Communication system
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorVivek SHARMA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A communication system is described in which user plane communication and control plane communication for a particular mobile communication device can be split between a base station that operates a small cell and a macro base station. Appropriate security for the user plane and control plane communications is safeguarded by ensuring that each base station is able to obtain or derive the correct security parameters for protecting the user plane or control plane communication for which it is responsible.
Claims5
1-48. (canceled)
A base station (eNB) comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a transceiver;
- wherein the processor is configured to provide user plane communication to a user equipment (UE);
- wherein the transceiver is configured:
- to receive, from another base station, a first security key derived by the another base eNB;
- wherein the processor is further configured to derive a user plane security key, for use in protection of user plane traffic, using the first security key;
- and
- wherein the another eNB provides control plane signaling to the mobile communication device.
A method in a base station (eNB) comprising:
- providing user plane communication to a user equipment (UE);
- receiving, from another eNB, a first security key derived by the another eNB;
- and
- deriving a user plane security key, for use in protection of user plane traffic, using the first security key;
- wherein the another eNB provides control plane signaling to the eNB.
User equipment comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a transceiver;
- wherein the transceiver is configured:
- to receive control plane signaling from a first base station (eNB);
- to receive user plane signaling from a second eNB;
- wherein the processor is configured:
- to derive a security key of the first eNB;
- to derive, using the derived security key of the eNB, a security key of the second eNB;
- and
- to derive, using the security key of the second eNB, a user plane security key for use in protection of user plane traffic.
A method performed by user equipment, the method comprising:
- receiving control plane signaling from a first base station (eNB) and user plane signaling from a second eNB;
- deriving a security key of the first eNB;
- deriving, using the derived security key of the first eNB, a security key of the second eNB;
- and
- deriving, using the security key of the second eNB, a user plane security key for use in protection of user plane traffic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.