Lower-Layer Groupcast Keying for Secure UE Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems lack effective lower layer security mechanisms for groupcast communication, particularly in scenarios involving multiple user equipment (UEs) where secure data transmission is crucial.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method and apparatus for wireless communication that utilizes a common key and unicast keys based on group identifiers and destination identifiers to establish secure groupcast communication, enabling secure data exchange among UEs through lower layer groupcast keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lower layer security mechanisms are implemented for groupcast communication, then security and data integrity are improved, but device complexity and key management overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The security mechanism is segmented into different key types (groupcast key for group communication, unicast keys for individual communication) with distinct purposes. The groupcast key is derived from a common key and group identifier, while unicast keys are derived from individual identifiers, allowing specialized key management for each communication type without requiring a single complex key system
Solution Approach 2:
Common keys are pre-configured in UEs before groupcast communication begins. These pre-configured common keys serve as the foundation for deriving groupcast keys, eliminating the need for real-time key generation and distribution during communication, thus reducing operational complexity
2Reliability
If multiple unicast keys are used for secure communication with multiple UEs, then security is improved, but computational overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the security functions by using a single groupcast key that can be applied to multiple UEs simultaneously for groupcast communication. This eliminates the need to process and apply multiple separate unicast keys for each UE in the group, reducing computational overhead while maintaining security through the shared groupcast key mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The groupcast key serves as a universal security mechanism that can be applied to communication with multiple UEs in the group simultaneously. This multi-functional key approach allows a single key to protect communications across multiple recipients, improving processing efficiency compared to individual unicast keys for each UE
Data Source
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may obtain a common key. The UE may communicate with one or more other UEs using a lower layer groupcast key that is based at least in part on the common key, a parameter, and at least one of a group identifier or a destination identifier. Numerous other aspects are described.