# US 12,114,162 B2 · Master base station, secondary base station, user equipment (UE), and method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,114,162 B2
- Document ID: US12114162B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/427,784
- Filed: 2020-02-07
- Published: 2022-04-28
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-08
- Assignees: NEC Corporation
- Applicants: NEC Corporation
- Inventors: Sander De Kievit; Takahito Yoshizawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114162B2

## CPC

- H04W 12/106: Packet or message integrity
- H04W 12/03: Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
- H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
- H04W 12/041: Key generation or derivation
- H04W 12/0471: Key exchange
- H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections
- H04L 63/164: {at the network layer}
- 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

This disclosure introduces methods and mechanisms of integrity protection in 4G and 5G system, especially in the context of Dual Connectivity (DC) involving both 4G and 5G base stations.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of a Next Generation Evolved Node-B (ng-eNB) that acts as a secondary node in dual connectivity, the method comprising:
receiving, from an NR Node B (gNB) that acts as a master node, a request message;
sending, to the gNB, an acknowledgement message with an indication, the indication relating to User Plane (UP) integrity protection of traffic between the ng-eNB and a User Equipment (UE); and
activating the UP integrity protection, wherein the ng-eNB provides an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) UP protocol termination toward the UE and connects to a 5G Core Network (5GC), and the gNB provides an NR Radio Access (NR) UP protocol termination toward the UE and connects to the 5GC.

### Claim 2

A Next Generation Evolved Node-B (ng-eNB) that acts as a secondary node in dual connectivity, the ng-eNB comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
receive, from an NR Node B (gNB) that acts as a master node, a request message;
send, to the gNB, an acknowledgement message with an indication, the indication relating to User Plane (UP) integrity protection of traffic between the ng-eNB and a User Equipment (UE); and
activate the UP integrity protection, wherein the ng-eNB provides an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) UP protocol termination toward the UE and connects to a 5G Core Network (5GC), and the gNB provides an NR Radio Access (NR) UP protocol termination toward the UE and connects to the 5GC.