Method and device for introducing a service key into a terminal

• US 6,748,082 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATX Europe GmbH (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Vieweg, Stefan, Schmidt, Maik
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US09/355,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 380/278, 380/273, 701/201
• US Class Current: 380/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]

Abstract

A simple, efficient and reliable introduction of a service key into a terminal is made possible by a method for introducing a service key into a terminal where the terminal can use the service key to decrypt service data transmitted in encrypted form from a central control station via a public communication channel. The terminal stores a decoding key which is produced from an initialization value by a terminal programming device using an algorithm. The central control station uses an algorithm corresponding to the algorithm and initialization value in the terminal programming device in order to produce a coding key matching the decoding key. The service key stored in the central control station is coded using the coding key and is transmitted to the terminal where it is decoded using the stored decoding key.

Claims

1. A method for introducing a service key into a terminal for decrypting encrypted service data transmitted from a central control station to the terminal comprising the steps of:

producing an initialization value in a terminal programming device which has no direct communication link to said central control station;

producing in the terminal programming device a decoding key from the initialization value and an algorithm;

transmitting the decoding key and the initialization value from the terminal programming device to the terminal;

storing the transmitted decoding key in the terminal;

transmitting the initialization value from the terminal to the central control station;

producing in the central control station a coding key matching the decoding key using the initialization value and the algorithm;

coding the service key with the coding key;

transmitting the coded service key from the central control station to the terminal;

decoding in the terminal the coded service key using the stored decoding key; and

storing the decoded service key in the terminal.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a telematic terminal, said central control station comprises a traffic information center, and said service data comprises traffic telematic data transmitted from the central control station to the terminal.

3. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said decoding key comprises an RSA private key and said coding key comprises an associated RSA public key.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the algorithm comprises a psuedo random number generator.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said steps of transmitting are performed by mobile radio telecommunications comprising mobile radio short message (GSM-SMS).

6. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising encrypting the service data in the central control station using the service key, and decrypting the service data in the terminal using the service key.