Method and device for carrying out security procedures involving mobile stations in hybrid cellular telecommunication systems

• US 7,590,407 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hanninen, Timo, Mickos, Roy, Uosukainen, Petri, Siik, Tapio, Narvanen, Kai, Honkala, Hannu, Rautiola, Markku, Rissanen, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/130,406
• Time in Patent Office: 3,217 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/461, 455/426.1, 455/414.1, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/520, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/560, 380/248, 380/328, 370/310, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method (300) for carrying out a security procedure with a mobile station, where a hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a mobile station (301) and the hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a cellular network (308). The method is characterized in that the cellular network carries out the security procedure with the mobile station, the data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system, and the decision of triggering the security procedure of the cellular network is made outside the cellular network (309). The invention also relates to a network element (510) in the hybrid cellular telecommunication system that triggers the security procedure and to a network element (500) in the cellular network that carries out the security procedure after receiving a triggering signal.

Claims

1. A method for externally triggering a security procedure for performance by a cellular network, where a hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a mobile station and the hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with the cellular network, the method comprising:

sending a security procedure triggering message to the cellular network, after a decision to trigger the security procedure of the cellular network is made by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network;

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station, data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system, and the mobile station, the hybrid cellular telecommunication system and the cellular network are separate entities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

making the decision to trigger the security procedure in the hybrid cellular telecommunication system;

wherein the security procedure of the cellular network is triggered by the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the security procedure is triggered by a gateway element which connects a cellular subsystem to the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the security procedure is triggered by a gatekeeper within the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the security procedure is triggered by a base transceiver station within the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the identity of the mobile station is requested by the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the decision to trigger the security procedure is made by said mobile station and the security procedures of the cellular network are triggered by said mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the security procedure is triggered by sending a triggering message to the cellular network via an interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the security procedure is triggered by sending a mobility management message having an indication of a requested security procedure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein part of a non-cellular subsystem an the hybrid cellular telecommunication system is realized using an Internet Protocol network and the H.323 standard.

11. An element of a hybrid cellular telecommunication system functionally connected to a cellular network, said system having means for communicating with a mobile station and means for communicating with a cellular network in both directions, the element comprising:

an arrangement having means for making a decision to trigger a security procedure and for creating and sending a security procedure triggering message to the cellular network, and the mobile station,

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station and the hybrid cellular telecommunication system and the cellular network are separate entities.

16. The element of claim 11, wherein said triggering message is a mobility management message having an indication of a requested security procedure.

17. The element of claim 11, wherein the element is a base transceiver station.

18. The element of claim 11, wherein the element is a gateway which connects a cellular subsystem to the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.

19. The element of claim 11, wherein the element is a gatekeeper.

20. The element of claim 11, wherein said cellular network is a GSM network and at least part of a non-cellular subsystem of the hybrid cellular telecommunication system is a packet based network.

21. The element of claim 11, wherein said cellular network is an UMTS network and at least part of a non-cellular subsystem of the hybrid cellular telecommunication system is a packet based network.

12. A method for carrying out a security procedure with a mobile station, where a hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a cellular network, the method comprising:

receiving, in the cellular network, a security procedure triggering message based on a decision to trigger a security procedure of the cellular network by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network; and

carrying out the security procedure with the mobile station by the cellular network;

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station, data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system, and the mobile station, the hybrid cellular telecommunication system and the cellular network are separate entities.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the decision to trigger the security procedure is made by said mobile station and the security procedures of the cellular network are triggered by said mobile station.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the security procedure is triggered by sending a triggering message to the cellular network via an interface.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein part of the non-cellular subsystem of the hybrid cellular telecommunication system is realized using an Internet Protocol network and H.323 standard.

22. An element of a cellular network having means for carrying out a security procedure with a separate mobile station wherein the element further comprises means for receiving a security procedure triggering message by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network and wherein the element is arranged to carry out a security procedure when detecting the security procedure triggering message, and wherein a hybrid cellular telecommunication system is functionally connected to the cellular network, the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station, data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunications system, and the mobile station, hybrid cellular telecommunication system, and cellular network are separate entities.

23. The element of claim 22, wherein said element includes means for initializing the security procedure according to the received triggering message.

24. The element of claim 22, wherein said triggering message is a mobility management message where a pre-determined parameter value is allocated for indicating the requested security procedure.

25. The element of claim 22, wherein said element is a mobile switching center.

26. The element of claim 22, wherein said element is an element of a GSM network.

27. The element of claim 22, wherein said element is an element of a UMTS network.

28. An apparatus configured for carrying out a security procedure with a mobile station, where a hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with the mobile station and a cellular network, comprising:

means for receiving a security procedure triggering message based on a decision to trigger a security procedure of the cellular network by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network; and

means for carrying out the security procedure with the mobile station by the cellular network;

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station, data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system, and the mobile station, the hybrid cellular telecommunication and the cellular network are separate entities.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the apparatus is a wireless device.

30. A system for externally triggering a security procedure for performance by a cellular network, where a hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a mobile station and the hybrid cellular telecommunication system communicates with a cellular network, comprising:

means for sending a security procedure triggering message to the cellular network, after a decision to trigger the security procedure of the cellular network is made by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network; and

means for transferring data related to the security procedure between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system;

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station and the mobile station, the hybrid cellular telecommunication system and the cellular network are separate entities.

31. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program executed by a computer that causes a system to externally trigger a security procedure for performance by a separate cellular network, comprising:

program code for sending a security procedure triggering message to the cellular network, after a decision to trigger the security procedure of the cellular network is made by an external element functionally connected to the cellular network; and

program code for transferring data related to the security procedure between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunication system;

wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station and the mobile station, the hybrid cellular telecommunication system and the cellular network are separate entities.

32. An element of a hybrid cellular telecommunication system functionally connected to a separate cellular network, said system configured to communicate with a mobile station and configured to communicate with a cellular network, the element configured to:

trigger a security procedure of the cellular network by sending a security procedure triggering message to the separate cellular network, wherein the hybrid cellular telecommunication system lacks the capacity to perform the security procedure for any mobile station, and wherein data related to the security procedure is transferred between the cellular network and the mobile station in both directions via the hybrid cellular telecommunications system.

33. The element of claim 32, wherein the element is a gateway which connects a cellular subsystem to the hybrid cellular telecommunication system.