Roaming encryption key rekeying apparatus and method
OwnerHans Sowa, Michael Bright +3inventors
InventorsHans Sowa, Michael Bright, Chris Kruegel, Thomas Senese, Timothy Woodward
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Abstract
Roaming encryption key rekeying apparatus and method comprising a first system key management facility that communicates to a communication unit roaming information is disclosed. The roaming information is encrypted using a first encryption scheme that is decipherable by the communication unit. Further, the first system key management facility communicates to a second system key management facility the roaming information. In this communication, the roaming information is encrypted as a function of a second encryption scheme that is decipherable by the second system key management facility.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- at a first system key management facility:
- communicating to a communication unit roaming information, wherein at least a portion of the roaming information is encrypted using a first encryption scheme that is decipherable by the communication unit;
- and
- communicating to a second system key management facility the roaming information, wherein at least a portion of the roaming information is encrypted as a function of a second encryption scheme that is decipherable by the second system key management facility.
A method for rekeying communication units, comprising:
- at a communication unit, wherein the communication unit is in communication with a second key management facility:
- receiving a message comprising an encrypted key for use with the second system key management facility wherein at least a portion of the message is encrypted using a roaming encryption key that is decipherable by the communication unit,
- wherein the roaming encryption key is for rekeying with the second system key management facility.
A key management facility comprising:
- at least one roaming encryption key;
- a roaming encryption key selector comprising a roaming encryption key output;
- a roaming request processor that is operably coupled to the roaming encryption key selector;
- a wireless communication interface that is operably coupled to the at least one roaming encryption key and the roaming encryption request processor;
- and
- wherein the wireless communication interface further couples to a wireless communications system that supports wireless encrypted communications amongst authorized communication units using the at least one roaming encryption key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.