IP Library Granted Patent US 11,617,077
Granted Patent B2
US 11,617,077 · App. 17/064,530 · Granted Mar 28, 2023

Secure user equipment capability transfer for user equipment with no access stratum security

Inventors: Abhijeet Kolekar (Hillsboro, OR); Bharat Shrestha (San Diego, CA); Sudeep Palat (Cheltenham, GB)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H04W12/041G16Y30/10H04L9/3242H04W8/24H04W12/037H04W12/106H04L2209/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,617,077
App. No.
17/064,530
Granted
Mar 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed embodiments are related to Management Data Analytics (MDA) relation with Self-Organizing Network (SON) functions and coverage issues analysis use case. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims (47)

1. An apparatus to be employed as a network function (NF), the apparatus comprising:

processor circuitry configurable to: determine a downlink Message Authentication Code (DL_MAC) using a user equipment (UE) capability enquiry as an input to a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) integrity algorithm and a NAS integrity key (K NASint ) as a key for the NAS integrity algorithm; and

network interface circuitry (NIC) communicatively coupled with the processor circuitry, the NIC configurable to send the determined DL_MAC to a Radio Access Network (RAN) for delivery to a UE.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NIC is further configurable to:

obtain a NAS UE capability indication message from the RAN.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configurable to:

encrypt the UE capability enquiry using currently used NAS encryption algorithm and a NAS encryption key (K NASenc ) as a key for the NAS encryption algorithm, wherein the encrypted UE capability enquiry is sent to the RAN with the DL_MAC.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configurable to:

determine a counter value, wherein the determined counter value is sent to the RAN with the DL_MAC.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UE does not have Access Stratum (AS) security mechanisms enabled.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NIC is further configurable to:

obtain, from the RAN, an uplink Message Authentication Code (UL_MAC) generated by the UE; and

send a message including a UE capability information element (IE) to the RAN upon successful verification of the UL_MAC.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein another counter and an encrypted UE capability IE is obtained with the UL_MAC, wherein the UE capability IE is encrypted using a K NASenc .

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configurable to:

decrypt the encrypted UE capability IE using the K NASenc ; and

generate the UE capability enquiry to include the decrypted UE capability IE.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NIC is further configurable to:

obtain a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including a NAS Protocol Data Unit (PDU) generated by the UE, the NAS PDU including an encrypted version of a UE capability information message; and

send a message including a decrypted version of the UE capability information message to the RAN.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NF is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), an Authentication credential Repository and Processing Function (ARPF), a Subscription Identifier De-concealing Function (SIDF), or a Security Anchor Function (SEAF).

11. One or more non-transitory computer readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) is to cause the UE to:

receive a user equipment (UE) capability enquiry message from a Radio Access Network (RAN);

determine an uplink Message Authentication Code (UL_MAC) using the UE capability enquiry message as an input to a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) integrity algorithm and a NAS integrity key (K NASint ) as a key for the NAS integrity algorithm; and

send the determined UL_MAC to the RAN for delivery to a network function (NF).

12. The one or more NTCRM of claim 11 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

verify the UE capability enquiry message using the K NASint ; and

decrypt the UE capability enquiry message using a NAS encryption key (K NASenc ) when the UE capability enquiry message includes an encrypted payload.

13. The one or more NTCRM of claim 11 , wherein a downlink Message Authentication Code (DL_MAC) and a counter value is obtained with the UE capability enquiry message.

14. The one or more NTCRM of claim 13 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

determine the UL_MAC using the DL_MAC and the counter value obtained with the UE capability enquiry message.

15. The one or more NTCRM of claim 14 , wherein, to determine the UL_MAC, execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

operate a key derivation function (KDF) using the K NASint , the counter value, and one of UE capability information, a UE capability identifier (ID), or a hash of the UE capability information.

16. The one or more NTCRM of claim 11 , wherein the UE does not have Access Stratum (AS) security mechanisms enabled.

17. The one or more NTCRM of claim 11 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

send a UE capability information message with the UL_MAC.

18. The one or more NTCRM of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

encrypt a UE capability information element (IE) using a K NASenc , wherein the K NASenc is a key outside of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer implemented by the UE; and

send the encrypted UE capability IE with the UL_MAC.

19. The one or more NTCRM of claim 18 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

implement a NAS layer entity to generate a NAS Protocol Data Unit (PDU) to include the encrypted UE capability IE;

implement a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer entity to generate an RRC message to include the NAS PDU; and

send the RRC message to the RAN for delivery to the NF.

20. The one or more NTCRM of claim 19 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the UE to:

receive another NAS PDU from the NF, wherein the other NAS PDU includes a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) assigned to the UE;

obtain the RNTI from the other NAS PDU; and

generate the NAS PDU to include the obtained RNTI.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2020
From: KOLEKAR, ABHIJEET; SHRESTHA, BHARAT; PALAT, SUDEEP
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054049/0032 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62911960 · Oct 7, 2019
Related Publication 20210021994A1 · Jan 21, 2021
Cited By (5)
US 12,470,928 US 12,483,881 US 12,671,981 US 12,684,338 US 12,707,271