Method and apparatus for automated SSD updates on an a-key entry in a mobile telephone system

• US 6,173,174 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Pamela J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US09/447,516
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/406, 455/408, 455/422, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/517, 455/461, 455/33.1, 455/414, 379/1.2, 379/142, 380/23, 380/21, 380/25, 380/44, 380/49, 380/43, 380/46, 380/47, 380/228, 380/50, 340/825.31, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allowing an Authentication Center (AC) to configure whether or not to perform automated A-key updating for a handset if an authentication failure occurs during an operation attempted by the handset. The AC has access to a Subscriber database describing, among other things, an “alternate A-key” for at least some of the subscribers. The AC also has access to database that contains configuration information about various MSCs in the system.

Claims

1. A method for sending an updated Authentication-Key (A-Key) value in a cellular telephone system, comprising the steps, performed by a processor of an Authentication Center (AC) portion of the system, of:

finding that an authentication with a first A-Key has failed for a handset in the system;

determining whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the Mobile Switching Center/Vistor Location Register (MSC/VLR) associated with the handset;

obtaining an alternate A-Key value if the result of the determining step is true;

generating Shared Secret Data (SSD) using the alternate A-Key if the result of the determining step is true; and

performing an SSD update by sending an SSD update message to the MSC/VLR associated with the handset if the result of the determining step is true.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

determining, when the SSD update is unsuccessful, that the A-Key in the handset is not the reason for the authentication failure; and

determining, when the SSD update is successful, that the A-Key in the handset was the reason for the authentication failure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that an authentication failure has occurred for a handset in the system includes detecting at least one authentication failure from a group including:

a unique challenge failure, an SSD update failure, and an AUTHU mismatch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the MSCNLR associated with the handset includes checking a system-wide flag to determine whether automated A-Key updating is allowed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the MSCNLR associated with the handset includes checking a flag for the MSCNLR to determine whether automated A-Key updating is allowed for the MSCNLR.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining an alternate A-Key value includes the step of obtaining an alternate A-Key value from a Subscriber database for a subscriber associated with the handset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining an alternate A-Key value includes the step of obtaining an alternate A-Key value from an A-Key provisioning subsystem in the cellular telephone system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein computer program instructions for performing the method steps are tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium.

8. An Authentication Center (AC) apparatus for sending an updated Authentication-Key (A-Key) value in a cellular telephone system, comprising:

a portion configured to find whether an authentication with a first A-Key has failed for a handset in the system;

a portion configured to determine whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) associated with the handset;

a portion configured to obtain an alternate A-Key value if the result of the determining portion is true;

a portion configured to generate Shared Secret Data (SSD) data using the alternate A-Key if the result of the determining portion is true; and

a portion configured to perform an SSD update by sending an SSD update message to the MSC/VLR associated with the handset if the result of the determining portion is true.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a portion configured to determine, when the SSD update is unsuccessful, that the A-Key in the handset is not the reason for the authentication failure; and

a portion configured to determine, when the SSD update is successful, that the A-Key in the handset was the reason for the authentication failure.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion configured to determine that an authentication failure has occurred, includes detecting at least one authentication failure from a group including:

a unique challenge failure, an SSD update failure, and an AUTHU mismatch.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion configured to determine whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the MSC/VLR associated with the handset includes a portion configured to check a system-wide flag to determine whether automated A-Key updating is allowed.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion configured to determine whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the MSC/VLR associated with the handset includes a portion configured to check a flag for the MSC/VLR to determine whether automated A-Key updating is allowed for the MSC/VLR.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion configured to obtain an alternate A-Key value includes a portion configured to obtain an alternate A-Key value from a Subscriber database for a subscriber associated with the handset.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portion configured to obtain an alternate A-Key value includes a portion configured to obtain an alternate A-Key value from an A-Key provisioning subsystem in the cellular telephone system.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for updating an Authentication-Key (A-Key) value in a cellular telephone system, the computer program product including;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a data processor to effect finding whether an authentication with a first A-Key has failed for a handset in the system;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a data processor to effect determining whether the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating for the Mobile Switching Center/Vistor Location Register (MSC/VLR) associated with the handset;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a data processor to effect obtaining an alternate A-Key value if it is determined that the system is configured to allow automated A-Key updating;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a data processor to effect generating Shared Secret Data (SSD) using the alternate AKey; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a data processor to effect performing an SSD update by sending an SSD update message to the MSC/VLR associated with the handset if authentication with the first A-Key failed.