Secure generation of temporary mobile station identifiers
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsRoy Franklin Quick JR., Gregory G. Rose
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a disclosed embodiment, a visitor location register first initializes an assignment table to store N entries. Next, the visitor location register waits until a TMSI assignment is needed. Then, a counter is maintained in memory and is incremented. The value of the counter is then hashed to produce an assignment table index. Beginning at the assignment table index, the assignment table is searched for an available entry. The counter is then encrypted to produce a TMSI. The IMSI corresponding to the TMSI assignment is then stored in the assignment table.
Claims39
A method for generating a temporary identifier in a service area of a wireless communication system, said method comprising steps of:
- initializing an assignment table;
- maintaining a counter value;
- hashing said counter value to obtain an assignment table index;
- searching said assignment table for an available entry;
- encrypting said counter value to obtain said temporary identifier.
A method for generating a temporary identifier in a service area of a wireless communication system, said method comprising steps of:
- initializing an assignment table;
- maintaining a counter value;
- hashing said counter value to obtain an assignment table index;
- searching said assignment table for an available entry;
- encrypting said counter value and said assignment table index to obtain said temporary identifier.
A wireless communication system comprising:
- means for mobile switching;
- means for registering a visitor location;
- means for storing and assigning a plurality of subscriber identifiers;
- means for maintaining a counter value;
- means for encrypting and generating a temporary identifier.
A method for generating a temporary identifier in a service area of a wireless communication system, said method comprising steps of:
- initializing an assignment table;
- maintaining a counter value;
- hashing said counter value to obtain an assignment table index;
- searching said assignment table for an available entry;
- encrypting said counter value and said assignment table index to obtain said temporary identifier;
- storing a subscriber identifier and said counter value in said available entry.
31 The method of claim 29 wherein said counter value corresponds to a counter of a first predetermined number of bits.
The method of claim 31 wherein said encrypting step uses an encryption cipher of a length equal to said first predetermined number of bits.
A computer readable medium including a computer program, said computer program implementing a method for generating a temporary identifier in a service area of a wireless communication system, said computer program comprising:
- a first code segment for initializing an assignment table;
- a second code segment for maintaining a counter value;
- a third code segment for obtaining an assignment table index;
- a fourth code segment for searching said assignment table for an available entry;
- a fifth code segment for encrypting said counter value to obtain said temporary identifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.