# US 11,115,817 B2 · Device and method for managing the mutual authentication for the direct communication between mobile structures of a mobile radio communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,817 B2 - Document ID: US11115817B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/730,246 - Filed: 2019-12-30 - Published: 2020-07-02 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-31 - Assignees: Air Lynx - Applicants: Air Lynx - Inventors: Laurent Pison; François Dubois - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115817B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/00: Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L 63/0853: {using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234)} - H04W 8/183: {Processing at user equipment or user record carrier} - H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 12/35: {Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning} - H04W 12/45: using multiple identity modules - H04W 12/72: Subscriber identity - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Provided is the use of HSS servers (41, 42) of a local mobile structure (113) and a remote mobile structure (114), as well as the USIM card (211, 221) of a link entity (21, 22), and thus also an MME emulator (51, 52) in order to manage security and in particular the right of the link entity of a given mobile structure to connect with a link entity of another mobile structure, when the link entities establish a backhaul-type data transport link in direct mode between the two mobile structures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication system comprising at least two mobile structures, each mobile structure comprising: a base station adapted to establish cellular communication links with mobile communication terminals of a respective mobile structure via a determined radio interface; a subscriber subscription server adapted to manage security information for authentication of the mobile communication terminals of the respective mobile structure; a security management entity adapted to interact with the subscriber subscription server in order to obtain and store security information associated with the mobile communication terminals served by the base station; a link entity adapted to establish a direct mode link with another link entity of another mobile structure of the at least two mobile structures, said link entity having an identification module adapted to store a unique identifier associated with the link entity; an emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobile structure, accessible by the link entity and adapted to emulate the determined radio interface for accessing the subscriber subscription server of said respective mobile structure; and, a proxy module adapted to transport an authentication request from the link entity of the another mobile structure to the emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobile structure, for the authentication of said link entity of the another mobile structure on the subscriber subscription server of the respective mobile structure, based on the unique identifier of said link entity of the another mobile structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the determined radio interface is included among radio interfaces adapted to allow allocation of radio resources to a direct mode link and to allow its use in a mobile communication network such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE), Fifth Generation (5G), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), Third Generation (3G), Wireless Fidelity (Wifi), or Bluetooth network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the proxy module of the respective mobile structure is implemented in the link entity of said respective mobile structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the link entity of the respective mobile structure further comprises a local access module adapted to ensure access to the identification module of the link entity in order to read the unique identifier associated with the link entity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the emulator of the security management entity of said each mobile structure is adapted to support an interface for accessing the subscriber subscription server of the respective mobile structure based on an S6a interface of Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) consortium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The communication system according to claim 5, wherein an interface for accessing the emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobile structure which is supported by the proxy module of the link entity of the respective mobile structure is based on an EPS Mobility Management (EMM) protocol of the LTE standards of the 3GPP consortium. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the emulator of the security management entity of each said respective mobile structure and the proxy module of the link entity of said respective mobile structure are adapted to allow the link entity of the another mobile structure to perform an authentication request on the subscriber subscription server of said respective mobile structure, as part of establishing a direct link between the link entity of the respective mobile structure and said link entity of the another mobile structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobile structure is adapted to allow the link entity of said respective mobile structure to perform an authentication request on the subscriber subscription server of said respective mobile structure without passing through determined the radio interface of the base station of the respective mobile structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the link entity of the respective mobile structure is further configured to establish a cellular communication link with the base station of the another mobile structure via the determined radio interface of said base station of the another mobile structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the security management entity of the respective mobile structure is adapted to allow the link entity of the another mobile structure to perform the authentication request on the subscriber subscription server of said respective mobile structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the link entity of the respective mobile structure is adapted to support encryption and integrity protection of data received from the link entity of the another mobile structure via the direct mode link, based on a security key further stored in the identification module of the link entity of said another mobile structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communication system according to claim 11, wherein data integrity and encryption comprise integrity and encryption of the data transmitted in a C-plane plane and the encryption in a U-plane plane of Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards of a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) consortium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein all of each of the link entity of the at least two mobile structures form a backhaul network between them. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, in which the link entity of the respective mobile structure is configured to establish the direct mode link with respective link entities of at least two other mobile structures of said at least two mobile structures according to a point-to-multipoint protocol. ### Claim 15 A method of mutual authentication of link entities of respective mobile structures of a communication system comprising at least two mobile structures, for establishing a direct mode link between said link entities, each mobile structure comprising a base station adapted to establish cellular communication links with mobile communication terminals of a respective mobile structure via a determined radio interface; a subscriber subscription server adapted to manage security information for authentication of the mobile communication terminals of the respective mobile structure; a security management entity adapted to interact with the subscriber subscription server in order to obtain and store security information associated with the mobile communication terminals served by the base station; a link entity adapted to establish said direct mode link with another link entity of another mobile structure of the at least two mobile structures, said link entity having an identification module adapted to store a unique identifier associated with the link entity; an emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobile structure, accessible by the link entity and adapted to emulate the determined radio interface for accessing the subscriber subscription server of said respective mobile structure; and, a proxy module adapted to transport an authentication request from the link entity of the another mobile structure to the emulator of the security management entity of the respective mobilestructure, for the authentication of said link entity of the another mobile structure on the subscriber subscription server of the respective mobile structure, based on the unique identifier of said link entity of the another mobile structure; said method comprising: transmitting to the link entity of said each mobile structure an authentication request on the subscriber subscription server of said each mobile structure from the link entity of the another mobile structure; transporting, through the respective proxy modules of said each mobile structure, the authentication request received from the link entity of the another mobile structure, to the emulator of the security management entity of each another mobile structure; and, presenting, to the respective subscriber subscription servers of said each mobile structure, by the respective security management entity emulators of said each mobile structure, the authentication request from the link entity of the another mobile structure, for the authentication ofsaid link entity of the another mobile structure on the subscriber subscription server of the another structure.