Method and apparatus for encrypting radio traffic in a telecommunications network

• US 5,850,444 A
• Filed: 09/09/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktienbolaget L M Ericsson
• Inventors: Rune, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): CAIN, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US08/708,796
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 380/30, 380/21, 380/49
• US Class Current: 705/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0841 involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A generic communications network provides an encrypted communications interface between service networks and their subscribers. When communications are initiated between a subscribing communications terminal and the generic network, the terminal compares a stored network identifier associated with a stored public key, with a unique identifier broadcast by the generic network. If a match is found, the terminal generates a random secret key, encrypts the secret key with the stored public key, and transmits the encrypted secret key. The generic communications network decrypts the secret key using a private key associated with the public key. The secret key is used thereafter by the terminal and the generic network to encrypt and decrypt the ensuing radio traffic. Consequently, the network can maintain secure communications with the terminal without ever knowing the terminal'"'"'s identity.

Claims

1. A method for encrypting communications traffic between a mobile communications network and a communications terminal, comprising the steps of:

storing a public key and a first identifier associated with said mobile communications network at said communications terminal;

comparing said first identifier stored at said communications terminal with a second identifier received from said mobile communications network;

generating a secret key at said communications terminal when the first identifier matches the second identifier;

encrypting said secret key with said stored public key at said communications terminal;

transmitting said encrypted secret key from said communications terminal;

receiving said encrypted secret key at said mobile communications network;

decrypting said received encrypted secret key with a private key, said private key associated with said public key;

encrypting said communications traffic with said secret key; and

maintaining said encrypted communications traffic between said mobile communications network and said communications terminal when the mobile communications network does not know an identity of said communications terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing a public key comprises the step of a priori prestoring the public key.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting said public key from said mobile communications network upon receiving a public key request from said communications terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting said public key further comprises the step of transmitting information to authenticate said public key.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of comparing further comprises the step of transmitting said public key request from said communications terminal when said first identifier does not match said second identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving and decrypting said encrypted secret key are performed at a radio base station in said mobile communications network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of decrypting said received encrypted secret key is performed at a radio network controller in said mobile communications network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communications network comprises a generic communications network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communications terminal comprises a mobile terminal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communications terminal comprises a fixed terminal.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communications network comprises a cellular phone network.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of service networks to said mobile communications network, a user of said communications terminal being a subscriber to at least one of said plurality of service networks; and

providing a communications path between said communications terminal and said at least one of said plurality of service networks.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said private key and said public key are associated by an RSA Algorithm.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said secret key comprises a symmetric encryption key.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key comprises the step of generating a naturally occurring random number.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key comprises the steps of:

detecting a received signal in digital form at said communications terminal; and

extracting at least one low order bit from said detected received signal.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key comprises the steps of:

detecting a signal at an output of a microphone A/D converter; and

extracting at least one low order bit from said detected output signal.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key comprises the steps of:

detecting a signal at an output of a speech codec; and

extracting at least one low order bit from said detected output signal.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key comprises the steps of:

generating a seed for a pseudorandom number; and

generating a pseudorandom number from said seed.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of said secret key is predetermined at said communications terminal.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said secret key further comprises a plurality of concatenated numbers.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing said public key and said first identifier further comprises storing an expiration date associated with said public key.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said communications terminal transmits a public key request to said mobile communications network if said public key has expired.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

changing said public key at said mobile communications network; and

storing said changed public key at said communications terminal.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of changing said public key further comprises the step of broadcasting said changed public key from said mobile communications network for a predetermined period of time.

42. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises the step of requesting the public key from the mobile telecommunications network when the public key was not stored in the first place.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises the step of requesting a second public key from the mobile telecommunications network when utilization of the stored public key is unsuccessful.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a secret key further comprises the steps of generating and changing the secret key using a pseudorandom number sequence.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the step of changing the secret key is triggered after encrypting a predetermined amount of the communications traffic, encrypting the communications traffic for a predetermined amount of time, or responding to a predefined request from the communications terminal or the mobile communications network.

46. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the communications terminal to generate, encrypt and transmit another secret key to the mobile communications network to be used instead of the secret key.

