SPLIT CIPHERING

• US 20120309355A1
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: PUDNEY, Christopher David, FOX, David Andrew, HOWARD, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• 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 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications network and method of operation that includes establishing a first user plane connection between a telecommunications device registered with the network and a network gateway device of the network via a first access point; providing the telecommunications device with a token using the first user plane connection; establishing a second user plane connection between the telecommunications device and the network gateway device via a second access point by using the token information to validate the telecommunications device; and, subsequent to establishment of and corresponding to the second user plane connection, establishing a control plane connection between the telecommunications device and the network gateway device via the second access point. The token includes information indicative to the network that the telecommunications device has authorization to send a quantity of data to the network gateway device prior to full conventional authentication of the telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications network comprising:

a radio access network comprising a plurality of access points, a plurality of network gateway devices, and a network core;

a plurality of mobile telecommunications devices that are registered with the network and communicate with the network core wirelessly via the radio access network and via one of said network gateway devices; and

means for selecting one of said network gateway devices, wherein the selected network gateway device can route a communication received from a mobile telecommunication device by an associated access point to the network core.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said selecting means selects one of said plurality of network gateway devices in dependence upon predetermined criteria.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device provides its associated access point with information to allow the network to select intelligently the most appropriate network gateway device.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein said associated access point provides the selecting means with said information in order to allow said selecting means to select one of said plurality of network gateway devices for routing said communication.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the selecting means provides the mobile telecommunications device with the network address of the selected one of the plurality of network gateway devices.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the selecting means selects one of said plurality of network gateway devices in order to provide low latency of control signalling and/or user plane signalling.

7. The network of claims 1, wherein the selecting means selects one of said plurality of network gateway devices to control the distribution of mobile telecommunications devices between respective network gateway devices.

8. A telecommunications network comprising:

a plurality of access points;

a plurality of network gateway devices;

a network core;

a plurality of telecommunications devices that are registered with the network and communicate with the network core via respective access points and via one of said network gateway devices;

wherein the network is arranged to allow data packets from a telecommunications device to be received by a plurality of access points; and

combining means for receiving data packets from each of the plurality of access points and for selecting a data packet and providing the selected data packet to a network gateway for onward transmission to the network core.

9. The network of claim 16, wherein said access points configure the data packets received from the telecommunications devices to include data indicative of the quality with which the data packet was received, and wherein the combining means is operable to make said selection at least partly on the basis of this quality indication in the data packet.

10. The network of claim 16, wherein respective ones of said access points utilise a different radio access technology to receive data packets from the telecommunications devices.

11. A telecommunications network comprising:

a plurality of access points;

a plurality of network gateway devices;

a network core;

a plurality of telecommunications devices that are registered with the network and communicate with the network core via the access points and via the network gateway devices; and

authentication means, associated with at least one of said access points, for authenticating that access point with the network core.

12. The network of claim 11, wherein the authentication performed by the authentication means with the network core comprises a challenge and response authentication procedure.