Escrowed key distribution for over-the-air service provisioning in wireless communication networks
AssigneeVerizon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsChristopher Paul Carroll, Yair Frankel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An escrowed key distribution system for over-the-air service provisioning of cellular telephones and other wireless communication devices provides a secure and efficient authentication key distribution method for wireless communications networks. To ensure security, an authentication key used to activate the wireless device is never transmitted over the air. In addition, mutual authentication is performed between the wireless communication device and the service provider using an embedded private-key algorithm to ensure proper authentication key transfer.
Claims25
A method for activating a wireless communication device, comprising:
- transmitting from the wireless communication device an identifier corresponding to an encrypted authentication key stored in the wireless communication device;
- receiving a mask at the wireless communication device in response to the transmission of the identifier;
- and
- recovering an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key.
A wireless communication device, comprising:
- a memory for storing at least one activation pair consisting of a unique identifier and an encrypted authentication key;
- an input section for generating an initiation signal to initiate the activation of the wireless communication device in response to an input from a user;
- a processor, coupled to the memory and the input section, for selecting an activation pair in response to the initiation signal from the input section and for extracting the unique identifier from the selected activation pair;
- and
- a transceiver, coupled to the processor, for transmitting the unique identifier extracted by the processor and for receiving a mask in response to the transmission of the unique identifier,
- wherein the processor includes a decryption section for recovering an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key of the selected activation pair.
A system for activating a wireless communication device, the system comprising:
- a memory having program instructions;
- and
- a processor configured to use the program instructions to transmit an identifier corresponding to an encrypted authentication key stored in the wireless communication device from the wireless communication device;
- receive a mask at the wireless communication device in response to the transmission of the identifier;
- and recover an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key.
A method for activating a wireless communication device by a carrier, comprising:
- receiving at the carrier an identifier from the wireless communication device corresponding to an encrypted authentication key stored in the wireless communication device;
- and
- transmitting a mask corresponding to the identifier from the carrier to the wireless communication device in response to the transmission of the identifier,
- wherein the mask recovers an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key.
A carrier for activating a wireless communication device, comprising:
- a memory having program instructions;
- and
- a processor configured to use the program instructions to receive an identifier corresponding to an encrypted authentication key stored in the wireless communication device from the wireless communication device;
- and transmit a mask corresponding to the identifier to the wireless communication device in response to the transmission of the identifier,
- wherein the mask recovers an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key.
A clearinghouse for activating a wireless communication device, comprising:
- a memory having program instructions;
- and
- a processor configured to use the program instructions to generate an activation pair consisting of an identifier and an encrypted authentication key;
- transmit the activation pair to a manufacturer for storage in the wireless communication device;
- receive the identifier from the wireless communication device;
- and transmit a mask corresponding to the identifier to the wireless communication device,
- wherein the mask recovers an authentication key for activating the wireless communication device by applying the mask to the encrypted authentication key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.