Patent ID: 6084969
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A system for adding encryption services to an existing pager network, the pager network including a network operations center which provides a means for receiving an alphanumeric message from any of a plurality of handheld pager units and forwarding the alphanumeric message to another of the plurality of handheld pager units, at least two of said pager units comprising:means for inputting an alphanumeric message and a destination address;means for including the alphanumeric message in a packet for transmission to the destination address by wireless transmission via the network operations center;means for receiving an alphanumeric message from the network operations center; andmeans for displaying the alphanumeric message received from the network operations center; anda memory,wherein the system for adding encryption services comprises:means in at least one of said pager units for generating a first session key, encrypting a message using the first session key, retrieving an encryption key from said memory, encrypting the first session key using said retrieved encryption key, and transmitting the encrypted message and the encrypted first session key via the network operations center to another of said pager units;means in said another one of said pager units for decrypting and displaying the encrypted message; anda pager proxy server including means for receiving a packet containing the encrypted message that has been sent to the network operations center, decrypting the first session key and at least a portion of the packet, and re-encrypting said portion of the packet for delivery to said another of said pager units via said network operations center.