Patent ID: 7574599

Claim:
A wireless network authentication method comprising: (a) receiving an initial nonce value and a mobile station message authentication code value from a serving mobile network in an authentication data request associated with a user device, the initial nonce value originating from the user device and the message authentication code value is determined at the mobile station from data originating from the user device and data originating from the serving mobile network; (b) generating a subsequent nonce value from the initial nonce value based on a first authentication function that is shared with the user device; (c) generating an authentication vector associated with the user device, the authentication vector including the subsequent nonce value; (d) transmitting the authentication vector to the serving mobile network (e) receiving an International Mobile Station Identifier corresponding to the user device from the serving mobile network (f) receiving a visiting location register randomized authentication value, a mobile station randomized authentication value and a mobile station message authentication value from the serving mobile network; (g) generating an authentication center message authentication value based on the visiting location register randomized authentication value, the mobile station randomized authentication value and a second authentication function that is shared with the user device; (h) determining whether the authentication center message authentication value equals the mobile station message authentication value before the transmitting step (i) generating an authentication center challenge randomized value; and (j) generating an authentication center expected response value comprising evaluating a third authentication function with the authentication center challenge randomized value as input; and wherein the third authentication function is shared with the user device.