Method and system for subscriber authentification and/or encryption of items of information

• US 6,363,151 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Linder, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): DI LORENZO, ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US08/903,581
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/432, 455/403, 455/422, 380/247, 380/278, 713/168
• US Class Current: 380/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Security parameters (SPAR) are provided by the mobile radiotelephone network (PLMN) for subscribers of another network (CN) via an interface (DSS1+) connecting the two networks, without carrying out subscriber entries in at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network for these subscribers in the mobile radiotelephone network. The subscribers of the other network thereby identify themselves with a subscriber identity module (SIM) of their subscriber station (UPTS, DM), and are installed in a subscriber database (DB) of the other network. The security parameters for the subscribers installed in the private network are requested via the interface, are provided by an authentification center (AC) of the mobile radiotelephone network and are transmitted to the private network via the interface. An entering of the subscriber in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network is omitted, which also has in particular the advantage that it is not necessary to assign mobile subscriber call numbers in the mobile radiotelephone network.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of subscriber authentication and encryption of items of information, comprising the steps of:

identifying mobile subscribers to a mobile radiotelephone network with a subscriber identity module contained in a subscriber station, using a first public, commercial authentication standard;

installing said mobile subscribers in at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network and registering in an authentication center, which center respectively provides security parameters and security algorithms for the mobile subscribers, for protection of subscriber data of the mobile subscribers;

identifying with a subscriber identity module subscribers of a further network, independent of but connected to the mobile radiotelephone network via an interface, said further network using a second pubic, commercial authentication standard different from said first public, commercial authentication standard;

installing the identified subscriber in at least one subscriber database of the further network;

requesting the security parameters for the installed subscriber of the further network via the interface;

providing the security parameters by the authentication center of the mobile radiotelephone network;

transmitting the security parameters to the further network via the interface, the steps of requesting, providing and transmitting security parameters occurring without the execution of a subscriber entry in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network;

executing in the further network at least one of subscriber authentication for the subscribers of the further network and encryption of items of information based on the security parameters received from the mobile radiotelephone network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authentification center that provides the security parameters in the mobile radiotelephone network is identified by subscriber identification that is read from the subscriber identity module by the subscriber station and that is sent via the interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the security parameters received from the mobile radiotelephone network are entered into the subscriber database of the further network in addition to the subscriber data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the subscriber database is a home database of subscribers registered in the further network.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein before additional sets of security parameters are made available, at least one set of security parameters is requested and transmitted via the interface, and at least one of subscriber authentification and encryption is carried out.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radiotelephone network is a cellular mobile radiotelephone network according to a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) standard, which network provides GSM security parameters for the subscribers of the further network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein given the use of a radiotelephone subscriber station for the subscribers of the further network, the security algorithms have measures for encryption of items of information to be sent via air between the radiotelephone subscriber station and a base station.

8. A system for at least one of subscriber authentication and encryption of items of information, comprising:

a subscriber identity module with which subscribers identify themselves to a mobile radiotelephone network, using a first public, commercial authentication standard, the module being in a subscriber station;

at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network in which the subscribers are installed;

an authentication center in which the subscribers are registered, from which security parameters and security algorithms for the mobile subscribers are provided for protection of subscriber data;

a further network, independent of said mobile radiotelephone network, whose subscribers identify themselves with a respective subscriber identity module of their subscriber stations, the subscribers being installed at least in a subscriber database of the further network, said further network using a second public, commercial authentication standard different authentication standard;

an interface connecting said mobile radiotelephone network and said further network;

in the further network, means for requesting security parameters for an installed subscriber of the further network via the interface;

in the respective authentication center of the mobile radiotelephone network, means for providing the security parameters;

in the mobile radiotelephone network, means for transmitting the security parameters via the interface to the further network, without carrying out a subscriber entry in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network;

in the further network, means for carrying out subscriber authentication for the subscribers of the further network and encryption of the items of Information based on the security parameters received by the mobile radiotelephone network.

