KEY UPDATING METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM

• US 20150126154A1
• Filed: 06/08/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: China Academy of Telecom Technology (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Yi
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0433 Key management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to communications technologies, and disclosed are a key updating method, device, and system. A local eNB monitors a user plane uplink and downlink PDCP COUNT value of each UE connected thereto, and transmits user plane uplink and downlink PDCP COUNT value information or transmits a key update request based on the PDCP COUNT value to a macro eNB, so that the macro eNB updates a key according to the key update request or the user plane uplink and downlink PDCP COUNT value information, thereby avoiding the problem of repeated use of security parameters, realizing prompt key update, and improving the security performance of the network.

Claims

1. A method of updating a key, the method comprising:

a small base station monitoring user plane uplink Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) count value or user plane downlink PDCP count value of each User Equipment (UE) connected with the small base station; and

the small base station transmitting a key update request as a function of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value to a macro base station so that the macro base station updates a key in response to the key update request or the small base station transmitting information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value to the macro base station so that the macro base station updates a key according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the small base station transmitting the key update request as a function of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value to the macro base station so that the macro base station updates a key in response to the key update request comprises:

the small base station transmitting the key update request including identifier information of a UE, for which a key needs to be updated, to the macro base station upon determining that the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value reaches a preset value; and

the macro base station updating the key for the UE according to the identifier information upon reception of the key update request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the small base station transmitting the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value to the macro base station so that the macro base station updates a key according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value comprises:

the small base station transmitting the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value of each UE to the macro base station dependent upon a preset report condition; and

for each UE, the macro base station updating the key for the UE upon determining that one of the user plane uplink PDCP count value, the user plane downlink PDCP count value, a control plane uplink PDCP count value and a control plane downlink PDCP count value of the UE reaches a preset value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the preset report condition is that:

there is such at least one of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value that changes by a preset threshold or more;

or

there has been a preset period of time since a last report.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the macro base station updating the key for the UE comprises:

the macro base station initiating an intra-cell handover procedure so that the macro base station calculating with the UE a new key for Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and user plane data; and

the macro base station returning a key update response message carrying the new key to the small base station.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

the UE transmitting no uplink data but decrypting received downlink data using the new key and the old key for a preset period of time after the key is updated;

or

the small base station neither transmitting downlink data to the UE nor scheduling the UE to transmit uplink data for a preset period of time after transmitting the key update request to the macro base station.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

the UE transmitting no uplink data but decrypting received downlink data using the new key and the old key for a preset period of time after the key is updated;

or

the macro base station transmitting a notification message to the small base station upon determining that the key is to be updated for the UE, and the small base station neither transmitting downlink data to the UE nor scheduling the UE to transmit uplink data for a preset period of time after receiving the notification message.

26. The method according to claim 3, wherein the macro base station updating the key for the UE comprises:

the macro base station initiating an intra-cell handover procedure so that the macro base station calculating with the UE a new key for Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and user plane data; and

the macro base station returning a key update response message carrying the new key to the small base station.

8. A method of updating a key, the method comprising:

a macro base station receiving a key update request transmitted by a small base station to the macro base station as a function of user plane uplink Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value, or information transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value; and

the macro base station updating a key in response to the key update request or according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the macro base station receiving the key update request transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station as a function of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value comprises:

the macro base station receiving the key update request transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station upon the small base station determines that the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value reaches a preset value, wherein the key update request includes identifier information of a User Equipment (UE) for which a key needs to be updated; and

the macro base station updating a key in response to the key update request comprises;

the macro base station updating the key for the UE according to the identifier information upon reception of the key update request.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the macro base station receiving the information transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value comprises:

the macro base station receiving the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value of each UE transmitted by the small base station dependent upon a preset report condition; and

the macro base station updating a key according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value comprises;

for each UE, the macro base station updating the key for the UE upon determining that one of the user plane uplink PDCP count value, the user plane downlink PDCP count value, a control plane uplink PDCP count value and a control plane downlink PDCP count value of the UE reaches a preset value.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the preset report condition is that:

there is such at least one of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value that changes by a preset threshold or more;

or

there has been a preset period of time since a last report.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the macro base station updating the key for the UE comprises:

the macro base station initiating an intra-cell handover procedure so that the macro base station calculates with the UE a new key for Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and user plane data; and

the macro base station returning a key update response message carrying the new key to the small base station.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

the UE transmitting no uplink data but decrypting received downlink data using the new key and the old key for a preset period of time after the key is updated;

or

the small base station neither transmitting downlink data to the UE nor scheduling the UE to transmit uplink data for a preset period of time after transmitting the key update request to the macro base station.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

the UE transmitting no uplink data but decrypting received downlink data using the new key and the old key for a preset period of time after the key is updated;

or

the macro base station transmitting a notification message to the small base station upon determining that the key is to be updated for the UE, and the small base station neither transmitting downlink data to the UE nor scheduling the UE to transmit uplink data for a preset period of time after receiving the notification message.

15-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An apparatus for updating a key, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a key update request transmitted by a small base station to a macro base station as a function of user plane uplink Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) count value or user plane downlink PDCP count value, or information transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value; and

an updating unit configured to update a key in response to the key update request or according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the receiving unit configured to receive the key update request transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station as a function of the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value is configured:

to receive the key update request transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station upon the small base station determines that the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value reaches a preset value, wherein the key update request includes identifier information of a User Equipment (UE) for which a key needs to be updated; and

the updating unit configured to update a key in response to the key update request is configured;

to update the key for the UE according to the identifier information upon reception of the key update request.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the receiving unit configured to receive the information transmitted by the small base station to the macro base station about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value is configured:

to receive the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value of each UE transmitted by the small base station dependent upon a preset report condition; and

the updating unit configured to update a key according to the information about the user plane uplink PDCP count value or the user plane downlink PDCP count value is configured;

for each UE, to update the key for the UE upon determining that one of the user plane uplink PDCP count value, the user plane downlink PDCP count value, a control plane uplink PDCP count value and a control plane downlink PDCP count value of the UE reaches a preset value.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the updating unit configured to update the key for the UE is configured:

to initiate an intra-cell handover procedure to calculate with the UE a new key for Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and user plane data; and

to return a key update response message carrying the new key to the small base station.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the updating unit is further configured:

to transmit a notification message to the small base station upon determining that the key is updated for the UE so that the small base station neither transmits downlink data to the UE nor schedules the UE to transmit uplink data for a preset period of time after receiving the notification message.

25. (canceled)