Cellular verification and validation system

Claim 1

A method for the generation of parameters for use in enhancing the security of communication in a communications system in which a mobile station is assigned a unique multi-digit permanent key and in which a changable multi-digit rolling key is employed for increased security, both said permanent key and said rolling key being stored in said mobile station and the network of the mobile, said method comprising: receiving at a location a plurality of multi-digit input signals, including, a signal representative of an authentication inquiry from the network along with the multi-digit permanent key of a particular mobile station and the multi-digit rolling key associated with said particular mobile at that particular time; arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a first grouping; calculating from said first grouping of input signals and said permanent key digits a first output value in accordance with a first algorithm; assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said first output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a first authentication response to be used by said mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a second grouping; calculating from said said second grouping of input signals and said permanent and rolling key digits a second output value in accordance with a second algorithm; and assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said second output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a second authentication response to be use by the mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; and combining said first and second authentication responses into a single authentication response signal.

Claim 8

A system for the generation of parameters for use in enhancing the security of communication in a communications system in which a mobile station is assigned a unique multi-digit permanent key and in which a changable multi-digit rolling key is employed for increased security, both said permanent key and said rolling key being stored in said mobile station and the network of the mobile, said system comprising: means for receiving at a location a plurality of multi-digit input signals, including, a signal representative of an authentication inquiry from the network along with the multi-digit permanent key of a particular mobile station and the multi-digit rolling key associated with said particular mobile at that particular time; means for arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a first grouping; means for calculating from said first grouping of input signals and said permanent key digits a first output value in accordance with a first algorithm; means for assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said first output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a first authentication response to be used by said mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; means for arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a second grouping; means for calculating from said said second grouping of input signals and said permanent and rolling key digits a second output value in accordance with a second algorithm; and means for assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said second output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a second authentication response to be use by the mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; and means for combining said first and second authentication responses into a single authentication response signal.

Claim 15

A method for the generation of parameters for use in the authentication of a mobile station to a network within a radio communications system in which a mobile station is asssigned a unique multi-digit permanent key and in which a changable multi-digit rolling key is employed for increased security, both said permanent key and said rolling key being stored in said mobile station and the network of the mobile, and wherein a limited degree of authentication of the mobile station is achieved when the value of said rolling key stored in the mobile station is different from the value of the rolling key stored in the network, said method comprising: providing a plurality of multi-digit input signals, including, a signal representative of an authentication inquiry from the network along with the multi-digit permanent key of said particular mobile station and the multi-digit rolling key associated with said particular mobile at that particular time; arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a grouping; calculating from said grouping of input signals and said permanent key digits a first output value in accordance with an algorithm; assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said first output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a first authentication response to be used by said mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; calculating from said grouping of input signals and both said permanent key and said rolling key digits a second output value in accordance with said algorithm; and assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said second output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a second authentication response to be use by the mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; and grouping said first and second authentication responses into a single authentication response signal for providing authentication of the mobile to the network when both the permanent and rolling keys stored in the mobile and the network, respectively, are identical and limited authentication when only the respective permanent keys are identical.

Claim 20

A system for the generation of parameters for use in the authentication of a mobile station to a network within a radio communications system in which a mobile station is assigned a unique multi-digit permanent key and in which a changable multi-digit rolling key is employed for increased security, both said permanent key and said rolling key being stored in said mobile station and the network of the mobile, and wherein a limited degree of authentication of the mobile station is achieved when the value of said rolling key stored in the mobile station is different from the value of the rolling key stored in the network, said system comprising: means for providing a plurality of multi-digit input signals, including, a signal representative of an authentication inquiry from the network along with the multi-digit permanent key of said particular mobile station and the multi-digit rolling key associated with said particular mobile at that particular time; means for arranging at least some of the digits of said input signals in a grouping; means for calculating from said grouping of input signals and said permanent key digits a first output value in accordance with an algorithm; means for assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said first output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a first authentication response to be used by said mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; means for calculating from said grouping of input signals and both said permanent key and said rolling key digits a second output value in accordance with said algorithm; and means for assigning sequentially arranged blocks of at least some of the digits comprising said second output value to selected parameters for use within said system, including, a second authentication response to be use by the mobile station to reply to the authentication inquiry by the network; and means for grouping said first and second authentication response into a single authentication response signal for providing authentication of the mobile to the network when both the permanent and rolling keys stored in the mobile and the network, respectively, are identical and limited authentication when only the respective permanent keys are identical.

