METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ENABLE MULTIPLE WIRELESS CONNECTIONS

• US 20150124708A1
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Blankenship, Yufei Wu, Gao, Shiwei
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0077 of access information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A first radio connection is established between a first cell and a user equipment (UE). A network identity of a second cell is determined based on a first set of at least one network identity associated with the first cell, where the second cell is associated with a second set of at least one network identity. The determined network identity is useable for establishing a second radio connection between the second cell and the UE.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a first radio connection between a first cell and a user equipment (UE); and

determining a network identity of a second cell based on a first set of at least one network identity associated with the first cell, wherein the second cell is associated with a second set of at least one network identity, the determined network identity useable for establishing a second radio connection between the second cell and the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the network identity of the second cell comprises identifying a network identity in the second set that is common with a network identity in the first set.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, by a wireless access network node of the first cell to the UE, a list that includes one or more network identities that are common between the first set and the second set.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless access network node from the UE, a selection of a network identity from the list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a wireless access network node of the first cell from the UE, a network identity of the first cell selected from the first set,

wherein the network identity of the second cell is determined based on the received network identity of the first cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the network identity of the second cell is based on selecting from the second set the network identity of the second cell that is common with the received network identity of the first cell.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the network identity of the second cell is based on selecting from the second set the network identity of the second cell that it is an equivalent network identity of the received network identity of the first cell for the UE.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the UE, the determined network identity of the second cell.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by a wireless access network node of the first cell, an indicator associated with the second cell to indicate whether the second cell is eligible to have a multiple connectivity relationship with the first cell.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising

determining a network identity of the first cell;

generating a security key for the UE according to the network identity of the first cell.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising

generating a security key for the UE according to the network identity of the second cell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a key is used for protection of data communication of the UE with the second cell, and wherein a separate key is used for protection of data communication of the UE with the first cell.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a base key for the UE;

receiving, by a wireless access network node of the first cell, an access network node key derived from the base key for use in protection of data communication of the UE with both the first cell and the second cell.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deriving, by the wireless access network node of the first cell, a set of one or more user plane keys from the access network node key, the set of one or more user plane keys useable in protection of data communication of the UE with both the first cell and the second cell.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deriving, by the wireless access network node of the first cell, a first set of one or more user plane keys useable in protection of data communication of the UE with the first cell, and

deriving, by a wireless access network node of the second cell, a second set of one or more user plane keys useable in protection of data communication of the UE with the second cell.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deriving, by the wireless access network node of the first cell, a first set of one or more user plane keys from the access network node key, the first set of one or more user plane keys useable in protection of data communication of the UE with the first cell;

deriving, by the wireless access network node of the first cell, a modified access network node key from the access network node key; and

sending, by the wireless access network node of the first cell to an wireless access network node associated with the second cell, the modified access network node key that is useable by the wireless access network node associated with the second cell to derive a second set of one or more user plane keys useable in protection of data communication of the UE with the second cell.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining at least one user plane key from the access network node key using an algorithm type distinguisher for the second cell.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a wireless access network node of the first cell, an access network node key derived from a base key for use in protection of data communication of the UE with the first cell, and

receiving, by a wireless access network node of the second cell, an access network node key derived from the base key for use in protection of data communication of the UE with the second cell.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a wireless access network node of the first cell, plural access network node keys derived from a base key for use in protection of data communication of the UE with the respective first cell and second cell.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first of the plural access network node keys is derived using a parameter associated with the first cell, and a second of the plural access network node keys is derived using a parameter associated with the second cell.

21. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a wireless communication component to receive, from a wireless access network node of a first cell, a list of network identifiers, the network identifiers being composed according to a first set of network identifiers for the first cell, and a second set of network identifiers for a second cell, the first cell and the second cell to provide concurrent wireless connections with the UE; and

at least one processor configured to;

select, from the list of network identifiers, a network identifier to use for generating a key for protecting data communication of the UE.

22. A method comprising:

generating, by a source wireless access network node for a user equipment (UE), a plurality of security configurations, wherein each security configuration is associated with a different node in a set of candidate target wireless access network nodes;

sending, by the source wireless access network node, each security configuration to the respective candidate target wireless network node; and

sending, by the source wireless access network node, security information of the plurality of security configurations to the UE.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a security key of the security information for one of the candidate target wireless access network nodes is useable for protecting communications of the UE in a wireless connection between the UE and the one target wireless access network node.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the set of candidate target wireless access network nodes according to a measurement performed by the UE.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the corresponding security configuration is sent to each respective candidate target wireless network node as part of a handover procedure.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

starting a timer in the source wireless access network node in response to sending a handover request for the UE; and

stopping the timer in response to receiving an acknowledgement from a candidate target wireless access network node.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

starting a timer in the source wireless access network node;

upon expiration of the timer, removing a node from the set of candidate target wireless access network nodes.