Patent · US Expired

Secure communication apparatus and method

US7693285B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by
6References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 6, 2002
Grant dateApr 6, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L63/0464
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus, such as a secure distribution server, receives encrypted information from a sender, wherein the encrypted information is for transmission to a plurality of intended recipients. In addition to the encrypted information, the method includes receiving an encrypted secret key that is encrypted using a public key associated with the secure distribution server. The method and apparatus decrypts the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key. The method and apparatus then encrypts the decrypted secret key with the corresponding public key of at least one (or each of a plurality of) intended recipient(s) to produce at least one (or plurality of) recipient-specific secure secret keys. The method and apparatus then forwards the received encrypted information sent by the sender and also sends at least one recipient-specific secure secret key to a corresponding intended recipient.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.