Secure method for MTC device triggering

• US 9,549,320 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaowei, Prasad, Anand Raghawa
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/351,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20140242952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 726/3, 726/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Upon receiving a triggering message from a MTC server (20), a network (10) verifies if the MTC server (20) is authorized to trigger a target MTC device (30) and also if the MTC device (30) is authorized to respond the triggering message, by comparing an MTC device ID and MTC server ID (and optionally information on subscription) which are include in the triggering message with authorized ones. Upon succeeding in the verification, the network (10) checks a trigger type included in the triggering message to verify if the triggering message is authorized to be sent to the MTC device (30). Upon succeeding in the check, the network (10) forwards the triggering message to the MTC device (30). The network (10) also validates a response from the MTC device (30), by checking whether the MTC device (30) is allowed to communicate with the addressed MTC server (20).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a terminal used for MTC (Machine-Type Communications);

an SCS (Service Capability Server) configured to send a trigger message; and

an MTC-IWF (Machine-Type Communications Inter-Working Function) including one or more processors configured to check whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message,

wherein if the check fails, the MTC-IWF blocks the trigger message, and

wherein if the check passes, the terminal receives the trigger message.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger message includes an SCS ID (Identity).

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to check whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message on the basis of the SCS ID.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger message is integrity-protected and confidentiality-protected.

5. An MTC-IWF (Machine-Type Communications Inter-Working Function) used in a communication system, the MTC IWT MTC-IWF comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller including one or more processors configured to;

receive, via the transceiver, a trigger message from an SCS (Service Capability Server);

check whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message; and

if the check fails, block the trigger message.

6. The MTC-IWF according to claim 5, wherein the trigger message includes an SCS ID (Identity).

7. The MTC-IWF according to claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to check whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message on the basis of the SCS ID.

8. The MTC-IWF according to claim 5, wherein the trigger message is integrity-protected and confidentiality-protected.

9. A terminal used for MTC (Machine-Type Communications), the terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a trigger message, if an MTC-IWF (Machine-Type Communications Inter-Working Function) checks whether an SCS (Service Capability Server) is authorized to send the trigger message and the check passes,

wherein, if the check fails, the trigger message is blocked by the MTC-IWF.

10. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the trigger message includes an SCS ID (Identity).

11. The terminal according to claim 10, wherein the MTC-IWF checks whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message on the basis of the SCS ID.

12. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the trigger message is integrity-protected and confidentiality-protected.

13. A communication method in a communication system including a terminal, an SCS (Service Capability Server), and an MTC-IWF (Machine-Type Communications Inter-Working Function), the communication method comprising:

checking, by the MTC-IWF, whether the SCS is authorized to send a trigger message;

if the check fails, blocking, by the MTC-IWF, the trigger message; and

if the check passes, receiving, by the terminal, the trigger message.

14. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the trigger message includes an SCS ID (Identity).

15. The communication method according to claim 14, wherein checking, by the MTC-IWF, whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message comprises:

checking whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message on the basis of the SCS ID.

16. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the trigger message is integrity-protected and confidentiality-protected.

17. A method for use in a terminal used for MTC (Machine-Type Communications), the method comprising:

receiving a trigger message, if an MTC-IWF (Machine-Type Communications Inter-Working Function) checks whether an SCS (Service Capability Server) is authorized to send the trigger message and the check passes,

wherein, if the check fails, the trigger message is blocked by the MTC-IWF.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the trigger message includes an SCS ID (Identity).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the MTC-IWF checks whether the SCS is authorized to send the trigger message on the basis of the SCS ID.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the trigger message is integrity-protected and confidentiality-protected.