Method and system for generating an identifier of a key

• US 9,713,001 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Xuwu, Huang, Qing
• Primary Examiner(s): Potratz, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/261,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/041 using an encryption or decryption engine integrated in transmitted data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords H04L9/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information

Abstract

A method for generating an identifier of a key includes that: when a user equipment (UE) transfers from an evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) to a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) or a global system for mobile communications (GSM), or an enhanced data rate for GSM evolved radio access network (GERAN), an identifier of a system key after transfer is generated by mapping an identifier KSI_ASME for an access security management entity, and a mobile management entity generates an identifier of a ciphering key (CK) and an integrity key (IK) by mapping the KSI_ASME, and then sends the generated identifier to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), when the UE transfers from the EUTRAN to the UTRAN, the SGSN stores the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier thereof, and when the UE transfers from the EUTRAN to the GERAN, the SGSN assigns the value of the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key to an identifier of a ciphering key of the GERAN.

Claims

1. A method for generating an identifier of a key, comprising:

when a User Equipment (UE) transfers from an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) to a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or to an enhanced data rate for GSM Evolution Radio Access Network (GERAN),

generating, by a Mobility Management Entity (MME), an identifier of a ciphering key and an integrity key by mapping a key set identifier for an access security management entity, and sending the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier thereof to a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN);

assigning, by the SGSN, a value of the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key to an identifier of a ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN, wherein the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN is a sequence number of the ciphering key; and

generating, by the UE, an identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN by mapping the key set identifier of the access security management entity;

wherein the generating by mapping comprises;

assigning, by the MME, the value of the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key to be a value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity, or to be a sum of the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity and a constant which is appointed by the UE and a network side; and

assigning, by the UE, the value of the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN to be the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity, or to be the sum of the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity and a constant which is appointed by the UE and the network side.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the UE in an idle state transfers from the EUTRAN to the GSM or to the GERAN, after receiving a user information extraction request message sent by the UE to the SGSN, the MME generates the integrity key, the ciphering key and the identifier of the integrity key and ciphering key, and sends the integrity key, the ciphering key and the identifier thereof to the SGSN via a user information extraction response message.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a request message sent by the UE to the SGSN for transferring to the GSM or GERAN in an idle state is a routing area update request message;

the user information extraction request message is a context request message; and

the user information extraction response message is a context response message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a request message sent by the UE to the SGSN for transferring to the GSM or GERAN in an idle state is an attachment request message;

the user information extraction request message is an identification request message; and

the user information extraction response message is an identification response message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after determining to transfer to the GSM or GERAN in an idle state and before correspondingly sending the SGSN a completion message indicative of the completion of the transfer to the GSM or GERAN in an idle state, the UE generates an identifier of a ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN by mapping the key set identifier of the access security management entity, and stores the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN, along with the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN which is generated from the key of the access security management entity.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the completion message sent by the UE to the SGSN for indicating the completion of the transfer to the GSM or GERAN in an idle state is a routing area update completion message or an attachment completion message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the UE transfers from the EUTRAN to a UTRAN under the condition that a radio resource control (RRC) is in an active state, after receiving a handover request, the MME generates a ciphering key, an integrity key and an identifier of the ciphering key and integrity key, and sends the integrity key, the ciphering key and the identifier thereof to the SGSN via a forward redirecting request message;

and after receiving a handover command sent by the network side, the UE generates a ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN and an identifier of the ciphering key.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if a key is associated by the network side and the UE before the UE transfers, and if the identifier of the key associated before the transfer is the same as that of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN which is generated through mapping during the transferring process, deleting keys in the SGSN and the UE, which are stored before the transfer.

9. A system for generating an identifier of a key, which is suitable for generating an identifier of a system key when a user equipment (UE) transfers from an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) to a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or to an enhanced data rate for GSM Evolution Radio Access Network (GERAN), comprising:

the UE, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), wherein,

the UE is configured to generate an identifier of a ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN by mapping a key set identifier for an access security management entity;

the MME is configured to generate an identifier of a ciphering key and an integrity key by mapping a key set identifier for the access security management entity, and to send the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier of the ciphering key and integrity key to the SGSN; and

the SGSN is configured to receive the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier thereof which are sent by the MME, and to assign the value of the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key to the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN;

wherein, a mode of the generating by mapping comprises;

the MME is configured to assign the value of the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key to be a value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity, or to be a sum of the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity and a constant which is appointed by the UE and a network side; and

the UE is configured to assign the value of the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN to be the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity, or to be a sum of the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity and a constant which is appointed by the UE and the network side.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein,

the UE

is further configured to map the value of a key set identifier of the access security management entity (KSI_ASME) to the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN, or to map the value of the identifier KSI_ASME plus a constant to the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN;

and

store the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN and the identifier of the ciphering key;

the MME

is further configured to generate an identifier of the integrity key and the ciphering key, and to map the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity to the identifier of the integrity key and the ciphering key, or to map the value of the key set identifier of the access security management entity plus a constant to the identifier of the integrity key and the ciphering key; and

send the SGSN the ciphering key, the integrity key, and the identifier of the ciphering key and the integrity key which is generated by the second key set identifier mapping unit; and

the SGSN

is further configured to receive from the MME the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier of the ciphering key and integrity key;

assign the value of the ciphering key, the integrity key and the identifier thereof to the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN; and

store the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN and the identifier of the ciphering key of the GSM or GERAN.