Mechanism for secure transmission of signals in wireless communication devices

• US 8,270,609 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ma, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JEFFERY L
• Application Number:
  US10/461,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,385 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

One or more systems and methods are disclosed to provide secure transmission of signals by a primary wireless communication device that utilizes a secure multi-tier signal encryption mechanism. A secondary signal encryption mechanism of a secondary wireless communication device generates an intermediary algorithmic output required in the encryption processing at a primary signal encryption mechanism of a primary wireless communication device. In one embodiment, the secondary signal encryption mechanism comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. In one embodiment, wireless signal transmission occurs over a GSM/GPRS/EDGE network.

Claims

1. A method of securely transmitting signals by a primary wireless communication device comprising:

receiving a value from a wireless carrier;

transmitting said value to a secondary wireless communication device;

receiving a first output from said secondary wireless communication device, said first output generated using a first algorithm, said value and a key;

applying a second algorithm using said first output to generate encrypted signals; and

transmitting said encrypted signals to said wireless carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first algorithm and said key is provided by a secondary signal encryption mechanism of said secondary wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said second algorithm is provided by a primary signal encryption mechanism of said primary wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first algorithm is an A8 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said second algorithm is an A5 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving said first output occurs by way of a secured air interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said key comprises a Ki key of a GSM system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting said value to said secondary wireless communication device and said receiving said first output back by said primary wireless communication device occurs by way of local area air interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said local area air interface comprises an 802.11, Bluetooth, 27 Mhz, or 900 Mhz air interface.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving said value by said primary wireless communication device and said transmitting said encrypted signals to said wireless carrier occurs by way of a wide area network air interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said wide area network air interface comprises a GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, WCDMA, or 3G air interface.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said value comprises a random number.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein said secondary signal encryption mechanism comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an input sequence by said primary wireless communication device; and

transmitting said input sequence to said secondary wireless communication device, said input sequence verified by said secondary wireless communication device, said secondary wireless communication device enabling access to a secondary signal encryption mechanism if said input sequence is correct.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said sequence comprises a four digit number.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving an input sequence is performed to initialize automatic pairing of said primary wireless communication device to said secondary wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising inputting an unblocking sequence to facilitate input of said four digit sequence.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein said secondary signal encryption mechanism uniquely identifies a subscriber'"'"'s billing account.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypted signals comprises voice.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypted signals comprises data.

19. A system for implementing secure signal transmission of a wireless communication device comprising:

a first signal encryption mechanism associated with a first wireless communication device;

a second signal encryption mechanism associated with a second wireless communication device;

said second wireless communication device receiving a value originating from a wireless carrier, said second signal encryption mechanism generating a first output using said value and a key, said second wireless communication device transmitting said first output to said first wireless communication device, said first signal encryption mechanism generating encrypted signals using said first output and transmitting said encrypted signals to said wireless carrier.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said first wireless communication device receives said value from said wireless carrier and transmits said value to said second wireless communication device.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a computer with one or more wireless modem cards or wireless PDA.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a cellular phone or smart phone capable of incorporating a signal encryption mechanism.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said second signal encryption mechanism comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said second wireless communication device transmits said first output to said first wireless communication device over a local area air interface.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said local area air interface comprises an 802.11, Bluetooth, 27 Mhz, or 900 Mhz air interface.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein said value comprises a random number.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein said encrypted signals comprises voice.

30. The method of claim 19 wherein said encrypted signals comprises data.

31. A method for securely transmitting a signal comprising:

receiving an output from a second wireless communication device, said output generated by said second wireless communication device by first applying one or more first algorithms using a value generated from a wireless carrier;

using said output by a first wireless communication device

by way of second applying one or more second algorithms to said output to generate an encrypted signal; and

transmitting said encrypted signal to said wireless carrier.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said wireless carrier transmits said value to said second wireless communication device by way of said first wireless communication device.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more first algorithms further uses a key to generate said output, said key originating from said second wireless communication device.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said key originates from a subscriber identity module (SIM) of said second wireless communication device.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said signal is transmitted to said wireless carrier.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said signal is authenticated at an authentication center of said wireless carrier.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said signal comprises a baseband communication signal.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said baseband communication signal comprises voice, data, and signaling information.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more first algorithms comprises an A8 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more second algorithms comprises an A5 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.

41. A method of wirelessly transmitting a signal using a multi-tier encryption process, said method comprising:

receiving a value from a wireless carrier by way of a second wireless communication device; and

applying one or more first algorithms to said value and to a key to generate an intermediary output;

processing said signal using said intermediary output by applying one or more second algorithms to generate an encrypted signal, said one or more first algorithms and said key resident in a first wireless communication device, said one or more second algorithms resident in said second wireless communication device; and

transmitting said encrypted signal to said wireless carrier.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said signal comprises voice.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein said signal comprises data.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein said value comprises a random number.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein said key comprises a Ki key of a GSM system.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein said one or more first algorithms comprises an A8 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein said one or more second algorithms comprises an A5 ciphering algorithm used in a GSM wireless system.