Daniel Peter Brown

Techniques for privacy and authentication in personal communication systems

Describes progress in the development of authentication and key agreement (AKA) processes for personal communication systems (PCS). A conceptual framework is first established; this is a three-part general model that characterizes all AKA techniques. Then three proposed AKA methods are compared using this model. These methods are the so-called secret key method of GSM, the secret key method of United States Digital Cellular (IS-54, IS-95), and a public key/secret key method. Finally, a summary is presented that indicates the AKA method of preference for some proposed PCS air interfaces that are under development by standards bodies. >

Security planning for personal communications

Standards bodies have begun the task of defining the ubiquitous Personal Communications System (PCS). Among its many attributes will be the provision for security, both for its user and for the service provider. Any viable security plan for PCS will need to address the classic dichotomy whereby the user wants an easy purchase and convenient use of his instrument, while the service provider wants to ensure that his access control prevents fraud. Two digital radiotelephone systems have already gone through the standards-setting process. GSM is currently operating in Europe, and worldwide sales are increasing. In the United States, U.S. Digital Cellular (USDC) has fielded early equipment after standards became approved.

A Video Surveillance System for Public Transaformation Vehicles Using 2-Way Land-Mobile Radio

A system has been developed to permit on-board vehicular surveillance by means of a closed-circuit TV, camera working with an FM two-way radio. This system has been installed on an AIRTRANS vehicle at the Dallas/ Ft. Worth airport in the fall of 1979. A snapshot is derived from the closed-circuit camera, to be transmitted in 3 seconds over a standard business or public safety channel. The pictures are composed of 16,384 picture elements (pixels), arranged as 128 lines, with 128 elements per line. The desirability of video surveillance is discussed, along with recent trends in electronics and communications that have helped to make it practical. An examination is then made into the general problem of sending visual information over narrowband FM radio, followed by a closer look at the specific bandwidth/resolution/time trade-offs that were made in the AIRTRANS system design.