Method and system for securely delivering authentication-related data

• US 7,603,697 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Xuming, Kupsh, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier; Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US10/449,842
• Time in Patent Office: 2,328 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 4
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and system for providing secure communications for transmitting data to and from a wireless device includes components that facilitate sending authentication-related data to a wireless device using a secure channel of a first protocol; and utilizing the authentication-related data to facilitate secure communications between the wireless device and an enhanced wireless service. The secure communications between the wireless device and the enhanced wireless service utilizes a second protocol.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure communications for a multi-media message service (MMS) application service through a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a subscriber to initiate a new subscription to the MMS application service, the subscriber currently having an account with a wireless service provider such that a mobile station of the subscriber has already been authenticated by the wireless service provider to operate on the wireless network but the mobile station of the subscriber has not yet been authorized to utilize the MMS application service;

in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service, generating authentication-related data;

transferring a short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol message containing the authentication data generated in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service, to a short message service center (SMSC) coupled to the wireless network;

sending the authentication-related data generated in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service, in a short message service (SMS) protocol message, through the wireless network from the SMSC to the mobile station of these subscriber;

correlating an identification of the mobile station of the subscriber to the authentication-related data generated in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service;

making the correlation of the mobile station to the authentication-related data generated in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service accessible to an application server coupled to the wireless network, wherein the application server is configured to operate as a multi-media message service center (MMSC); and

utilizing said authentication-related data generated in response to the request to initiate the new subscription to the MMS application service, at the mobile station and the MMSC, to facilitate a secure communication of one or more application messages, of the MMS application service, between the mobile station and the MMSC via a packet communication session through the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlating step correlates the authentication-related data with at least one of the Mobile Identification Number (MIN) and Mobile Directory Number (MDN) of the mobile station, as the identification of the mobile station of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure communication between the mobile station and the MMSC utilizes a packet communication protocol other than the SMS protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile station includes a software client for packet-based protocol communications which communicates using the authentication-related data sent via the secure channel of the SMS protocol message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication-related data comprises an authentication key for authenticating the mobile station of the subscriber to the MMSC.

6. A system for providing secure wireless communications for a multi-media message service (MMS) application service to a mobile station of a subscriber, comprising:

a wireless network, the subscriber currently having an account with a wireless service provider such that the mobile station of the subscriber has already been authenticated by the wireless service provider to operate on the wireless network but the mobile station of the subscriber has not yet been authorized to utilize the MMS application service;

a short message service center (SMSC) coupled to the wireless network configured for receiving a short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol message containing authentication-related data generated for the mobile station in response to a request for the subscriber to initiate a new subscription to the MMS application service, and for sending the authentication-related data generated for the mobile station in response to a request for the subscriber to initiate a new subscription to the MMS application service in a short message service (SMS) protocol message through the wireless network to the mobile station of the subscriber; and

an application server comprising a multi-media message service center (MMSC) coupled to the wireless network configured for correlating an identification of the mobile station of the subscriber to the authentication-related data generated for the mobile station in response to a request for the subscriber to initiate a new subscription to the MMS application service, and for utilizing the authentication-related data generated for the mobile station in response to a request for the subscriber to initiate a new subscription to the MMS application service to facilitate a secure communication of one or more messages of the MMS application service with the mobile station via a packet communication session through the wireless network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless network includes a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) for packet routing including routing of packets between the mobile station and the MMSC for the application service.