PDCP Ciphering Control for LTE-WLAN Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current LTE-WLAN aggregation technologies incur dual ciphering, leading to increased PDCP processing load and battery consumption due to simultaneous encryption at both the PDCP layer and the WLAN air interface, which is unnecessary when adequate WLAN encryption is provided.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a 'no-PDCP ciphering' mode where the eNB determines trustworthy WLAN security and instructs the UE to turn off PDCP encryption for LWA bearers, using the NULL encryption (EEA0) algorithm, while maintaining encryption for LTE bearers, thereby reducing PDCP processing load and conserving battery power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If dual ciphering is applied at both PDCP layer and WLAN air interface, then security is enhanced, but PDCP processing load and battery consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the PDCP layer ciphering function when WLAN encryption is already provided. The eNB determines that adequate encryption exists at the WLAN air interface and selectively disables PDCP encryption for those bearers, eliminating redundant encryption operations while maintaining security through the WLAN layer encryption alone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial ciphering by selectively enabling or disabling PDCP encryption based on WLAN security conditions. Instead of applying full dual ciphering to all bearers, the system applies encryption only where necessary (when WLAN encryption is insufficient), reducing overall processing load and energy consumption while maintaining adequate security

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If dual ciphering is applied at both PDCP layer and WLAN air interface, then security is enhanced, but PDCP processing load increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidPDCP processing load

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the redundant PDCP ciphering operation when WLAN encryption is already provided, extracting only the necessary encryption layer. This reduces PDCP processing load by eliminating duplicate encryption/decryption operations while maintaining security through the WLAN layer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial ciphering by selectively disabling PDCP encryption for bearers that already have WLAN encryption. This partial application of encryption reduces the overall processing load on the PDCP layer while maintaining adequate security coverage through the combination of selective PDCP and WLAN encryption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11405777B2Method and apparatus for controlling a ciphering mode

Publication Date: 2022.08.02 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY

AI summary

A method and apparatus may include configuring, by a network node, a user equipment to use an aggregation of radio technologies. At least one radio bearer is established between the user equipment and the network node and is routed over an access point of an alternate wireless network. The method may also include determining whether trustworthy security is provided by the access point of the alternate wireless network. The method may also include instructing the user equipment to turn off ciphering based on the determining, wherein the ciphering is turned off for the at least one radio bearer between the user equipment and the apparatus. The method may also be used for configuring specific ciphering on selective radio bearers.