RRC Resume Message Integrity Protection With Adaptive MAC Inputs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in enhancing integrity protection for Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages during connection resumption without compromising backwards compatibility, particularly in scenarios involving legacy and updated wireless devices and network nodes.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating a Message Authentication Code (MAC) for RRC messages involves inputting different parameter sets into an integrity algorithm based on signaling, allowing legacy and updated devices to use compatible or updated methods, ensuring robust integrity protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional input parameters are used to generate the security token for enhanced integrity protection, then security is improved, but backwards compatibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic selection of MAC generation methods based on network node capabilities. The wireless device receives signaling indicating which parameters to use for MAC generation, allowing the system to adapt between legacy and enhanced methods depending on whether the target network node supports the additional parameters. This dynamic approach enables enhanced security when supported while maintaining compatibility with legacy nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used in MAC generation based on network node capability. When enhanced integrity protection is supported, additional parameters (such as resume cause and C-RNTI) are included in the MAC calculation. When only legacy support is available, the MAC is generated using the traditional parameter set. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between enhanced security and backwards compatibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the wireless device uses enhanced MAC generation with additional parameters, then security against tampering is improved, but compatibility with legacy network nodes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the MAC generation approach based on the target network node's capabilities. The wireless device receives signaling that indicates whether the target node supports enhanced MAC generation with additional parameters like resume cause and C-RNTI. This allows the device to use enhanced protection when compatible nodes are detected, while falling back to legacy methods for compatibility, thus resolving the contradiction between tampering protection and compatibility.
3Productivity
If the connection is outright released to free resources, then resource efficiency is improved, but reconnection time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection state into distinct phases: active connection, suspended connection with context preservation, and released connection. By introducing the suspended state as an intermediate segment, the system can free resources (similar to release) while preserving connection context (enabling fast reconnection). This segmentation resolves the contradiction between resource efficiency and reconnection speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards the full connection context only when the connection is outright released, but recovers and preserves it during suspended states. This allows the network to free resources during suspension while maintaining the ability to quickly recover the connection context for rapid reconnection, thus resolving the contradiction between resource efficiency and reconnection time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method performed by a wireless device (12) for use in a wireless communication system (10). The method comprises: receiving (W2100) signaling (22) indicating how the wireless device (12) is to generate a message authentication code, MAC, (20) for integrity protecting a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message (18) that 5requests resumption of an RRC connection; generating (W2110) the MAC according to the signaling; and transmitting (W2120) the RRC message and the generated MAC. Further methods, a wireless devices, network nodes, computer programs, carriers and a communication system are also disclosed.