Arranging data ciphering in a wireless telecommunication system

• US 7,356,145 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Honkanen, Jukka-Pekka, Ala-Laurila, Juha, Rinnemaa, Jyri
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiferaw; Eleni A
• Application Number:
  US09/896,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20020009199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 380/247, 380/249
• US Class Current: 380/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Arranging data ciphering in a telecommunication system comprising at least one wireless terminal, a wireless local area network and a public land mobile network. At least one first ciphering key according to the mobile network is calculated in the mobile network and in the terminal for a terminal identifier using a specific secret key for the identifier. Data transmission between the mobile network and the terminal is carried out through the wireless local area network. A second ciphering key is calculated in the terminal and in the mobile network using said at least one first ciphering key. The second ciphering key is sent from the mobile network to the wireless local area network. The data between the terminal and the network is ciphered using said second ciphering key.

Claims

1. A method for arranging data ciphering in a telecommunication system having one wireless terminal, a wireless local area network and a public land mobile network, the method comprising:

offering an identifier for the at least one wireless terminal and a specific secret key for the identifier, the secret key also being stored in the mobile network,

arranging data transmission between the mobile network and the at least one wireless terminal through the wireless local area network,

sending the terminal identifier from the at least one wireless terminal to the mobile network via the wireless local area network,

calculating in the mobile network at least one first ciphering key using the secret key specific for the identifier and a challenge code selected for the first ciphering key,

sending at least one challenge code to the at least one wireless via the wireless local area network,

calculating in the at least one wireless terminal at least one first ciphering key using the secret key and at least one challenge code,

calculating a second ciphering key in the at least one terminal and in the mobile network using said at least one first ciphering key,

sending said second ciphering key from the mobile network to the wireless local area network, and

ciphering the data between the at least one wireless terminal and mobile network in the at least one wireless terminal and in the wireless local area network using said second ciphering key,

wherein the terminal comprises a subscriber identity module SIM of the GSM system, the wireless local area network supports IEEE802.11 standard, and the mobile network supports GSM standard.

2. A telecommunication system comprising at least one wireless terminal, and a public land mobile network, wherein:

the mobile network is configured to calculate at least one ciphering key using a secret key according to an identifier sent by the at least one wireless terminal via a wireless local area network and a challenge code selected for the first ciphering key,

the mobile network is configured to send at least one challenge code for the at least one wireless terminal via the wireless local area network,

the mobile network is configured to calculate a second ciphering key using said at least one first ciphering key and a device for sending said second ciphering key to the wireless local area network,

the at least one wireless terminal an identity module for calculating at least one first ciphering key using the secret key stored in the identity module and at least one challenge code,

the at least one wireless terminal is configured to calculate a second ciphering key using said at least one first ciphering key,

the wireless local area network is configured to decipher the data between the at least one wireless terminal and the wireless local area network using said second ciphering key,

wherein the wireless local area network and the terminal support IEEE802.11 standard, and the mobile network supports GSM standard, and the wireless local area network and the terminal are configured to cipher data using a WEP algorithm.

3. A wireless terminal comprising:

a transceiver for establishing a wireless connection with an access point in a wireless local area network, and

an identity module for calculating at least one first ciphering key using a secret key stored in the identity module and at least one challenge code sent by a mobile network and transferred via the wireless local area network,

wherein the wireless terminal is configured to calculate a second ciphering key using said at least one first ciphering key,

the wireless terminal is configured to decipher the data between the terminal and the access point using said second ciphering key, and

wherein the terminal comprises a subscriber identity module SIM and the GSM system, the wireless local area network supports IEEE 802.11 standards, and the mobile network supports the GSM standard.

4. A wireless terminal of claim 3, wherein the identity module of the terminal is configured to calculate at least one authentication response on the basis of a challenge code and the secret key,

the terminal is configured to calculate a check response on the basis of at least one authentication response and said at least one first ciphering key, and

the wireless terminal is configured to send the check response to the mobile network.

5. A wireless terminal of claim 3, wherein the terminal supports IEEE802.11 standard and the terminal is configured to encipher data using a WEP algorithm.

6. An access point of a wireless local area network comprising:

a ciphering device for enciphering/deciphering data between at one wireless terminal and the access point,

wherein the ciphering device is configured to encipher the data to be sent and to decipher the received data using a terminal-specific second ciphering key calculated by a public land mobile network,

wherein the second ciphering key is calculated using at least one first ciphering key calculated in the mobile network using a secret key specific for the terminal and a challenge code selected for the first ciphering key, and

wherein the terminal comprises a subscriber identity module SIM of the GSM system, the wireless local area network supports IEEE802.11 standard, and the mobile network supports GSM standard.

7. An access point of claim 6, wherein the access point supports IEEE802.11 standard and the ciphering device is configured to encipher the data to be sent and to decipher the received data using a WEP algorithm.