Quantum cryptographic keys for secure wireless communications in a telecommunications network
US12407500B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 2021 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2025 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2043 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W12/041
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosed technology includes a technique for securing communications over a wireless telecommunications network. Quantum entangled particles are generated and optically communicated to a wireless endpoint device (e.g., smartphone) within Line-of-Sight (LOS) of the particle generator and optionally to a network access node (e.g., base station). A particle generator can be positioned on a communications tower, mountain, tall building, or other structure that enables greater LOS to multiple endpoint devices and network access nodes. The quantum states of entangled particles are used to generate counterpart cryptographic keys at the wireless endpoint device and network access node. As such, the counterpart keys can secure communications while underlying particles remain quantumly entangled. Moreover, any third-party observation of a quantumly entangled particle would cause collapse of the entanglement, which would render the cryptographic keys inoperable and serve to alert the network that an entangled particle was compromised.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.