Methods and systems for securing downlink control information with secret keys
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsAhmed Elshafie, Alexandros Manolakos
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Abstract
Some aspects of the present disclosure disclose methods and systems directed to securing downlink control information (DCI) using secret keys available to both a user equipment (UE) and a base station (BS). In some aspects, the base station may secure a DCI using one or more secret keys. The secret keys may be generated by the BS and the UE based on an estimation of a radio channel connecting the UE to the BS, and/or the secret keys may be generated at the BS using upper layer encryption techniques and shared with the UE. Upon receiving the DCI, the UE can extract the contents of the secured DCI using the secret keys.
Claims30
A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
- receiving, from a base station (BS), a downlink control information (DCI) configured to be secured with one or more secret keys;
- generating the one or more secret keys;
- assigning a value for a field in the DCI using the one or more secret keys;
- and
- communicating with the BS based on the value of the field in the DCI.
A method of wireless communication performed by a base station (BS), the method comprising:
- generating one or more secret keys;
- securing a downlink control information (DCI) using the one or more secret keys, the securing the DCI including encrypting a value of a field in the DCI using a first secret key of the one or more secret keys;
- and
- transmitting the secured DCI to a user equipment (UE) to facilitate communication between the UE and the BS.
A user equipment (UE), comprising:
- a memory;
- at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory;
- and
- a transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein:
- the transceiver is configured to receive, from a base station (BS), a downlink control information (DCI) configured to be secured with one or more secret keys;
- the at least one processor is configured to:
- generate the one or more secret keys;
- and
- determine a value for a field in the DCI using the one or more secret keys;
- and
- the transceiver is further configured to communicate with the BS based on the value of the field in the DCI.
A base station (BS), comprising:
- a memory;
- at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory;
- and
- a transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein:
- the at least one processor is configured to:
- generate one or more secret keys;
- and
- secure a downlink control information (DCI) using the one or more secret keys, the securing the DCI including encrypting a value of a field in the DCI using a first secret key of the one or more secret keys;
- and
- the transceiver is configured to:
- transmit the secured DCI to a user equipment (UE) to facilitate communication between the UE and the BS.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.