Method for controlling connections to a mobile station

• US 7,231,046 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Einola, Heikki, Rajaniemi, Jaakko, Hulkkonen, Tony, Back, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLIN, CARL G
• Application Number:
  US09/868,107
• Time in Patent Office: 2,744 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/150, 713/169, 380/270, 380/44, 380/23, 380/45, 455/426, 455/432, 379/214
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

The present invention is a novel and improved method for managing in a single location the ciphering keys and algorithms used for encrypting or ciphering the communications of a specific mobile station with multiple core networks or core network entities. Further another aspect of the invention is that the management location is movable as the mobile station moves within the radio access network.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising a user equipment, an access network and a plurality of core networks, wherein said communication network is arranged to:

communicate separate ciphering parameters to said access network from said at least two of said core networks; and

select one of said separate ciphering parameters and use the selected ciphering parameter for ciphering at least both a communication between said user equipment and a first core network of said plurality of core networks and a communication between said user equipment and a second core network of said plurality of core networks,

wherein said user equipment is configured to be simultaneously in communication with at least two of said plurality of core networks.

2. A communication network according to claim 1, further arranged to

cipher said communications between said user equipment and said at least two of said plurality of core networks with said selected one of said separate ciphering parameters.

3. A communication network according to claim 2, wherein said communications are signaling messages.

4. A communication network according to claim 2, wherein said communications comprise signaling messages and user data.

5. A communication network according to claim 1 wherein said ciphering parameter comprises at least one of a ciphering key or a ciphering algorithm.

6. A method comprising:

receiving at an access network separate ciphering parameters from at least a first core network and a second core network of a plurality of core networks; and

selecting one of said separate ciphering parameters and using the selected ciphering parameter for ciphering at least both a communication between a user equipment and said first core network of said plurality of core networks via said access network and a simultaneous communication between said user equipment and said second core network of said plurality of core networks via said access network.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising

ciphering said communications between said user equipment and said at least two of said plurality of core networks with said selected one of said separate ciphering parameters.

8. A method of ciphering according to claim 7, wherein said communications are signaling messages.

9. A method of ciphering according to claim 7, wherein said communications comprise signaling messages and user data.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein said ciphering parameter comprises at least one of a ciphering key or a ciphering algorithm.

11. A method according to claim 6, wherein said access network comprises a plurality of entities dedicated for managing the ciphering of communications with user equipments located in a geographical area allocated to said respective entities,

and that when said user equipment moves from a geographical area allocated to a first ciphering managing entity to a geographical area allocated to a second ciphering managing entity, said first ciphering managing entity communicates used ciphering parameters to said second ciphering managing entity by signaling over said at least two of said plurality of core networks.

12. An access network which is arranged to:

receive separate ciphering parameters from at least two of a plurality of core networks; and

select one of said separate ciphering parameters and use the selected ciphering parameter for ciphering at least both a communication between a user equipment and a first core network of said plurality of core networks via said access network and a simultaneous communication between said user equipment and a second core network of said plurality of core networks via said access network.

13. A device which is arranged to:

receive separate ciphering parameters from at least two of a plurality of core networks; and

select one of said separate ciphering parameters and use the selected ciphering parameter for ciphering at least both a communication between a user equipment and a first core network of said plurality of core networks via an access network and a simultaneous communication between said user equipment and a second core network of said plurality of core networks via said access network, wherein said device is one of an access network element and a ciphering controller.

14. A device according to claim 13, further arranged to cipher said communications between said user equipment and said at least two of said plurality of core networks with said selected one of said separate ciphering parameters.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said communications are signaling messages.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein said communications comprise signaling messages and user data.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein said ciphering parameter comprises at least one of a ciphering key or a ciphering algorithm.

18. A device according to claim 13, further comprising a radio network controller in the access network element.