Downlink control channel encryption for jamming resilience

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135795-B2
Application number	US-201615269902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. The methods, systems, and devices may employ mechanisms for encrypting downlink control channels for jamming resilience. The methods, systems, and devices may include or may be configured to generate and receive a security configuration, obtain a downlink control channel encryption key, transmit a control channel message, and decrypt the transmitted messaged based on the encryption key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of wireless communication at a client device, the method comprising:
receiving a security configuration from a base station, wherein the security configuration comprises information indicating that a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message is encrypted using a multicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is encrypted using a unicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is protected using a message authentication code (MAC), or a combination thereof;
obtaining a PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on the received security configuration; and
decrypting the PDCCH message from the base station based at least in part on the obtained encryption key.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the PDCCH encryption key comprises:
deriving the PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on a shared key between the base station and the client device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the PDCCH encryption key comprises:
establishing a secure channel between the base station and the client device; and
receiving the PDCCH encryption key from the base station over the secure channel established between the base station and the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein decrypting the PDCCH message comprises:
verifying integrity of the PDCCH message based at least in part on the received security configuration.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein verifying the integrity of the PDCCH message comprises:
computing a computed MAC based at least in part on a PDCCH integrity protection key common to all client devices that receive the PDCCH integrity protection key from the base station.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein verifying the integrity of the PDCCH message comprises:
computing a computed MAC based at least in part on a PDCCH integrity protection key unique to the client device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein verifying the integrity of the PDCCH message comprises:
comparing the computed MAC with the MAC included within the PDCCH.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) checksum of the PDCCH message is replaced by the MAC.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the security configuration comprises:
establishing a secure channel between the base station and the client device; and
receiving the security configuration over the secure channel established between the base station and the client device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure channel is established based at least in part on a shared key between the base station and the client device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure channel comprises a radio resource control (RRC) channel.

12. A method of wireless communication at a base station, the method comprising:
generating a security configuration, wherein the security configuration comprises information indicating that a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message is encrypted using a multicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is encrypted using a unicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is protected using a message authentication code (MAC), or a combination thereof;
transmitting the security configuration to a client device;
obtaining a PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on the security configuration;
generating an encrypted PDCCH message based at least in part on the obtained PDCCH encryption key; and
transmitting the encrypted PDCCH message to the client device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the security configuration is based at least in part on a configuration of the base station.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein transmitting the security configuration comprises:
establishing a secure channel between the base station and the client device; and
transmitting the security configuration over the secure channel established between the base station and the client device.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the encrypted PDCCH message comprises:
encrypting a PDCCH message using the obtained PDCCH encryption key.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting the obtained PDCCH encryption key to the client device.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the PDCCH encryption key comprises:
randomly generating the PDCCH encryption key.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PDCCH encryption key is obtained based at least in part on a device-specific encryption key.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
generating the device-specific encryption key based at least in part on a shared key between the base station and the client device.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
establishing a secure channel between the base station and the client device based at least in part on a shared key between the base station and the client device.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the encrypted PDCCH message further comprises:
computing the MAC based at least in part on a PDCCH integrity protection key common to all client devices that receive the PDCCH integrity protection key from the base station.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the encrypted PDCCH message further comprises:
computing the MAC based at least in part on a PDCCH integrity protection key unique to the client device.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein a CRC checksum of the PDCCH message is replaced by the MAC.

24. The method of claim 12 , wherein the encrypted PDCCH message comprises the MAC.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:
a processor;
a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and
instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to:
receive a security configuration from a base station, wherein the security configuration comprises information indicating that a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message is encrypted using a multicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is encrypted using a unicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is protected using a message authentication code (MAC), or a combination thereof;
obtain a PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on the received security configuration; and
decrypt a PDCCH message from the base station based at least in part on the obtained encryption key.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
derive the PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on a shared key between the base station and the client device.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:
a processor;
a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and
instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to:
generate a security configuration, wherein the security configuration comprises information indicating that a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message is encrypted using a multicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is encrypted using a unicast encryption key, or the PDCCH message is protected using a message authentication code (MAC), or a combination thereof;
transmit the security configuration to a client device;
obtain a PDCCH encryption key based at least in part on the security configuration;
generate an encrypted PDCCH message based at least in part on the obtained PDCCH encryption key; and

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lee Soo Bum
• Kubota Keiichi
• Horn Gavin Bernard

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L63/0876

  based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint · CPC title

• H04L2209/80

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L63/06

  for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08) · CPC title

• H04L5/0053

  Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals · CPC title