Method of controlling a network entity and a mobile station

• US 7,283,804 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Howard, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/516,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/415, 455/424, 455/551, 705/51, 715/153, 715/165, 715/189, 380/44, 380/201, 380/277, 380/27, 380/247
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A network entity and the mobile station are adapted to conduct a plurality of predetermined message exchange procedures, including encryption key generation procedures. The method comprises determining whether a received message from a mobile station is encrypted. If the received message is encrypted, it is determined whether a correct encryption key for decrypting said message is available to said network entity and, if no correct key is available, a predetermined triggering message is sent to the mobile station. The mobile station then interrupts the procedure exchange procedure and initiates an encryption key generation procedure.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a network entity of a mobile communication network and a mobile station, wherein said network entity and said mobile station are adapted to conduct a plurality of predetermined message exchange procedures in the course of which predetermined messages are exchanged between said network entity and said mobile station depending on the given procedure, where said predetermined messages may be encrypted, an encrypted message being any message of which at least a part is encrypted, and where said network entity and said mobile station are adapted to conduct one or more encryption key generation procedures during which the network entity and the mobile station generate and store respective corresponding encryption keys in order to be able to encrypt and decrypt exchanged messages, said method comprises the steps of:

if said network entity receives a message from said mobile station, determining whether said received message is encrypted;

if the received message is encrypted, determining whether a correct encryption key for decrypting said message is available to said network entity and, if no correct key is available, sending a predetermined triggering message to said mobile station; and

upon receiving said predetermined triggering message, said mobile station interrupting the procedure in the course of which it sent the encrypted message for which the network entity did not have a correct key, and initiating an encryption key generation procedure;

wherein said messages are arranged such that they have a first part and a second part, said first part being an unencrypted part that is not allowed to be encrypted, and said second part being encryptable; and

,

wherein said messages are arranged such that said first part contains a message type identifier identifying the type of the message, and after having received a message from said mobile station, said network entity identifies the message type of said received message from the message type identifier and determines whether said identified message type belongs to a predetermined category, and sends said predetermined triggering message to said mobile station only if the message type of said received message falls into said predetermined category.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said messages are arranged such that said first part contains an encryption indication of whether said second part is encrypted or not, and said determining of whether the second part of said received message is encrypted or not is achieved by analysing said encryption indication.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more encryption key generation procedures comprise obtaining an encryption base value commonly available to said network entity and said mobile station at the time of conducting said encryption key generation procedure, and generating corresponding encryption keys in said network entity and said mobile station on the basis of said encryption base value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said encryption base value is a regularly changed value that is broadcast by said network to listening mobile stations.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said encryption key generation procedure is conducted as a part of a registration procedure of said mobile station with said network entity.