Method and system of securing group communication in a machine-to-machine communication environment

• US 9,729,314 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Han-Na, Rajadurai, Rajavelsamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kanaan, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/701,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0433 Key management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method and system for securing group communication in a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication environment including a plurality of Machine Type Communication (MTC) groups, wherein each of the plurality of MTC groups includes a plurality of MTC devices. The method includes generating a unique group key for securing communication with MTC devices associated with an MTC group in an M2M communication environment, securely providing information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group, and securely communicating at least one broadcast group message with the MTC devices using the unique group key information.

Claims

1. A method of securing group communication in a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication environment, wherein the M2M communication environment includes a plurality of machine type communication (MTC) groups, and wherein each of the plurality of MTC groups includes a plurality of MTC devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first network entity securing group communication of MTC devices, subscription information of the MTC devices associated with an MTC group from a second network entity managing the subscription information, the subscription information including a group identifier associated with the MTC group to which the MTC devices belong;

generating, by the first network entity, a unique group key for securing communication with the MTC devices associated with the MTC group in the M2M communication environment, based on the subscription information of the MTC devices; and

securely providing, by the first network entity, information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group,

wherein the MTC devices securely receive at least one broadcast group message using the information on the unique group key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on the unique group key comprises a unique group key for each of the plurality of MTC groups, and at least one of an index value associated with the unique group key, a validity period associated with the unique group key, and a selected security algorithm for group message protection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first network entity, a non-access stratum (NAS) attach request from an MTC device; and

retrieving, by the first network entity, at least one unique group key associated with the MTC device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one broadcast group message encrypted by the information on the unique group key is transmitted to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the at least one encrypted broadcast group message is transmitted from an operator network associated with the MTC group, and

wherein each of the MTC devices decrypt the at least one encrypted broadcast message using the information on the unique group key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the securely providing the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group comprises:

securely distributing, by the first network entity, the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group using a non-access stratum (NAS) security mode command procedure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, when performing the securely distributing of the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group, the information on the unique group key is secured using a NAS security context.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the securely providing of the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group comprises:

securely distributing, by the first network entity, the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group using protocol configuration options (PCO).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the securely providing the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group comprises:

securely distributing, by the first network entity, the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group using a MTC group security mode command procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, when securely distributing of the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group, the information on the unique group key is secured using a NAS security context.

11. A network entity for securing group communication of machine type communication (MTC) devices in a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, the network entity comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with another network entity; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive subscription information of the MTC devices associated with an MTC group from other network entity managing the subscription information, the subscription information including a group identifier associated with the MTC group to which the MTC devices belong,

generate a unique group key for securing communication with the MTC devices associated with an MTC group, based on the subscription information of the MTC devices, and

securely provide information on the unique group key to the at least one of the plurality of MTC devices associated with the at least one MTC group,

wherein the MTC devices securely receive at least one broadcast group message using the information on the unique group key.

12. The network entity of claim 11, wherein the information on the unique group key comprises a unique group key per group, and at least one of an index value associated with the unique group key, a validity period for the unique group key, and a selected security algorithm for group message protection.

13. The network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to securely distribute the unique group key information to the plurality of MTC devices associated with the MTC group using a non-access stratum (NAS) security mode command procedure.

14. The network entity of claim 13, wherein, when the at least one processor securely distributes the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group, the information on the unique group key is secured using a NAS security context.

15. The network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to securely distribute the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group using an MTC group security mode command procedure.

16. The network entity of claim 15, wherein, when the at least one processor securely distributes the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group, the information on the unique group key is secured using a non-access stratum (NAS) security context.

17. The network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to securely distribute the information on the unique group key to the MTC devices associated with the MTC group using protocol configuration options (PCO).