WCDMA 3G VOICE COMMUNICATION PROTECTION METHOD AND TERMINAL USING THE SAME

• US 20130136260A1
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: YOON, Jang-Hong, PARK, Yong-Seok, SON, Jong-Mok, AHN, Jae-Hwan, LEE, Dong-Wook, CHUNG, Yong-Ick
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic

Abstract

A WCDMA 3G voice communication protection method and a terminal using the method are provided. The method is performed by a terminal operating in conjunction with an S-USIM for voice communication protection. When a calling terminal connects a voice communication channel to a called terminal, secure voice communication is prepared for by collecting information about relevant voice communication. At the calling terminal, synchronous data is set by exchanging the voice communication information with the called terminal, and a secure synchronization procedure is performed based on the set synchronous data. At each of S-USIMs that operate in conjunction with the calling and called terminals, a session key for secure voice communication is generated based on the synchronous data. Secure communication is performed by encrypting and transmitting voice-coded data to be transmitted based on the session key, and decrypting and reproducing received voice-coded data based on the session key.

Claims

1. A Wideband Code Division Multiple Access 3^rd Generation (WCDMA 3G) voice communication protection method, the method being performed by a terminal operating in conjunction with a Secure-Universal Subscriber Identity Module (S-USIM) for voice communication protection and configured to protect WCDMA 3G voice communication, comprising:

when a calling terminal connects a voice communication channel to a called terminal, preparing for secure voice communication by collecting information about relevant voice communication;

at the calling terminal, setting synchronous data by exchanging the voice communication information with the called terminal, and performing a secure synchronization procedure based on the set synchronous data;

at each of S-USIMs that operate in conjunction with the calling and called terminals, generating a session key for secure voice communication based on the synchronous data; and

performing secure communication by encrypting and transmitting voice-coded data to be transmitted based on the session key, and decrypting and reproducing received voice-coded data based on the session key.

2. The WCDMA 3G voice communication protection method of claim 1, wherein the preparing for the secure voice communication is configured to prepare for the secure voice communication by collecting voice communication information that includes USIM information corresponding to the S-USIM operating in conjunction with the terminal and terminal information.

3. The WCDMA 3G voice communication protection method of claim 1, wherein the performing the secure synchronization procedure is configured to establish timing synchronization for secure communication based on the synchronous data, thus performing the secure synchronization procedure.

4. The WCDMA 3G voice communication protection method of claim 1, wherein the generating the session key comprises:

searching for a user key corresponding to the synchronous data; and

generating the session key based on the user key and the synchronous data.

5. The WCDMA 3G voice communication protection method of claim 1, wherein the terminal operating in conjunction with the S-USIM corresponds to a secure 3G terminal.

6. A terminal using a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access 3^rd Generation (WCDMA 3G) voice communication protection method, comprising:

a Radio Frequency (RF) communication unit for allowing the terminal to transmit or receive synchronous data and voice data to or from another party terminal via RF communication;

an audio processing unit for converting a voice corresponding to a user of the terminal into voice-coded data or converting voice-coded data corresponding to the other party terminal into a voice;

an encryption/decryption processing unit for encrypting voice-coded data to be transmitted based on a session key generated by a relevant Secure-Universal Subscriber Identity Module (S-USIM), and decrypting received voice-coded data based on the session key; and

a control unit for performing a secure synchronization procedure with the other party terminal using voice communication information, and performing secure communication by transmitting encrypted data and reproducing decrypted data.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the control unit allows the terminal to set synchronous data by exchanging the voice communication information with the other party terminal, and performs the secure synchronization procedure based on the set synchronous data.

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the session key corresponds to a session key for secure voice communication, which is generated by the S-USIM based on the synchronous data set using the secure synchronization procedure.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the control unit performs the secure synchronization procedure by establishing timing synchronization for secure communication based on the synchronous data.

10. The terminal of claim 6, further comprising an interworking unit for allowing the terminal to operate in conjunction with the S-USIM corresponding to a security token.

11. The terminal of claim 6, further comprising a display unit for displaying a voice communication protection process that is currently being performed by the terminal to the user.