Method for enabling direct encrypted communication between two terminals of a mobile radio network, and corresponding station and terminal facilities

• US 6,137,885 A
• Filed: 05/20/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Flores, Erick, Totaro, Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callahan, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US09/081,550
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 380/247, 380/248, 380/249, 380/259, 380/270, 380/273, 380/283, 380/44, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 380/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for enabling encrypted communication to be performed directly in a single hop or merely directly between two terminals of a mobile radio network by satellite and/or of the GSM/DCS type, after one of said terminals has called via a fixed radio station of the network. After a first encryption stage, performed in conventional manner, a cipher key is simultaneously generated by the identity card associated with the calling terminal and by the network control structure for encrypting/decrypting data transmitted over the radio link between said calling terminal and the station. This cipher key is then stored in a memory of the station so as to be transmitted to the called terminal when a radio link is set up between said station and said called terminal for the call requested by the calling terminal, and the key is used for the purpose of encrypting/decrypting the data interchanged between the calling and called terminals.

Claims

1. A method of enabling encrypted communication to take place directly in a single hop or merely directly between two terminals of a mobile radio network by satellite and/or of a GSM/DCS type after a call has been set up by one of them via a fixed radio station of the network, wherein during a first encryption stage, after a calling subscriber has been identified by the network from a signed response provided by an individual identity card of said subscriber via the calling terminal with which said card is associated, on receiving a random number transmitted by the station to the calling terminal, a cipher key is simultaneously generated by the card associated with the calling terminal and by the network control structure for encrypting/decrypting data transmitted by radio link between said calling terminal and the station, said cipher key then being stored in a memory of the station, and wherein said cipher key is subsequently transmitted by the station to the called terminal while setting up a radio link between said station and said called terminal for the call requested by the calling terminal, said key being for encrypting/decrypting data interchanged with said calling terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cipher key is included in the call set-up message that the station transmits to the called terminal while setting up a radio link with said called terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cipher key is transmitted in a special message transmitted by the station separately from the call set-up message which said station transmits to the called terminal, while setting up a radio link with said called terminal.

4. A facility for a fixed radio station of a satellite and/or GSM/DCS type network for implementing the method according to claim 1, the facility comprising means for temporarily storing the cipher key transmitted by a network control structure for data interchange between said station and a calling terminal calling via said station, and means enabling said cipher key to be sent by said station to a terminal called by the calling terminal so as to enable each of said terminals to encrypt/decrypt data transmitted by the other using a single cipher key when they are in direct communication and for the duration of said communication.

5. A facility for a mobile radio terminal of a satellite and/or GSM/DCS type network for implementing the method according to claim 1, the facility comprising means enabling it to store, call by call, a cipher key received from a station of the mobile radio network when it is called, and means enabling it to use said key to encrypt/decrypt the data it interchanges while in direct communication with a terminal which has called it via said station.

6. A method of enabling encrypted communication between a calling terminal and a called terminal of a mobile radio network, after a call has been set up via a fixed radio station of the network, comprising the steps of:

identifying a calling subscriber from a signed response provided to the network by the calling terminal with which said subscriber is associated;

transmitting a random number from the station to the calling terminal;

generating a cipher key, using the random number, simultaneously by the calling terminal and by a network control structure of said mobile radio network;

storing said cipher key in a memory of the station;

encrypting/decrypting, with said cipher key, data transmitted between said calling terminal and the station;

transmitting the cipher key from the station to the called terminal; and

encrypting/decrypting, with the cipher key, data interchanged between said calling terminal and said called terminal.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the cipher key is transmitted to the called terminal in a call set-up message that the station transmits to the called terminal while setting up a radio link with said called terminal.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the cipher key is transmitted to the called terminal in a special message transmitted by the station separately from a call set-up message, wherein said call set-up message is transmitted by said station to the called terminal while setting up a radio link with said called terminal.

9. A facility for a fixed radio station of a mobile radio network implementing the method according to claim 6, the facility comprising:

storage in which the cipher key received from the network control structure is stored; and

a radio transceiver which transmits the cipher key from said facility to the called terminal.

10. A facility for a mobile radio terminal implementing the method according to claim 6, the facility comprising:

a radio transceiver which receives the cipher key from a station of the mobile radio network;

storage in which the cipher key is stored, call-by-call; and

means enabling use of the key to encrypt/decrypt data interchanged while in direct communication with the calling terminal which established direct communication via said station.