Communicating with a device

• US 10,313,308 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DABCO Ltd. (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Bone, Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/021,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3, 726 5, 455419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1689 Synchronisation and timing concerns synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• 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 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 : Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 : Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 : Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and apparatuses configured for identifying a server instance in communications between an entity and a bootstrapping server. In particular, the method comprises the step of sending a data communication between the entity and the bootstrapping server, wherein the data comprises a pointer to the server instance.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a bootstrapping server that implements functionality for a bootstrapping process for establishing secure communications within in a distributed system, the method comprising:

setting a pointer to a server instance among two or more instances in the distributed system that is used in the bootstrapping process;

sending a data communication that includes data comprising the pointer to the server instance between an entity configured to communicate with the bootstrapping server via an interface and the bootstrapping server; and

using the pointer to identify the server instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a machine-to-machine, M2M, device or a user equipment, UE, device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bootstrapping process is performed to establish a shared secret shared between the entity and the bootstrapping server, and/or the pointer is used to select the server instance from a plurality of server instances.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data communication comprises a request to initiate the bootstrapping process.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the data comprises an identifier of the entity and wherein the pointer to the server instance is at least part of an identifier of the entity, and/or the server instance comprises an instance of the bootstrapping server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

routing the interface for communication between the entity and the instance of the bootstrapping server using at least the pointer.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the server instance comprises a home location register, HLR, or a home subscriber server, HSS.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of:

retrieving bootstrapping data from the HLR or HSS that is indicated by the pointer.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the pointer is used to advise of which server instance has been selected from a plurality of server instances, and/or the data communication comprises security data, at least part of which relates to the shared secret, and/or the security data comprises an identifier of the shared secret, and wherein the pointer to the server instance is at least part of the identifier of the shared secret.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the server instance comprises an instance of the bootstrapping server, and/or the server instance comprises a home location register, HLR, or a home subscriber server, HSS.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a network application function, NAF, and/or the data communication is part of the bootstrapping process to establish a shared secret between a device and the bootstrapping server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pointer is used to select the server instance from a plurality of server instances, and/or the data communication comprises a request for push information for forwarding to the device as part of the bootstrapping process.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication is part of a process of establishing secure communication between a network application function, NAF, and a device, wherein secure communication is establishable using a shared secret that is shared between the device and the bootstrapping server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data communication comprises a request for the shared secret and/or a lifetime of the shared secret.

15. The method of any of claim 12, wherein the data communication comprises an identifier of the shared secret and/or an identifier of the device, wherein the pointer to the server instance is at least part of the identifier of the shared secret and/or the identifier of the device, and/or the server instance comprises an instance of the bootstrapping server.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step of:

routing an interface for communication between the NAF and the instance of the bootstrapping server using at least the pointer to the instance of the bootstrapping server.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the server instance comprises a home location register, HLR, or a home subscriber server, HSS.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of:

retrieving data from the HLR or HSS that is indicated by the pointer, wherein the shared secret is derivable at least in part using at least part of the retrieved data;

or

retrieving the shared secret and/or a lifetime of the shared secret from the HLR or HSS that is indicated by the pointer.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the pointer is used to advise of which server instance has been selected from a plurality of server instances, and/or the data communication comprises push information for forwarding to the device as part of the bootstrapping process.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the push information comprises bootstrapping data for use in the bootstrapping process, wherein the pointer to the security server instance is at least part of a data item in the bootstrapping data, and/or the server instance comprises an instance of the bootstrapping server, and/or the server instance comprises a home location register, HLR, or a home subscriber server, HSS.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is a machine-to-machine, M2M, device or a user equipment, UE, device.