Radio Access Authentication Using Private-Data CRC Bursts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in restricting access to unauthorized mobile stations, allowing them to access and listen to established calls without additional authentication overhead, and preventing unauthorized units from using duplicate IDs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where subscriber units calculate and transmit cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or checksum values over data bursts, ensuring only authorized units can decode and process communications by matching locally stored private data with appended CRC/checksum values, thus preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If authentication is performed only during registration, then the system allows simple registration process, but unauthorized subscriber units can access the system by spoofing registered IDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds authentication data (CRC/checksum values calculated from private data) into data bursts during the normal communication process, performing authentication preliminarily and continuously rather than only during registration. This allows the system to maintain simple registration while ensuring continuous security verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CRC/checksum values as an intermediary authentication mechanism. These values are calculated from private data and embedded in data bursts, serving as a mediator that verifies authorization without requiring separate authentication exchanges, thus maintaining operational simplicity while enhancing security.
2Reliability
If pre-call authentication is implemented, then unauthorized access is prevented, but the call start is delayed due to additional authentication exchanges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication data with normal communication data by embedding CRC/checksum values calculated from private data directly into data bursts. This combination eliminates separate authentication exchanges, allowing authorization verification to occur simultaneously with normal communication operations, thus preventing unauthorized access without delaying call setup.
Solution Approach 2:
Authentication data is prepared preliminarily and embedded in data bursts during normal communication flow, rather than being added as a separate pre-call step. This preliminary integration allows continuous verification without interrupting the communication timeline.
3Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used, then established calls can be secured, but unauthorized units can still listen to calls without being detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses embedded CRC/checksum values as an intermediary verification mechanism in every data burst. This intermediary allows receiving units to continuously verify the authorization of transmitting units, detecting unauthorized participants in established calls without requiring additional security protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous authentication verification by embedding authorization data in every data burst throughout the communication session. This continuous verification ensures that unauthorized units attempting to listen to established calls are detected and prevented from participating, maintaining security throughout the entire call duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A first subscriber unit (SU) operating in a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one fixed terminal, one or more channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, generates a first burst of data for transmission to the at least one fixed terminal. The first SU calculates a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or checksum value over (i) at least a first portion of the first burst of data and (ii) at least a portion of a first private data. The first SU transmits the first burst of data and the calculated CRC/checksum value, but not the first private data, to the at least one fixed terminal. The fixed terminal then calculates its own CRC/checksum over the received burst and its own copy of the first private data, and compares the result with the received CRC/checksum. The fixed terminal authenticates the received burst if the values match.