Patent · US Active

Secure bootstrapping for wireless communications

US8391841B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
4References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 23, 2011
Grant dateMar 5, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 23, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W12/06
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A mutual authentication method is provided for securely agreeing application-security keys with mobile terminals supporting legacy Subscriber Identity Modules (e.g., GSM SIM and CDMA2000 R-UIM, which do not support 3G AKA mechanisms). A challenge-response key exchange is implemented between a bootstrapping server function (BSF) and mobile terminal (MT). The BSF generates an authentication challenge and sends it to the MT under a server-authenticated public key mechanism. The MT receives the challenge and determines whether it originates from the BSF based on a bootstrapping server certificate. The MT formulates a response to the authentication challenge based on keys derived from the authentication challenge and a pre-shared secret key. The BSF receives the authentication response and verifies whether it originates from the MT. Once verified, the BSF and MT independently calculate an application security key that the BSF sends to a requesting network application function to establish secure communications with the MT.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.