Method and system for mobile communications

• US 7,907,730 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuyuki, Sato, Takaaki, Hata, Masafumi, Tamura, Motoshi, Uchiyama, Nobuhide, Igarashi, Daisuke, Uchikoshi, Akihiro, Okamoto, Akiko, Ishikawa, Nobutaka, Hagiwara, Junichiro, Miki, Mutsumaru, Hamajima, Takuya, Yunoki, Kazufumi, Yasuda, Yoshiyuki, Kusunose, Kenya, Yamagata, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier; Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US12/367,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20090190761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 380/247, 380/255, 380/270, 380/273, 713/150, 713/151
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

When a network pages the temporary user mobile identifier of a mobile station, the mobile station sends a response to the network. Next, the network checks the authenticity of the user using a ciphering key, corresponding to the temporary user mobile identifier and a random number. If the temporary user mobile identifier is authenticated, a normal incoming call acceptance procedure is executed. If the mobile station is authenticated although the temporary user mobile identifier is wrong, the network reassigns a new temporary user mobile identifier to the mobile station and stops the current communication. In communication, the network and the mobile station mutually notify encipherment-onset time and negotiate about encipherment manner with each other. In addition, diversity handover is commenced upon a call attempt. Furthermore, if a branch replacement is necessary, the current branch is replaced by new branches capable of executing the diversity handover. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, the mobile station uses the same branch structure and the same communication frequency band for all of calls. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, a branch structure and a communication frequency band, which can continue all of the calls, are selected and used. Therefore, the mobile communications system is suitable for transmission of various sorts of data in accordance with the development of multimedia.

Claims

1. A controller in a network communicating with a mobile station over the air, comprising:

a radio control unit configured to receive two or more possible encipherment procedures from the mobile station and select one encipherment procedure from the received two or more possible encipherment procedures of the mobile station for future communication with the mobile station, wherein the radio control unit notifies the mobile station of the selected encipherment procedure; and

a user information control unit configured to receive from the mobile station two or more possible enciphering key generation procedures of the mobile station, select one enciphering key generation procedure from the received two or more possible enciphering key generation procedures of the mobile station and notify the mobile station of the selected enciphering key generation procedure, wherein the user information control unit receives an enciphering key generated by the mobile station in response to the notification of the selected one enciphering key generation procedure from the network and verifies the received enciphering key.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein if the user information control unit successfully verifies the received enciphering key, the radio access control unit selects one encipherment procedure from the received two or more possible encipherment procedures of the mobile station and notifies the mobile station of the selected encipherment procedure.