Associative PUF arrays to generate session keys with pseudo-homomorphic methods

US12184797B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Northern Arizona University · US
• Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce · US

Inventors

• Bertrand F. Cambou · Flagstaff, US
• Julie B. Heynssens · Flagstaff, US
• Ian Burke · Flagstaff, US
• Brit Riggs · Flagstaff, US
• Jack Garrard · Flagstaff, US
• Manuel Aguilar Rios · Flagstaff, US
• Donald A. Telesca, Jr. · Whitesboro, US
• H. Shelton Jacinto · Rome, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 27, 2022
• Grant date: Dec 31, 2024
• Expiry date: Aug 23, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L9/3268
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for the generation and use of session keys supporting secure communications between a client and server device are disclosed. The client hashes each of a series of passwords a first number of times. The hashed passwords are sent to a server. The server applies the hashed password to an array of PUF devices, and receives an initial response bitstream which is stored. The client later hashes each of the series of passwords a second number of times, which is less than the first number, and these are sent to the server. The server continues to hash the second message digest, generate PUF responses, and compare the result to the initially stored responses. For each password, the number of hashes necessary to achieve a match is a partial session key. Latency is improved by an array of separately addressable PUFs, each producing a partial session key.