MTC Group Key Generation for Base Station Complexity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Machine to Machine (M2M) communication, base stations face increased operational complexity and performance degradation due to the need to maintain and manage numerous unique keys for multiple MTC devices, leading to inefficient key management and authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
A method where the network side generates a group key using a security key and a random number, and sends the necessary parameters to MTC devices, allowing them to generate a shared group key, thereby reducing the number of keys the base station needs to maintain and simplifying key management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base station maintains unique keys for each MTC device, then security is improved, but device complexity and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual device keys into a shared group key that is maintained by the base station. Instead of maintaining separate unique keys for each MTC device, the base station maintains a single group key that can be used for authentication and encryption of communications from multiple devices in the group, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The group key serves multiple functions: it can be used for authentication of multiple devices, for encryption of data transmissions, and for identifying authorized devices in the group. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for multiple device-specific keys, reducing the burden on the base station
2Reliability
If the base station maintains unique keys for each MTC device, then individual device authentication is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the authentication functionality for multiple devices into a single group key-based authentication mechanism. The base station authenticates devices by verifying their possession or knowledge of the group key, rather than performing separate authentication operations for each unique device key, thereby improving processing performance
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing and processing multiple unique device keys, the base station uses a single copied or replicated group key that serves all devices in the group. This approach reduces the computational overhead of key management while maintaining the ability to authenticate multiple devices
3Measurement precision
If the base station maintains numerous unique keys, then device identification accuracy is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges device identification functionality into the group key system. Devices are identified by their membership in a group rather than by unique individual keys, which reduces the time required for key management operations while maintaining sufficient identification accuracy through group membership verification
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a related device for generating a group key. The method includes: receiving, from an MME, a group ID of a group to which an MTC device belongs and a group communication root key related to a security key, where the security key is corresponding to the group ID; or, receiving, from the MME, a service ID of a service supported by the MTC device, and a service root key related to a security key, where the security key is corresponding to the service ID, determining, according to the service ID, the group ID of the group to which the MTC device belongs, and generating a group communication root key according to the group ID and the service root key; generating a group key corresponding to the group ID according to the group communication root key; and sending, to the MTC device, a generating parameter used to generate the group key, so that the MTC device generates the group key according to the group key generating parameter and a security key saved in the MTC device. Therefore, a base station only needs to maintain a same group key for a same group, thereby reducing the operation complexity of the base station, decreasing the number of keys maintained and managed by the base station, and improving the performance of the base station.