Enhanced key management for SRNS relocation

摘要

A method that comprises maintaining, in a first node serving a mobile terminal over a connection protected by at least one first key, said first key and information about the key management capabilities of the mobile terminal. Upon relocation of the mobile terminal to a second node the method includes: if, and only if, said key management capabilities indicate an enhanced key management capability supported by the mobile terminal, modifying, by said first node, the first key, thereby creating a second key; sending, from the first node to the second node, the second key; and transmitting to the second node the information about the key management capabilities of the mobile terminal.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
maintaining, in a first node serving a mobile terminal over a connection protected using at least a first key, said first key and key management capability information about key management capabilities of the mobile terminal; determining whether to send a second key derived from the first key to a second node as part of a procedure for relocating the mobile terminal to the second node, wherein said determining comprises determining whether the key management capability information indicates that the mobile terminal supports an enhanced key management capability; and as a result of determining that the key management capability information indicates that the mobile terminal supports the enhanced key management capability, performing a mobile terminal relocation procedure that comprises the step of sending, from the first node to the second node, the second key; receiving at the first node, after relocation of the mobile terminal from a third node to the first node, information from the mobile terminal about the key management capabilities of the mobile terminal; and including the information about the key management capabilities of the mobile terminal in one or more signaling messages relating to completion of the relocation of the mobile terminal from the third node to the first node.