Communication protocol for secure communications systems
US9143321B2 · kind B2 · utility
4Cited by
1References
12Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 9, 2012 |
| Grant date | Sep 22, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 24, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W84/08
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for transmitting encryption keys in a secure communication system is provided herein. During rekeying of a device, a key encryption key (KEK) is utilized to wrap (encrypt) the traffic encryption key (TEK) when the KEK is available to the device. If unavailable, the TEK will be wrapped using public key encryption with the recipient device's public key. The receiving device will then be able to unwrap the TEK using public key decryption with its own private key. Because TEKs are always transmitted in a secure manner, secure and efficient rekeying of devices on foreign networks can occur.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.