9. A method for at least one of subscriber authentication and encryption of items of information, comprising the steps of:

identifying mobile subscribers to a mobile radiotelephone network with a subscriber identity module contained in a subscriber station, using a first public, commercial authentication standard;

installing said mobile subscribers in at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network and registering in an authentication center, which center respectively provides security parameters and security algorithms for the mobile subscribers, for protection of subscriber data of the mobile subscribers;

identifying with a subscriber identity module subscribers of a further network independent of but connected to the mobile radiotelephone network via an interface, said further network using a second public, commercial authentication standard different from said first public, commercial authentication standard;

setting up the identified subscriber in at least one subscriber database of the further network;

requesting the security parameters for the installed subscriber of the further network via the interface;

providing the security parameters by the authentication center of the mobile radiotelephone network;

transmitting the security parameters to the further network via the interface, the steps of requesting, providing and transmitting security parameters occurring without the execution of a subscriber entry in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network;

executing in the further network subscriber authentication for the subscribers of the further network and/or the encryption of items of information based on the security parameters received from the mobile radiotelephone network; and

requesting, before additional sets of security parameters are made available, at least one set of security parameters, the at least one set of security parameters being transmitted via the interface, and the subscriber authentication and encryption being carded out.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the authentification center that provides the security parameters in the mobile radiotelephone network is identified by subscriber identification that is read from the subscriber identity module by the subscriber station and that is sent via the interface.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the security parameters received from the mobile radiotelephone network are entered into the subscriber database of the further network in addition to the subscriber data.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the subscriber database is a home database of subscribers registered in the further network.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the mobile radiotelephone network is a cellular mobile radiotelephone network according to a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) standard, which network provides GSM security parameters for the subscribers of the further network.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein given the use of a radiotelephone subscriber station for the subscribers of the further network, the security algorithms have measures for encryption of items of information to be sent via air between the radiotelephone subscriber station and a base station.

15. A system for at least one of subscriber authentification and encryption of items of information, comprising:

a subscriber identity module with which subscribers identify themselves to a mobile radiotelephone network, using a first public, commercial authentication standard, the module being in a subscriber station;

at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network in which the subscribers are installed;

an authentication center in which the subscribers are registered, from which security parameters and security algorithms for the mobile subscribers are provided for protection of subscriber data;

a further network independent of said mobile radiotelephone network, whose subscribers identify themselves with a respective subscriber identity module of their subscriber stations, the subscribers being installed at least in a subscriber database of the further network, said further network using a second public, commercial authentication standard different from said first public, commercial authentication;

in the further network, means for requesting security parameters for an installed subscriber of the further network via the interface;

in the respective authentication center of the mobile radiotelephone network, means for providing the security parameters;

in the mobile radiotelephone network, means for transmitting the security parameters via the interface to the further network, without carrying out a subscriber entry in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network;

in the further network, means for carrying out subscriber authentication for the subscribers of the further network or encryption of the items of information based on the security parameters received by the mobile radiotelephone network, and for requesting, before additional sets of security parameters are made available, at least one set of security parameters, the at least one set of security parameters being transmitted via the interface, and the subscriber authentication and encryption being carried out.

16. A method for at least one of subscriber authentification and encryption of items of information, comprising the steps of:

identifying mobile subscribers to a mobile radiotelephone network with a subscriber identity module contained in a subscriber station;

installing said mobile subscribers in at least one subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network and registering in an authentification center, which center respectively provides security parameters and security algorithms for the mobile subscribers, for protection of subscriber data of the mobile subscribers;

identifying with a subscriber identity module subscribers of a further network connected to the mobile radio telephone network via an interface, said further network using a different authentication standard than said mobile radiotelephone network;

setting up the identified subscriber in at least one subscriber database of the further network;

requesting the security parameters for the installed subscriber of the further network via the interface;

providing the security parameters by the authentification center of the mobile radiotelephone network;

transmitting the security parameters to the further network via the interface, the steps of requesting, providing and transmitting security parameters occurring without the execution of a subscriber entry in the subscriber database of the mobile radiotelephone network;

executing in the further network subscriber authentification for the subscribers of the further network and/or the encryption of items of information based on the security parameters received from the mobile radiotelephone network; and

requesting, before additional sets of security parameters are made available, at least one set of security parameters, the at least one set of security parameters being transmitted via the interface, and the subscriber authentification or encryption being carried out.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the authentification center that provides the security parameters in the mobile radiotelephone network is identified by subscriber identification that is read from the subscriber identity module by the subscriber station and that is sent via the interface.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the subscriber database is a home database of subscribers registered in the further network.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the mobile radiotelephone network is a cellular mobile radiotelephone network according to a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) standard, which network provides GSM security parameters for the subscribers of the further network.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein given the use of a radiotelephone subscriber station for the subscribers of the further network, the security algorithms have measures for encryption of items of information to be sent via air between the radiotelephone subscriber station and a base station.