IP Library Granted Patent US 9,918,225
Granted Patent B2
US 9,918,225 · App. 14/919,397 · Granted Mar 13, 2018

Apparatuses and methods for wireless communication

Inventors: Soo Bum Lee (San Diego, CA); Gavin Bernard Horn (La Jolla, CA); Anand Palanigounder (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W12/04H04W12/06H04L2463/061
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,918,225
App. No.
14/919,397
Granted
Mar 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

One feature pertains to a method operational at a device. The method includes performing authentication and key agreement with a session key management entity (SKME) device. The method also includes generating an authentication session key based in part on a secret key shared with a home subscriber server, the authentication session key being known to the SKME device. The method further includes generating a mobility session key based in part on the authentication session key, the mobility session key being known to a mobility management entity serving the device. Data sent from the device to a wireless communication network is cryptographically secured using the mobility session key.

Claims (61)

1. A method operational at a session key management entity (SKME), the method comprising:

obtaining, at the SKME, authentication information associated with a device, the authentication information including at least an authentication session key;

performing authentication and key agreement (AKA) with the device using at least a portion of the authentication information;

after performing AKA with the device, generating, at the SKME, a mobility session key based in part on the authentication session key and a mobility management entity (MME) identification value that identifies an MME serving the device; and

transmitting the mobility session key from the SKME to the MME serving the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating different mobility session keys for different MMES based on the authentication session key.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the authentication information includes:

determining that authentication information associated with the device is not stored at the SKME;

transmitting an authentication information request to a home subscriber server; and

receiving the authentication information associated with the device from the home subscriber server in response to transmitting the authentication information request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the authentication information includes:

determining that authentication information associated with the device is stored at the SKME; and

retrieving the authentication information from a memory circuit at the SKME.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving a key set identifier from the device; and

determining that the authentication information associated with the device is stored at the SKME based on the key set identifier received.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to performing authentication and key agreement with the device, receiving, from the MME, a non-access stratum (NAS) message originating from the device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MME identification value is a globally unique MME identifier (GUMMEI).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MME identification value is an MME group identifier (MMEGI).

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a different mobility management key for each MME serving the device, each of the different mobility management keys based in part on the authentication session key and a different MME identification value associated with each MME.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that, in connection to an MME relocation, a second MME is attempting to serve the device;

generating a second mobility management key based in part on the authentication session key and a second MME identification value associated with the second MME; and

transmitting the second mobility management key to the second MME to facilitate MME relocation.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining a counter value Key Count; and

generating the mobility session key based further in part on a counter value Key Count.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the mobility session key includes deriving the mobility session key using a key derivation function having at least one of the authentication session key, the MME identification value uniquely identifying the MME, and/or a counter value Key Count as input(s).

13. A session key management entity (SKME) comprising:

a communication interface adapted to send and receive data; and

a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to:

obtain, at the SKME, authentication information associated with a device, the authentication information including at least an authentication session key;

perform authentication and key agreement (AKA) with the device using at least a portion of the authentication information;

after performing AKA with the device, generate, at the SKME, a mobility session key based in part on the authentication session key and a mobility management entity (MME) identification value that identifies an MME serving the device; and

transmit the mobility session key from the SKME to the MME serving the device.

14. The SKME of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to:

generate different mobility session keys for different MMES based on the authentication session key.

15. The SKME of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit adapted to obtain the authentication information includes:

determine that authentication information associated with the device is not stored at the network device;

transmit an authentication information request to a home subscriber server; and

receive the authentication information associated with the device from the home subscriber server in response to transmitting the authentication information request.

16. The SKME of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to:

prior to performing authentication and key agreement with the device, receiving, from the MME, a non-access stratum (NAS) message originating from the device.

17. The SKME of claim 16 , wherein the NAS message received includes a device identifier that identifies the device and the MME identification value that identifies the MME.

18. A session key management entity (SKME) comprising:

means for obtaining, at the SKME, authentication information associated with a device, the authentication information including at least an authentication session key;

means for performing authentication and key agreement (AKA) with the device using at least a portion of the authentication information;

after performing AKA with the device, means for generating, at the SKME, a mobility session key based in part on the authentication session key and a mobility management entity (MME) identification value that identifies an MME serving the device; and

means for transmitting the mobility session key from the SKME to the MME serving the device.

19. The SKME of claim 18 , further comprising:

means for generating different mobility session keys for different MMES based on the authentication session key.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are operational at a session key management entity (SKME), the instructions when executed by at least one processor causes the processor to:

obtain, at the SKME, authentication information associated with a device, the authentication information including at least an authentication session key;

perform authentication and key agreement (AKA) with the device using at least a portion of the authentication information;

after performing AKA with the device, means for generating, at the SKME, a mobility session key based in part on the authentication session key and a mobility management entity (MME) identification value that identifies an MME serving the device; and

transmit the mobility session key from the SKME to the MME serving the device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

generate different mobility session keys for different MMES based on the authentication session key.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2015
From: LEE, SOO BUM; HORN, GAVIN BERNARD; PALANIGOUNDER, ANAND
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 036906/0370 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62074513 · Nov 3, 2014
Related Publication 20160127896A1 · May 5, 2016