venkatachlam, Muthaiah, Yang, Xiangying, Sharaga, Avishay
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information

Abstract

A zone switching method is disclosed for use in a mixed-mode WiMAX environment. The zone switching method is useful in a WiMAX network having both 802.16e (legacy) and 802.16e/802.16m (mixed-mode, or advanced) entities, including mobile stations, base stations, and access service network entities. The zone switching method includes anchor authenticator relocation, dual security context maintenance, and security updates for both entry-before-break-capable mobile stations and for those mobile stations with slower switching speeds. The zone switching method enables an advanced mobile station to seamlessly switch from legacy to mixed-mode operation once the mixed-mode entities are available to service the 802.16m operations.

Claims

1. A zone switching method, comprising:

performing a handover from a legacy frame structure of a legacy base station to a 802.16e zone of a mixed-mode frame structure of a mixed-mode base station, wherein the legacy base station supports an 802.16e standard and the mixed-mode base station supports both 802.16e and 802.16m standards;

causing an anchor authenticator to be relocated from a legacy access service network gateway to a mixed-mode access service network gateway, wherein the legacy access service network gateway supports the 802.16e standard and the mixed-mode access service network gateway supports both 802.16e and 802.16m standards;

performing a security update, resulting in a mixed-mode security context for operating in an 802.16m zone of the mixed-mode frame structure of the mixed-mode base station; and

switching from the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode frame structure to the 802.16m zone of the mixed-mode frame structure;

wherein data communication using the 802.16e zone is not disrupted during the above operations.

2. The zone switching method of claim 1, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing an authentication in the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station, wherein the authentication triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

3. The zone switching method of claim 2, performing an authentication in the mixed-mode base station further comprising:

establishing a master session key and a pairwise master key with the mixed-mode access service network gateway; and

establishing an authentication key with the mixed-mode base station.

4. The zone switching method of claim 1, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing a re-authentication in the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station, wherein the re-authentication triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

5. The zone switching method of claim 4, performing a re-authentication in the mixed-mode base station further comprising:

establishing a master session key and a pairwise master key with the mixed-mode access service network gateway; and

establishing an authentication key with the mixed-mode base station.

6. The zone switching method of claim 1, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing a key agreement in the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station, wherein the key agreement triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway.

7. The zone switching method of claim 6, performing a key agreement in the 802.16e zone further comprising:

transferring a master session key from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway;

wherein the mixed-mode access service network gateway derives a pairwise master key from the master session key.

8. The zone switching method of claim 1, performing the security update further comprising:

allowing a zone switching action time to elapse;

performing a key agreement, an authentication, or a re-authentication in the 802.16m zone, wherein data communication with the mixed-mode base station in the 802.16e zone is not interrupted;

performing additional re-entry procedures in the 802.16m zone, wherein data communication with the mixed-mode base station in the 802.16e zone is not interrupted; and

switching to communication in the 802.16m zone by the mixed-mode base station once the re-entry procedures are complete.

9. The zone switching method of claim 1, performing the security update further comprising:

performing a key agreement, an authentication, or a re-authentication to produce an 802.16m security context in the 802.16e zone during a zone switching action time, wherein data communication with the mixed-mode base station in the 802.16e zone is not interrupted;

transferring the 802.16m security context between an 802.16e medium access controller and an 802.16m medium access controller;

transmitting the 802.16m security context and related signaling of the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station, wherein the two medium access controllers are in the mixed-mode base station;

performing additional re-entry procedures in the 802.16e zone to produce additional 802.16m security context, wherein the additional re-entry procedures are performed either during or after the zone switching action time;

transferring the additional 802.16m security context of the additional re-entry procedures between the 802.16e medium access controller and the 802.16m medium access controller;

transmitting the 802.16m security context and related signaling of the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station; and

switching to communication in the 802.16m zone by the mixed-mode base station once the re-entry procedures are complete.

10. The zone switching method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining a copy of a legacy security context by the legacy access service network gateway;

storing a copy of the legacy security context by the mixed-mode access service network gateway; and

storing a copy of the 802.16m security context in the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

11. The zone switching method of claim 10, further comprising:

operating in the 802.16m zone of the mixed-mode base station; and

switching back to the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode base station using the stored 802.16e and 802.16m security contexts in the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

12. A zone switching method, comprising:

performing a handover from a legacy frame structure to a 802.16e zone of a mixed-mode frame structure, the legacy and mixed-mode frame structures being used by a mixed-mode mobile station, wherein the mixed-mode mobile station supports both an 802.16e standard and an 802.16m standard;

causing an anchor authenticator to be relocated from a legacy access service network gateway to a mixed-mode access service network gateway, wherein the legacy access service network gateway supports the 802.16e standard and the mixed-mode access service network gateway supports both 802.16e and 802.16m standards;

performing a security update, resulting in a mixed-mode security context for operating in an 802.16m zone of the mixed-mode frame structure; and

switching from the 802.16e zone of the mixed-mode frame structure to the 802.16m zone of the mixed-mode frame structure;

wherein data communication using the 802.16e zone is not disrupted during the above operations.

13. The zone switching method of claim 12, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing an authentication in the 802.16e zone, wherein the authentication triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

14. The zone switching method of claim 13, performing an authentication further comprising:

establishing a master session key and a pairwise master key with the mixed-mode access service network gateway; and

establishing an authentication key.

15. The zone switching method of claim 12, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing a re-authentication in the 802.16e zone, wherein the re-authentication triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway.

16. The zone switching method of claim 15, performing a re-authentication further comprising:

establishing a master session key and a pairwise master key with the mixed-mode access service network gateway; and

establishing an authentication key with the mixed-mode mobile station.

17. The zone switching method of claim 12, causing the anchor authenticator to be relocated further comprising:

performing a key agreement in the 802.16e zone, wherein the key agreement triggers the relocation of the anchor authenticator from the legacy access service network gateway.

18. The zone switching method of claim 17, performing a key agreement in the 802.16e zone further comprising:

transferring a master session key from the legacy access service network gateway to the mixed-mode access service network gateway;

wherein the mixed-mode access service network gateway derives a pairwise master key from the master session key.

19. The zone switching method of claim 12, performing the security update further comprising:

allowing a zone switching action time to elapse;

performing a key agreement, an authentication, or a re-authentication in the 802.16m zone, wherein data communication with the mixed-mode mobile station in the 802.16e zone is not interrupted;

performing additional re-entry procedures in the 802.16m zone, wherein data communication with the mixed-mode mobile station in the 802.16e zone is not interrupted; and

switching to communication in the 802.16m zone by the mixed-mode mobile station once the re-entry procedures are complete.

20. The zone switching method of claim 12, performing the security update further comprising:

performing a key agreement, an authentication, or a re-authentication to produce an 802.16m security context in the 802.16e zone during a zone switching action time, wherein the 802.16m security context is transferred between an 802.16e medium access controller and an 802.16m medium access controller;

transmitting the 802.16m security context and related signaling of the 802.16e zone;

performing additional re-entry procedures in the 802.16e zone to produce additional 802.16m security context, wherein the additional re-entry procedures are performed either during or after the zone switching action time;

transferring the additional 802.16m security context of the additional re-entry procedures between the 802.16e medium access controller and the 802.16m medium access controller;

transmitting the 802.16m security context and related signaling of the 802.16e zone; and

switching to communication in the 802.16m zone by the mixed-mode mobile station once the re-entry procedures are complete.