Group authentication method

Abstract

A group authentication method adaptable to a communication system is disclosed. The communication system includes a user group, a serving network, and a home network. The user group includes at least one mobile station. The home network pre-distributes a group authentication key to itself and all the mobile stations in the same user group and generates a mobile station authentication key for each mobile station. The home network generates a group list for recording related information of the user group. The home network has a database for recording the group list. The serving network has a database for recording the group list and a group authentication data received from the home network. The group authentication method includes following steps. The serving network performs an identification action to a mobile station. The communication system performs a full authentication action or a local authentication action according to the result of the identification action.