US 6,334,185 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for centralized encryption key calculation

AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

InventorsRolf Elis Gustaf Hansson, Hans-Olof Sundell

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system and method for encrypting transmissions between a plurality of communication nodes and a mobile station, wherein the algorithm for generating an encryption key resides within a first communications node. A second communications node requiring encryption between the node and a mobile station requests an encryption key from the first communications node through a PMAP interface interconnecting the nodes. The first node generates the encryption key and a countersign and transmits them back to the second communications node. The transmitted countersign is compared with a countersign provided by the mobile station, and if they match, transmissions from the second communications node to the mobile station are encrypted using the provided key.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A system for providing encryption of transmissions over an air interface between a mobile station and a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a voice network switching node for communicating with the mobile station and a voice network, said voice network switching node including an algorithm for calculating an encryption key for encrypting transmissions between the plurality of nodes and the mobile station and a countersign in response to a random number;
a packet data network switching node for communicating with the mobile station and a packet data network, said packet data network switching node requesting the encryption key for encrypting transmissions to the mobile station and a contersign from the voice network switching node and requesting the countersign from the mobile station, said request including the random number, said packet data network switching node further comparing the countersign from the voice network switching node and the countersign from the mobile station and providing encrypted communications between the mobile station and the packet data network switching node using the encryption key;
and
a backbone interface for interconnecting the voice network switching node and the packet data network switching node.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/148,952Filed 8 Sep 1998
Granted: 25 Dec 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 63/061
For supporting key management in a packet data network: for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks
H04L 63/08
Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security: for authentication of entities
H04W 12/033
Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
H04W 12/04
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]