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US-12621661-B2 - Channel for eavesdropping-mitigation and secret key generation

US12621661B2US 12621661 B2US12621661 B2US 12621661B2US-12621661-B2

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. The described techniques provide for securing communications in a wireless communications system. A base station may determine a value that one or more user equipments (UEs) are to use for deriving a secret key for use in securing communications. A UE may use a security key generation procedure to determine the value and derive the key. According to the security key generation procedure, the UE may transmit a sounding reference signal using a first antenna of a plurality of antennas configured at the UE. The UE may then select and use the first antenna for receiving a downlink reference signal in accordance with the security key generation procedure. The UE may derive a security key using a value associated with the downlink reference signal and communicate with the base station via communications that are secured using the derived security key.

Inventors

  • Ahmed Elshafie
  • Alexandros Manolakos

Assignees

  • QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20220909
Priority Date
20211001

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting, to a device, a sounding reference signal using a first antenna of a plurality of antennas configured at the UE; selecting the first antenna in order to receive a downlink reference signal from the device, selection of the first antenna based at least in part on the first antenna being used for transmission of the sounding reference signal and on the UE using the downlink reference signal as part of a security key generation procedure for communications between the UE and the device; receiving the downlink reference signal from the device using the first antenna; deriving, via the security key generation procedure and using a value associated with the downlink reference signal, a security key to be used to secure the communications between the UE and the device; and communicating with the device via the communications between the UE and the device and secured using the security key.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, from the device, a control message that indicates a configuration for the security key generation procedure, wherein the security key is derived based at least in part on the configuration.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the control message comprises: receiving the control message that indicates a set of quantization levels associated with the downlink reference signal, wherein the UE uses a quantized value of the downlink reference signal and a quantization level of the set of quantization levels to derive the security key.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the control message comprises: receiving the control message that indicates that the UE is to use a complex value to derive the security key, wherein the complex value is a QAM point and is associated with the downlink reference signal is used to derive the security key.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the control message comprises: receiving the control message that indicates an initialization time associated with derivation of the security key, wherein the sounding reference signal is transmitted in accordance with the initialization time.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the control message comprises: receiving a radio resource control message, a medium access control layer control element message, or a downlink control information message.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining a quantized version of the value associated with the downlink reference signal in accordance with the security key generation procedure; and inputting the quantized version of the value into a key derivation function to derive the security key.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining the value associated with the downlink reference signal using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) point in accordance with the security key generation procedure; and inputting the value associated with the downlink reference signal and determined using QAM point into a key derivation function to derive the security key.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining the value associated with the downlink reference signal by estimating a channel associated with the downlink reference signal.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink reference signal is received using a first resource, further comprising: receiving, from the device, a second downlink reference signal using a second resource; and deriving a second security key to be used to secure subsequent communications between the UE and the device, wherein the UE communicates with the device based at least in part on the second security key.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: randomly selecting the first antenna to transmit the sounding reference signal.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the downlink reference signal comprises: receiving a channel state information reference signal.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the downlink reference signal comprises: receiving the downlink reference signal that is precoded with random precoding parameters.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the device comprises: encoding information bits of an uplink message using the security key; and transmitting, to the device, the encoded uplink message.
  15. 15 . A method for wireless communications at a device, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a sounding reference signal; estimating a channel between the UE and the device based at least in part on the sounding reference signal and using a set of antennas of a plurality of antennas configured at the device; selecting the set of antennas in order to transmit a downlink reference signal to the UE, selection of the set of antennas based at least in part on the set of antennas being used for reception of the sounding reference signal and on the device using the sounding reference signal as part of a security key generation procedure for communications between the UE and the device; transmitting the downlink reference signal to the UE using the set of antennas, the downlink reference signal being generated based at least in part on the estimated channel to produce a target value that is to be used, by the UE, to derive a security key to be used to secure the communications between the UE and the device; and communicating with the UE via the communications between the UE and the device and secured using the security key.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: transmitting, to the UE, a control message that indicates a configuration for the security key generation procedure, wherein the device communicates with the UE based at least in part on the configuration.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein transmitting the control message comprises: transmitting the control message that indicates a set of quantization levels associated with the downlink reference signal, wherein a quantized value of the downlink reference signal and a quantization level of the set of quantization levels to derive the security key.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein transmitting the control message comprises: transmitting the control message that indicates that the UE is to use a complex value to derive the security key, wherein the complex value is a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) point and is associated with the downlink reference signal is used to derive the security key.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein transmitting the control message comprises: transmitting the control message that indicates an initialization time associated with derivation of the security key, wherein the sounding reference signal is received in accordance with the initialization time.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: randomly selecting the set of antennas to use to estimate the estimated channel between the UE and the device and to transmit the downlink reference signal.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE The present Application is a 371 national stage filing of International PCT Application No. PCT/US2022/076170 by ELSHAFIE et al. entitled “CHANNEL FOR EAVESDROPPING-MITIGATION AND SECRET KEY GENERATION,” filed Sep. 9, 2022; and claims priority to Greece patent application No. 20210100656 by ELSHAFIE et al., entitled “CHANNEL FOR EAVESDROPPING-MITIGATION AND SECRET KEY GENERATION,” filed Oct. 1, 2021, each of which is assigned to the assignee hereof, and each of which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY The following relates to wireless communications, including channel for eavesdropping-mitigation and secret key generation. BACKGROUND Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE). Some wireless communications systems may implement security schemes to secure or encrypt communications between devices, such as communications between a base station and a UE. In some examples, the devices may use a security key to secure such communications. These techniques may be used to reduce or limit the ability for other devices, such as other UEs, to eavesdrop on communications and identify data intended to be secure. SUMMARY The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support channel for eavesdropping-mitigation and secret key generation. Generally, the described techniques provide for securing communications in a wireless communications system. A base station may determine a value that one or more user equipments (UEs) are to use for deriving a secret key (e.g., a security key) for use in securing communications. A UE may use a security key generation procedure to determine the value and derive the key. According to the security key generation procedure, the UE may transmit a sounding reference signal using a first antenna of a plurality of antennas configured at the UE. The UE may then select and use the first antenna for receiving a downlink reference signal in accordance with the security key generation procedure. The UE may derive a security key using a value associated with the downlink reference signal (e.g., the value determined by the base station) and communicate with the base station via communications that are secured using the derived security key. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) is described. The method may include transmitting, to a base station, a sounding reference signal using a first antenna of a set of multiple antennas configured at the UE, selecting the first antenna in order to receive a downlink reference signal from the base station, selection of the first antenna based on the first antenna being used for transmission of the sounding reference signal and on the UE using the downlink reference signal as part of a security key generation procedure for communications between the UE and the base station, receiving the downlink reference signal from the base station using the first antenna, deriving, via the security key generation procedure and using a value associated with the downlink reference signal, a security key to be used to secure the communications between the UE and the base station, and communicating with the base station via the communications secured using the security key. A UE for wireless communications is described. The UE may include a processor, memory coupled with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executable by the processor to cause the UE to transmit, to a base station, a sounding reference signal using a first antenna of a set of multiple antennas configured at the UE, select the first antenna in order to receive a downlink reference signal from the base station, selection of the first antenna based on the first antenna being used for transmission of the sounding reference signal and on the UE using the downlink reference signal as part