26. A method for encrypting traffic between a generic communications network and a first communications terminal, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a public key from said generic communications network to a plurality of communications terminals, said plurality of communications terminals including said first communications terminal;

generating a secret key at said first communications terminal;

encrypting said secret key with said public key at said first communications terminal;

transmitting said encrypted secret key from said first communications terminal;

receiving said encrypted secret key at said generic communications network;

decrypting said received encrypted secret key with a private key, said private key associated with said public key;

encrypting said traffic with said secret key; and

maintaining said encrypted traffic between said generic communications network and said first communications terminal when the generic communications network does not know an identity of said first communications terminal.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the broadcasting step further comprises the steps of:

transferring said public key from a radio network controller to at least one base station in said generic communications network; and

transmitting said public key from said at least one base station.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said broadcasting step comprises the step of transmitting said public key from a plurality of base stations in said generic communications network.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of broadcasting said public key further comprises the step of broadcasting information to authenticate said public key.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of broadcasting said public key further comprises the step of transmitting, on request, information to authenticate said public key.

31. A method for encrypting communications traffic between a mobile communications network and a communications terminal, comprising the steps of:

storing two numbers associated with a Diffie-Hellman exponential key exchange algorithm and a first identifier associated with said mobile communications network at said communications terminal;

comparing said first identifier stored at said communications terminal with a second identifier received from said mobile communications network;

generating a first random number at said communications terminal when the first identifier matches the second identifier;

generating a second random number at said mobile communications network when the first identifier matches the second identifier; and

using said first and second random numbers as inputs to said Diffie-Hellman exponential key exchange algorithm, generating a third number to be used as a secret key by said communications terminal and said mobile communications network;

encrypting said communications traffic with said secret key; and

maintaining said encrypted communications traffic between said mobile communications network and said communications terminal when the mobile communications network does not know an identity of said communications terminal.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the step of storing two numbers comprises the step of a priori prestoring said two numbers.

33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of transmitting said two numbers from said mobile communications network upon receiving a request for said two numbers from said communications terminal.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the step of comparing further comprises the step of transmitting said request from said communications terminal when said first identifier does not match said second identifier.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the step of storing said two numbers and said first identifier further comprisess toring an expiration date associated with said two numbers.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said communications terminal transmits a request for two new numbers associated with said Diffie-Hellman exponential key exchange algorithm if said two numbers has expired.

37. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

changing said two numbers associated with a Diffie-Hellman exponential key exchange algorithm at said mobile communications network; and

storing said changed two numbers at said communications terminal.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the step of changing said two numbers further comprises the step of broadcasting said changed two numbers from said mobile communications network for a predetermined period of time.

39. A method for encrypting traffic between a generic communications network and a first communications terminal, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting two numbers associated with an exponential key exchange algorithm from said generic communications network to a plurality of communications terminals, said plurality of communications terminals including said first communications terminal;

generating a first random number at said first communications terminal;

generating a second random number at said generic communications network;

using said first and second random numbers as inputs to said exponential key exchange algorithm, generating a third number to be used as a secret key by said first communications terminal and said generic communications network;

encrypting said traffic with said secret key; and

maintaining said encrypted traffic between said generic communications network and said first communications terminal when the generic communications network does not know an identity of said first communications terminal.

40. A system for use in encrypting traffic between a generic communications network and a communications terminal, comprising:

an access network included in said generic communications network; and

access network means coupled to said communications terminal and associated with said access network, for storing a public encryption key associated with said generic communications network, generating a secret key, encrypting said secret key with said stored public encryption key, transmitting said encrypted secret key to said generic communications network;

encrypting said traffic with said secret key, and maintaining said encrypted traffic between said generic communications network and said communications terminal when the generic communications network does not know an identity of said communications terminal.

41. A system for use in encrypting traffic between a generic communications network and a communications terminal, comprising:

first network means for storing a private encryption key, distributing a public encryption key, and decrypting an encrypted secret session key;

second network means connected to said first network means, for broadcasting said distributed public encryption key, said first and second network means associated with an access network of said generic communications network; and

access network means coupled to said communications terminal and associated with said access network of said generic communications network, for receiving said broadcast public encryption key, generating a secret key, encrypting said secret key with said received public encryption key, transmitting said encrypted secret key to said generic communications network;

encrypting said traffic with said secret key; and

maintaining said encrypted traffic between said generic communications network and said communications terminal when the generic communications network does not know an identity of said communications terminal.