Authentication for secure wireless communication

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use in authentication for secure wireless communication is provided. A received signal is physically authenticated and higher layer processed. Physical authentication includes performing hypothesis testing using a channel impulse response (CIR) measurement of the received signal and predetermined referenced data. Higher layer processing includes validating the signal using a one-way hash chain value in the signal. Once a signal is authenticated, secure wireless communication is performed.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for use in authenticating wireless communications from a wireless unit, the method comprising:
 receiving a signal from the wireless unit   determining a channel impulse response (CIR) of the signal;   storing the CIR as a temporary CIR;   performing higher layer authentication of the wireless unit using data received in the received signal; and   upon successful higher layer authentication using the data received in the received signal, computing a CIR template using the stored temporary CIR.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in subsequent communications:
 receiving a signal from the wireless unit and determining a corresponding CIR for the signal; and   using the CIR template and corresponding CIR to authenticate the wireless unit.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein after successfully authenticating the wireless unit, the CIR template and the corresponding CIR are processed to compute a new CIR template. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a test statistic function is calculated to evaluate the similarity between the corresponding CIR and the CIR template. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the test statistic function is compared with a test threshold to authenticate the wireless unit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the test statistic function is a correlation coefficient. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher layer authentication of the wireless unit is performed using cryptographic means. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher layer authentication of the wireless unit includes validating the received signal using a one-way hash chain value in the received signal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising re-performing higher layer authentication of the wireless unit when a timer expires, a certain number of CIR samples have been received, or the result of a test statistic indicates an unacceptable false alarm probability or miss rate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CIR template is updated based on the corresponding CIR and higher layer information validating the received signal as being from the wireless unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless unit is a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). 
     
     
         12 . A device comprising: a receiver configured to receive a signal from a wireless unit and a processor configured to authenticate the received signal by:
 receiving a signal from the wireless unit   determining a channel impulse response (CIR) of the signal;   storing the CIR as a temporary CIR;   performing higher layer authentication of the wireless unit using data received in the received signal; and   upon successful higher layer authentication using the data received in the received signal, computing a CIR template using the stored temporary CIR.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising, in subsequent communications:
 receiving a signal from the wireless unit and determining a corresponding CIR for the signal; and   using the CIR template and corresponding CIR to authenticate the wireless unit.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein after successfully authenticating the wireless unit, the CIR template and the corresponding CIR are processed to compute a new CIR template. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein a test statistic function is calculated to evaluate the similarity between the corresponding CIR and the CIR template. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the test statistic function is compared with a test threshold to authenticate the wireless unit. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the higher layer authentication of the wireless unit is performed using cryptographic means. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the higher layer authentication of the wireless unit includes validating the received signal using a one-way hash chain value in the received signal. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising re-performing higher layer authentication of the wireless unit when a timer expires, a certain number of CIR samples have been received, or the result of a test statistic indicates an unacceptable false alarm probability or miss rate. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the CIR template is updated based on the corresponding CIR and higher layer information validating the received signal as being from the wireless unit.