Communication of security key information
AssigneeIntel IP Corporation
InventorsYoun Hyoung Heo, Yujian Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Technology for communicating security key information from a macro eNB is disclosed. Security key information associated with the macro evolved node B (eNB) may be determined. The security key information may be used to cipher information communicated at the first eNB. A small eNB may be identified at the macro eNB to generate the security key information associated with the macro eNB for ciphering information communicated at the second eNB. The security key information may be communicated, from the macro eNB, to the small eNB for inter-Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) evolved node B (eNB) carrier aggregation.
Claims15
A first node operable to communicate security key information to a second node, the first node having computer circuitry configured to:
- determine a first security key associated with the first node, the first security key being used to cipher information communicated at the first node;
- identify the second node, at the first node, to receive a second security key, the second security key to be used to cipher information communicated at the second node;
- and
- provide the second security key to the second node, for inter-Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) evolved node B (eNB) carrier aggregation, the second security key being different than the first security key,
- wherein the first node and the second node are selected from a group consisting of a macro node, a base station (BS), a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a home eNB, a micro eNB, a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio head (RRH), a pico node, a low power node, a remote radio equipment (RRE), or a remote radio unit (RRU).
A method for communicating security key information from a macro evolved node B (eNB), the method comprising:
- determining security key information associated with the macro eNB, the security key information being used to cipher information communicated at the macro eNB;
- identifying, at the macro eNB, a small eNB that is configured to cipher information communicated from the small eNB;
- and
- communicating the security key information, from the macro eNB, to the small eNB to enable the small eNB to cipher the information communicated from the small eNB using the same security key information that is used to cipher information at the macro eNB, the small eNB using the security key information for inter-Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) evolved node B (eNB) carrier aggregation,
- wherein the macro eNB and the small eNB are each selected from a group consisting of a macro node, a base station (BS), a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a home eNB, a micro eNB, a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio head (RRH), a Pico node, a low power node, a remote radio equipment (RRE), or a remote radio unit (RRU).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.