Method for transmitting syncML synchronization data

• US 7,996,358 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tian, Linyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/610,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 370/328, 707/610, 707/609, 707/697, 1/1
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for transmitting SyncML synchronization data. One is that the originator constructs a SyncML message after encrypting the user data to be transmitted and then transmits the data in an existing transmission way; the user data includes, but is not confined to, authentication information, terminal capability information and the data to be synchronized; the other method is that the originator encrypts the SyncML message in the transport layer before transmitting the message, and the recipient deciphers the received SyncML message from transport layer and processes the message subsequently. The two methods can be used either separately or together. If they are used together, the transmission of SyncML synchronization data is provided with double safety insurance. By using the present invention, user data can be transmitted safely without being intercepted by the third party.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting SyncML synchronization data, comprising:

generating, by a Data Sync terminal device, a session key and sending a synchronization initialization request to a Data Sync Server;

determining, by the Data Sync Server, whether the synchronization initialization request comprises an encryption indicator, and if there is no encryption indicator in the synchronization initialization request, returning a synchronization initialization response comprising a failure reason indicating that encryption is required;

determining, by the Data Sync Server, whether the Data Sync Server supports an algorithm and a key length indicated in the synchronization initialization request, if the Data Sync Server supports, acquiring the session key in the synchronization initialization request and performing initialization operations, otherwise, returning a synchronization initialization response comprising a failure reason indicating that the Data Sync Server does not support the algorithm or the key length in the synchronization initialization request;

receiving, by the Data Sync Server, synchronization data encrypted by the session key from the Data Sync terminal device, decrypting the synchronization data by the acquired session key and performing synchronization operations, encrypting data with the session key to form encrypted synchronization data and transmitting the encrypted synchronization data to the Data Sync terminal device;

receiving, by the Data Sync terminal device, the encrypted synchronization data from the Data Sync Server, decrypting the encrypted synchronization data by the session key and performing synchronization operations;

sending, by the Data Sync terminal device, a synchronization completion request to the Data Sync Server; and

returning, by the Data Sync Server, a synchronization completion acknowledgement to the Data Sync terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization data received by the Data Sync Server further comprises a checksum calculated according to the synchronization data;

the method further comprising;

after receiving the synchronization data, the Data Sync Server calculating a checksum by the received synchronization data, determining whether the calculated checksum is same as the checksum in the received synchronization data, if they are the same, continuing with subsequent operations, otherwise, discarding the received synchronization data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before sending the synchronization initialization request to the Data Sync Server, the Data Sync terminal device obtains a public key in a certificate of the Data Sync Server;

the session key is encrypted by the public key and included in the synchronization initialization request;

after confirming the algorithm and the key length being supported, the Data Sync Server decrypting the encrypted session key in the synchronization initialization request by a stored private key, to obtain the session key generated by the Data Sync terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, the Data Sync terminal device obtains the certificate of the Data Sync Server by installing the certificate beforehand or by downloading the certificate from networks or by interacting with the Data Sync Server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization initialization request further comprises initialization data encrypted by the session key, the initialization operations comprises:

the Data Sync Server decrypting the initialization data by the obtained session key, performing initialization operations and sending, to the Data Sync terminal device, a synchronization initialization response comprising success information indicating the Data Sync Server has successfully received the session key and device capability information of the Data Sync server encrypted by the session key; and

after receiving the synchronization initialization response comprising the success information, the Data Sync terminal device decrypting the device capability information of the Data Sync Server by the generated session key and performing initialization operation according to the device capability information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the synchronization initialization request further comprises initialization data without encryption, the initialization operations comprises:

the Data Sync Server directly performing synchronization operation and sending, to the Data Sync terminal device, a synchronization initialization response comprising success information indicating the Data Sync Server has successfully received the session key and unencrypted device capability information of the Data Sync Server; and

after receiving the synchronization initialization response, the Data Sync terminal device performing initialization operation directly according to the device capability information of the Data Sync Server.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the synchronization initialization request further comprises a checksum of the initialization data;

the method further comprising;

after receiving the initialization data, the Data Sync Server calculating the checksum according to the received initialization data, and determining whether the calculated checksum is same as the received checksum, if they are the same, continuing with subsequent operations, otherwise, discarding the received initialization data.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the initialization data further comprises authentication information comprising user name.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after receiving the synchronization initialization response comprising the failure reason from the Data Sync Server, the Data Sync terminal device determines whether it can satisfy required conditions according to the failure reason, if it satisfies, the Data Sync terminal device resending a synchronization initialization request to the Data Sync Server.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the encryption indicator in the synchronization initialization request sent by the Data Sync terminal device indicates the algorithm and the key length of the session key.