Wireless Backhaul Token Security for Link Failure Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless backhaul networks face security vulnerabilities as control signaling between nodes is not adequately protected, leading to potential radio link failures and disruptions, affecting numerous users and network performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a token-based mechanism where nodes exchange security keys and parameters to configure a unique token for each wireless link, allowing nodes to verify integrity and switch to a new parent node upon detecting triggering events like radio link failures, ensuring continuous connectivity and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control signaling is transmitted without protection in wireless backhaul networks, then device complexity and ease of operation are maintained at baseline levels, but network security and reliability deteriorate due to vulnerability to attacks and disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring integrity protection mechanisms and security parameters before control signaling transmission occurs. The network nodes are pre-equipped with security contexts, keys, and algorithms that are activated when needed, ensuring protection is already in place before potential attacks or disruptions can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary security mechanisms that mediate between transmitting and receiving nodes. These intermediaries include integrity protection algorithms, authentication protocols, and security contexts that verify and protect control signaling without requiring direct trust between all network nodes, thus enhancing reliability while managing complexity.
2Reliability
If security protection mechanisms are implemented for control signaling, then network security and reliability improve, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting security parameters such as integrity protection algorithms, key lengths, and authentication methods based on network conditions, node capabilities, and threat levels. This allows the system to optimize between security strength and processing complexity, implementing stronger protection only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments security functions into separate modular components including integrity protection, authentication, key management, and encryption. Each security function operates independently and can be configured separately, reducing overall implementation complexity while maintaining comprehensive security coverage across different control signaling scenarios.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If nodes verify token integrity for every control message, then security against attacks improves, but processing time and network latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing selective verification where not every control message requires full integrity verification. Instead, verification is performed based on message criticality, node trust levels, and network conditions. Critical control signaling receives full verification while less critical messages use simplified checks, reducing overall processing time while maintaining adequate attack resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-computing and caching integrity check values, authentication tokens, and verification parameters before they are needed. This allows nodes to quickly verify control messages by comparing against pre-computed values rather than performing full verification calculations in real-time, significantly reducing verification processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A first parent node of a wireless backhaul network may receive, from a donor node of the wireless backhaul network, a token for a child node of the wireless backhaul network, the token being unique to a first wireless link between the first parent node and the child node. The first parent node may determine that a triggering event has occurred for a second wireless link between the first parent node and a second parent node. The first parent node may transmit, in response to determining that the triggering event has occurred, the token to the child node over the first wireless link to indicate for the child node to select a third parent node of the wireless backhaul network.