Method and apparatus for providing application service between a first protocol and a second protocol

• US 8,861,482 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Newkirk, Dennis R., Bitter, Richard J., Gustafson, Leslie G., Kruegel, Chris A., Shahab, Obaid, Ziolko, Ryan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US12/570,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/466, 370/474, 370/335
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

Application service is provided for a subscriber unit (SU), employing a first protocol, in a communication network employing a second protocol. The method includes receiving a CAI OTAR message from the SU. The CAI OTAR message includes at least a key management message (KMM) and a CAI header of the SU. The method then includes determining that the first protocol employed by the SU is different from the second protocol associated with the communication network based on the received CAI OTAR message. The method further includes creating a key management message (KMM) preamble, associated with the second protocol, based on at least one of the CAI header and configuration information of the SU, and creating a data link independent (DLI) OTAR message associated with the second protocol. The DLI OTAR message includes the received KMM. The method finally includes encapsulating the DLI OTAR message with the created KMM preamble, and sending the encapsulated DLI OTAR message to a key management facility (KMF) unit operating at a second protocol.

Claims

1. A method for providing application service for a subscriber unit (SU), employing a first protocol, in a communication network employing a second protocol, the method comprising:

at a gateway, coupled to the communication network, providing an interface between the SU and a key management facility (KMF) unit, wherein the KMF unit is operating external to the communication network;

receiving a first protocol over the air rekeying (OTAR) message from the SU, wherein the first protocol OTAR message includes at least an application layer key management message (KMM), a first protocol header of the SU, and a first protocol address of the SU;

determining that the first protocol employed by the SU is different from the second protocol associated with the communication network based on the received first protocol OTAR message;

creating a second protocol preamble based on the first protocol header and configuration information of the SU;

creating a second protocol OTAR message by removing the application layer KMM from the received first protocol OTAR message and inserting the removed application layer KMM into the second protocol OTAR message, wherein the second protocol OTAR message includes the received first protocol address of the SU;

encapsulating the second protocol OTAR message with the created second protocol preamble; and

sending the encapsulated second protocol OTAR message to the KMF unit operating at the second protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol OTAR message includes a common air interface (CAI) OTAR message requesting the application service from the KMF unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol header includes a common air interface (CAI) header associated with the first protocol and the second protocol preamble includes a key management message (KMM) preamble associated with the second protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol OTAR message includes a data link independent (DLI) OTAR message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first protocol employed by the SU is different from the second protocol associated with the communication network based on information manually entered by an operator.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a data packet from the KMF unit operating at the second protocol, wherein the data packet includes at least one of another KMM and another second protocol preamble;

removing the another second protocol preamble from the received data packet;

creating another first protocol header utilizing information included in the another second protocol preamble;

encapsulating the data packet having another KMM with the another first protocol header; and

transmitting the encapsulated data packet to the SU.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol includes at least one protocol that is based on common air interface (CAI) OTAR protocol, and the second protocol includes at least one protocol that is based on data link independent (DLI) OTAR protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol message includes at least one of a common air interface (CAI) data registration request message and a CAI unable-to-decrypt message and the first protocol address includes a common air interface (CAI) address (ID) of the SU.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol OTAR message includes at least one of a data link independent (DLI) OTAR registration message and a DLI OTAR unable-to-decrypt message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-configuration information of the SU includes at least one of a manufacturer identity, an application key identity, and an algorithm identity for creating the second protocol preamble.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol address of the SU is included in the second protocol OTAR message so that the first protocol address is associated with an Internet protocol (IP) address of the SU at the KMF unit, the IP address being obtained during registration of the SU.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a seamless application service is provided between the SU and the KMF unit irrespective of the protocol employed by the SU and the KMF unit.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein removing the another second protocol preamble from the received data packet enables decryption of the received data packet, thereby ensuring a seamless application service provision between the SU and the KMF unit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol preamble is created at an application layer of the gateway.

15. A communication system for providing application service for a subscriber unit (SU), employing a first protocol, in a communication network employing a second protocol, the communication system comprising:

a data gateway (DG), coupled to the communication network, for interfacing between the SU and a key management facility (KMF) unit, wherein the KMF unit is operating external to the communication network;

the data gateway for receiving a first protocol over the air rekeying (OTAR) message from the SU, wherein the first protocol OTAR message includes at least an application layer key management message (KMM), a first protocol header of the SU, and a first protocol address of the SU;

the DG for determining that the first protocol employed by the SU is different from the second protocol associated with the communication network based on the received first protocol OTAR message;

the DG for creating a second protocol preamble based on the first protocol header and configuration information of the SU;

the DG for creating a second protocol OTAR message by removing the application layer KMM from the received first protocol OTAR message and inserting the removed application layer KMM into the second protocol OTAR message, wherein the second protocol OTAR message includes the received first protocol address of the SU;

the DG for encapsulating the second protocol OTAR message with the created second protocol preamble; and

the DG for sending the encapsulated second protocol OTAR message to the KMF unit operating at the second protocol.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the first protocol OTAR message includes a common air interface (CAI) OTAR message requesting the application service from the KMF unit and the first protocol header includes a common air interface (CAI) header associated with the first protocol.

17. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the second protocol preamble includes a key management message (KMM) preamble associated with the second protocol and the second protocol OTAR message includes a data link independent (DLI) OTAR message.

18. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the first protocol message includes at least one of a common air interface (CAI) data registration request message and a CAI unable-to-decrypt message and the first protocol address includes a common air interface (CAI) address (ID) of the SU.

19. The communication system of claim 15 further comprising:

the DG for receiving a data packet from the KMF unit operating at the second protocol, wherein the data packet includes at least one of another KMM and another second protocol preamble;

the DG for removing the another second protocol preamble from the data packet; and

the DG for creating another first protocol header utilizing information included in the another second protocol preamble;

the DG for encapsulating the data packet having another KMM with the another first protocol header; and

the DG for transmitting the encapsulated data packet to the SU.

20. The communication system of claim 15, wherein a seamless application service is provided between the SU and the KMF unit irrespective of the protocol employed by the SU and the KMF unit.

21. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the DG removing the another second protocol preamble from the received data packet enables decryption of the received data packet, thereby ensuring a seamless application service provision between the SU and the KMF unit.

22. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the second protocol preamble is created at an application layer of the DG.

23. A communication system, comprising:

a subscriber unit (SU) employing a first protocol and having an internet protocol (IP) address associated therewith upon registration, the SU transmitting a common air interface (CAI) over the air rekeying (OTAR) message having an application layer key management message (KMM), a CAI header of the SU, and a first protocol address of the SU;

an association of public safety communications officials (APCO) system providing interface between the SU and a key management facility (KMF) unit, the KMF unit operating external to the APCO system, the APCO system comprising;

a base station receiving the CAI OTAR message from the SU; and

a data gateway (DG) creating a key management facility (KMF) header, associated with the second protocol, based on the received CAI header and configuration information of the SU, for the SU when the first protocol is different from the second protocol, the DG creating a data link independent (DLI) OTAR message by removing the application layer KMM from the received CAI OTAR message and inserting the removed application layer KMM into the DLI OTAR message and further including the received first protocol address of the SU in the DLI OTAR message, the DG encapsulating the DLI OTAR message with the created KMF header, the DG sending the encapsulated DLI OTAR message to the key management facility (KMF) unit operating at the second protocol; and

the KMF unit operating over the second protocol to provide application service to the SU based on the encapsulated DLI OTAR message.

24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the KMF header is created at an application layer of the DG.