Method for securing a transmission, associated system and mediation platform

• US 8,402,273 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lucidarme, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ELLEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/187,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/171, 380/200, 380/201, 380/112, 380/278, 725/62
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

In a system comprising a broadcasting subsystem and a radiocommunication subsystem each connected to a mediation platform, said transmission being ciphered and arranged for being deciphered by using a key, the following steps are performed at the mediation platform, relatively to a user or group of users having terminals: determining one first and at least one second sets of values from said key, so that the knowledge of all the determined sets of values is required to retrieve the key; and controlling the broadcasting subsystem so that it transmits the first set of values to the user or group of users and the radiocommunication subsystem so that it transmits the at least one second set of values to the user or group of users.

Claims

1. A communication terminal for use with a hybrid communication system comprising a broadcasting subsystem and a radiocommunication subsystem, the terminal comprising:

a broadcasting subsystem interface operable to receive signals from the broadcasting subsystem;

a radiocommunication subsystem interface operable to receive signals from the radiocommunication subsystem; and

a processor operable to process signals received by the broadcasting subsystem interface and the radiocommunication subsystem interface;

the broadcasting subsystem interface and the radiocommunication interface together being operable to receive at least one first value and at least one second value; and

the processor being operable;

to process the at least one first value and the at least one second value to determine at least one key; and

to decipher at least one broadcast channel using the determined key.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one first value comprises a first set of values.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one second value comprises a second set of values.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the radiocommunication interface is operable:

to receive at least one value of the second set of values from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

to receive at least one other value of the second set of values from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the broadcasting subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one first value from the broadcasting subsystem; and

the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one second value from the radiocommunication subsystem.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one first value from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one second value from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one first value from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem and to receive the at least one second value from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem when the terminal is in communication with at least the first and second base stations of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

the broadcasting subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one first value and the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to receive the at least one second value when the terminal is not in communication with at least first and second base stations of the radiocommunication subsystem.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to decipher the at least one second value.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting subsystem interface is operable to decipher the at least one first value.

10. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the radiocommunication subsystem interface is operable to decipher the at least one first value.

11. A method of operating a communication terminal for communication with a hybrid communication system comprising a broadcasting subsystem and a radiocommunication subsystem, the method comprising:

receiving at least one first value and at least one second value; and

processing the at least one first value and the at least one second value to determine at least one key; and

deciphering at least one broadcast channel using the determined key.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least on first value comprises a first set of values.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one second value comprises a second set of values.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving at least one first set of values and at least one second set of values comprises:

receiving at least one value of the second set of values from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

receiving at least one other value of the second set of values from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving at least one first value and at least one second value comprises:

receiving the at least one first value from the broadcasting subsystem; and

receiving the at least one second value from the radiocommunication subsystem.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving at least one first value and at least one second value comprises:

receiving the at least one first value from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

receiving the at least one second value from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the at least one first value and at least one second value comprises:

receiving the at least one first value from a first base station of the radiocommunication subsystem and receiving the at least one second value from a second base station of the radiocommunication subsystem when the terminal is in communication with at least the first and second base stations of the radiocommunication subsystem; and

receiving the at least one first value from the broadcasting subsystem and receiving the at least one second value from the radiocommunication subsystem when the terminal is not in communication with at least first and second base stations of the radiocommunication subsystem.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising deciphering the at least one second value.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising deciphering the at least one first value.