IP Library Granted Patent US 12,495,296
Granted Patent B2
US 12,495,296 · App. 17/799,345 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Unmanned aerial vehicle authentication and authorization by unmanned aerial system traffic management over user plane

Inventors: Samir Ferdi (Kirkland, CA); Alec Brusilovsky (Downingtown, PA)
Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
H04W12/068H04L63/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,495,296
App. No.
17/799,345
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) authentication and authorization may be performed by a third-party service provider (e.g., an unmanned aerial system traffic management (UTM) over a user plane (UP)). An UAV may be configured to send an UAV ID to a network. The UAV may receive, from the network, security information that indicates an authorization of a connection to a third-party service provider. The UAV may establish, based on the security information, the connection to the third-party service provider for communications with the third-party service provider. The security information may include signature information of the third-party service provider, and one or more of a subscription identifier (ID) associated with the UAV, the UAV ID, or an ID of the third-party service provider.

Claims (33)

1 . A wireless transmit/receive unit associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the WTRU comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:

send a UAV identifier (ID) to a network;

receive, from the network, security key information associated with the UAV ID, wherein the security key information indicates an authorization of a connection to a third-party service provider; and

establish, based on the security key information, the connection to the third-party service provider to communicate with the third-party service provider.

2 . The UAV WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the security key information is received via a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure.

3 . The UAV WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the security key information is received from session management function (SMF) associated with the network.

4 . The UAV WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the UAV ID is sent to the network in a request message, wherein the request message indicates a request for a communication session, wherein the security key information is received in a response message, wherein the response message indicates a response associated with the request for the communication session, and wherein the connection to the third-party service provider is established via the communication session.

5 . The UAV WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the security key information a binds the UAV ID, a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), and an ID of the third-party service provider.

6 . The WTRU of claim 5 , wherein the UAV ID, the GPSI, and the ID of the third-party service provider are bound cryptographically.

7 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the security key information is associated with an ID of the third-party service provider.

8 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the third-party service provider provides unmanned aerial system (UAS) traffic management.

9 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the establishment of the connection to the third-party service provider comprises sending an UAV application session request message to the third-party service provider.

10 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the establishment of the connection to the third-party service provider comprises receiving, from the third-party service provider, an authorization message for an unmanned aerial system (UAS) operation, and wherein the processor is further configured to send or receive information associated with the UAS operation using the established connection.

11 . A network device, comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive a registration request from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU);

determine a subscription based on the registration request, wherein the subscription is associated with the WTRU and is associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation;

send a subscription identifier to a third-party service provider, wherein the subscription identifier is associated with the WTRU;

receive, from the third-party service provider, security key information that indicates an authorization of a connection between the WTRU and the third-party service provider; and

send the security key information to the WTRU.

12 . The network device of claim 11 , wherein the security key information is sent via a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure.

13 . The network device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request message from the WTRU, wherein the request message indicates a request for a communication session and indicates an UAV identifier (ID) associated with the WTRU, and wherein the security key information is sent in a response message, wherein the response message indicates a response associated with the request for the communication session.

14 . The network device of claim 11 , wherein the security key information is received from session management function (SMF) associated with the network device.

15 . The network device of claim 11 , wherein the security key information is associated with an ID of the third-party service provider.

16 . The network device of claim 11 , wherein the third-party service provider comprises an unmanned aerial system (UAS) service supplier.

17 . A method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

sending a UAV identifier (ID) to a network;

receiving, from the network, security key information associated with the UAV ID, wherein the security key information indicates an authorization of a connection to a third-party service provider; and

establishing, based on the security key information, the connection to the third-party service provider to communicate with the third-party service provider.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the security key information is received via a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the security key information is received from session management function (SMF) associated with the network.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the UAV ID is sent to the network in a request message, wherein the request message indicates a request for a communication session, wherein the security key information is received in a response message, wherein the response message indicates a response associated with the request for the communication session, and wherein the connection to the third-party service provider is established via the communication session.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2022
From: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
To: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062232/0340 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62976120 · Feb 13, 2020
Related Publication 20230133187A1 · May 4, 2023
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