Method for inserting a service key in a terminal and devices for implementing said method

• US 6,611,194 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Thoenissen, Michael, Jungemann, Matthias, Vieweg, Stefan, Schmidt, Maik
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/380,791
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/5.3, 340/5.31, 340/5.33, 340/5.5, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.8, 340/539
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]

Abstract

A secure and efficient key management system for utilizing a service key for retrieving service data transmitted to a terminal from a service center via a communication channel. A service key is inserted into a terminal and is used to enable the decryption of the received encrypted service data from the service center. The service center requests and obtains a coding key from a trust center when the service center receives a service key transmission request from the from the terminal. The service key transmission request includes a terminal identity number. The service center forwards the request to the trust center which returns the coding key associated with a decoding key corresponding to the specific terminal. The service center encrypts the service key with the coding key and transmits the service key to the terminal. The service key is decrypted in the terminal using the decoding key input to the terminal by the terminal manufacturer. Once the service key has been decrypted, the service data can correspondingly be decrypted to use by the terminal user.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a service key for retrieving service data transmitted to a terminal from a service center via a communication channel comprising the steps of:

requesting by a terminal manufacturer a decoding key from a trust center;

transmitting by the terminal manufacturer a terminal identity number to the trust center when requesting said decoding key;

assigning by the trust center said terminal identity number to the decoding key and to a coding key used to encrypt a service key;

transmitting said decoding key to said terminal manufacturer;

assigning and inputting by a terminal manufacturer the decoding key into the terminal corresponding to the coding key used to encrypt the service key;

receiving at the service center a service key transmission request containing the terminal identity number transmitted from the terminal;

requesting by the service center the coding key from the trust center;

transmitting the terminal identity number from the service center to the trust center when requesting the coding key;

obtaining the coding key corresponding to the terminal identity number from the trust center;

using the obtained coding key by the service center to encrypt the service key;

transmitting the encrypted service key to the terminal; and

decrypting the service key at the terminal using the decoding key and enabling the terminal to decode service data transmitted to it via the communication channel.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said obtaining of the coding key from the trust center is performed only when the terminal identity number is known to the trust center.

3. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the service center comprises a traffic telematics service center, wherein said service key enables decryption of traffic telematics service data transmitted to the terminal.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein transmitting between the terminal and the service center is performed by radio communication.

5. The method set forth in claim 4, wherein said transmitting is performed by mobile radio.

6. The method set forth in claim 5, wherein said transmitting is performed by point-to-point mobile radio short messages.

7. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein communication between the service center and the trust center is performed using a fixed telephone network.

8. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein communication between the service center and the trust center is performed by radio communication.

9. The method set forth in claim 2, wherein communication between the service center and the trust center is performed by mobile-radio.

10. The method set forth in claim 8, wherein said communication is performed using point-to-point mobile radio short messages.

11. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising utilizing mobile-radio specific security functions during communication between the terminal, the service center, and the trust center, said mobile-radio specific security functions comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of telephone numbers, MSISDN and PIN numbers.

12. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal is capable of obtaining service keys from a plurality of service centers and obtaining a corresponding decoding keys from the trust center.

13. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the service keys from the service center to the terminal in asymmetrically encrypted form.

14. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein service data is transmitted from the service center to the terminal in symmetrically encrypted form.