Claim 25

A method of authenticating a mobile station within a radio network by providing two degrees of authentication, a full authentication and a partial authentication, said method comprising: providing in both the mobile station and the network, a unique multi-digit permanent key and a multi-digit changable rolling key; sending an authentication inquiry signal from the network to the mobile and an identification signal from the mobile to the network; calculating in both the mobile and the network a first authentication response value from an algorithm based upon input values which include the authentication inquiry signal, the identification signal, and the permanent key; calculating in both the mobile and the network a second authentication response value from said algorithm based upon input values which include the authentication inquiry signal, the mobile identification number, and both the permanent key and the rolling key; joigning at least some parts of each of said first and second authentication response values into a composite authentication response signal having a first and a second portion; comparing the respective composite authentication response signals calculated in the mobile and in the network; and providing full authentication of the mobile to the network in response to both the respective first and second portions of the composite authentication response signals being identical and providing partial authentication of the mobile to the network in response to only the respective first portions of the composite authentication response signals being identical.

Claim 33

A system for authenticating a mobile station within a radio network by providing two degrees of authentication, a full authentication and a partial authentication, said system comprising: means for providing in both the mobile station and the network, a unique multi-digit permanent key and a multi-digit changable rolling key; means for sending an authentication inquiry signal from the network to the mobile and an identification signal from the mobile to the network; means for calculating in both the mobile and the network a first authentication response value from an algorithm based upon input values which include the authentication inquiry signal, the identification signal, and the permanent key; means for calculating in both the mobile and the network a second authentication response value from said algorithm based upon input values which include the authentication inquiry signal, the mobile identification number, and both the permanent key and the rolling key; means for joining at least some parts of each of said first and second authentication response values into a composite authentication response signal having a first and a second portion; means for comparing the respective composite authentication response signals calculated in the mobile and in the network; and means for providing full authentication of the mobile to the network in response to both the respective first and second portions of the composite authentication response signals being identical and providing partial authentication of the mobile to the network in response to only the respective first portions of the composite authentication response signals being identical.

Claim 41

A method for the verification and validation of a mobile station in a radio network in accordance with an authentication algorithm executed in each of said mobile station and said network, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting a random challenge signal from said network to said mobile station; applying to said authentication algorithm a set of inputs including said random challenge signal transmitted from said network to said mobile station, and a fixed key value and a changeable key value; generating from said authentication algorithm a set of outputs including a first response signal which is dependent on said fixed key value and independent of said changeable key value, and a second response signal which is dependent on said changeable key value; transmitting the first and second response signals from said mobile station to said network; and comparing said first and second response signals transmitted from said mobile station to said network with the first and second response signals generated in said network.

Claim 51

A system for the verification and validation of a mobile station in a radio network in accordance with an authentication algorithm executed in each of said mobile station and said network, said system comprising: means for transmitting a random challenge signal from said network to said mobile station; means for applying to said authentication algorithm a set of inputs including said random challenge signal transmitted from said network to said mobile station, and a fixed key value and a changeable key value both of which key values are stored in said mobile station and said network; means for generating from said authentication algorithm a set of outputs including a first response signal which is dependent on said fixed key value and independent of said changeable key value, and a second response signal which is dependent on said changeable key value; means for transmitting the first and second response signals generated in said mobile station to said network; and means for comparing said first and second response signals generated in said mobile station and received in said network with the first and second response signals generated in said network.