Call encryption systems and methods

• US 10,038,676 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Khalid, Mohammad Raheel, Caceres, Manuel Enrique, Andrada, Mauricio Pati Caldeira de, Berman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US15/382,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 713171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0841 involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses

Abstract

Techniques described herein may be used to encrypt a telephone call between users. User devices (e.g., smart phones) may be connected to encryption relay devices that operate as relays between headsets worn by the user and the user devices. As information passes from the headset toward a corresponding user device, an encryption relay device may encrypt the information before the information reaches the user device so that the user device transmits encrypted call information to the other user participating in the call. When encrypted information is received, and travels from the user device to the headset, the encryption relay device may decrypt the information before it reaches the headset. Thus, the techniques described herein provide an end-to-end encryption solution to telephone calls.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by an encryption relay device, a call associated with a user device that is in communication with the encryption relay device, the call further being associated with another user device that is in communication with another encryption relay device;

authenticating, by the encryption relay device, the other encryption relay device, the authenticating including;

sending audio Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) information to the other encryption relay device;

receiving, from the other encryption relay device, an audio response to the audio CAPTCHA information;

presenting, to the user device, the received audio response;

receiving, from the user device, confirmation that the received audio response matches the audio CAPTCHA information; and

authenticating the other encryption relay device based on receiving the confirmation;

inserting, by the encryption relay device, audio signals within the call, the audio signals encoding information used to perform a key exchange with another encryption relay device, to exchange one or more encryption keys for the call,

wherein at least one encryption key, of the one or more encryption keys, is based on a dial code physically programmed by a user of the user device;

storing, in a local memory of the encryption relay device, the at least one encryption key;

receiving, by the encryption relay device and from the user device, encrypted incoming call information corresponding to the call;

decrypting, by the encryption relay device, the encrypted incoming call information based on the one or more encryption keys, to obtain a decrypted version of the incoming call information;

outputting the decrypted version of the incoming call information to an external communication device that is communicatively coupled to the encryption relay device;

receiving, by the encryption relay device and from the external communication device, outgoing call information;

encrypting, by the encryption relay device and based on the one or more encryption keys, the received outgoing call information;

communicating, by the encryption relay device, the encrypted outgoing call information to the user device to relay the outgoing encrypted call information as part of the call;

detecting, by the encryption relay device, that the call has ended; and

in response to detecting that the call has ended, automatically erasing the at least one encryption key from the local memory of the encryption relay device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the encryption relay device is connected to the user device via a first short-range wireless interface, and

the encryption relay device is connected to the external communication device via a second short-range wireless interface, wherein the external communication device includes a headset.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the at least one encryption key based on a physical arrangement of manually programmable features of the encryption relay device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving call information, originating from the other user device, that includes a timestamp;

determining a duration of time defined by a difference between the timestamp and a current time; and

determining whether a third-party device is participating in the call based on the duration of time.

5. The method of claim 1,

detecting an identity certificate encoded in an audio signal of the call;

and

authenticating the other encryption relay device further based on the identity certificate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a Diffie Hellman procedure to determine a symmetric encryption key between the encryption relay device and the other encryption relay device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signals within the call are ultrasonic audio signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the audio response to the user device allows the user device to audibly present, via an audio output device of the user device, the audio response to a user of the user device.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing one or more processors to:

detect a call associated with a user device, in communication with an encryption relay device, the call further being associated with another user device that is in communication with another encryption relay device;

authenticate the other encryption relay device, the authenticating including;

sending an audible phrase to the other encryption relay device;

receiving, from the other encryption relay device, an audio response to the audible phrase;

presenting, to the user device, the received audio response;

receiving, from the user device, confirmation that the received audio response matches the audible phrase sent to the other encryption relay device; and

authenticating the other encryption relay device based on receiving the confirmation;

insert audio signals within the call, the audio signals encoding information used to perform a key exchange with another encryption relay device, to exchange one or more encryption keys for the call,

wherein at least one encryption key, of the one or more encryption keys, is based on a dial code physically inputted at the user device;

store, in a local memory of the encryption relay device, the at least one encryption key;

receive, from the user device, encrypted incoming call information corresponding to the call;

decrypt the encrypted incoming call information based on the one or more encryption keys, to obtain a decrypted version of the incoming call information;

output the decrypted version of the incoming call information to an external communication device that is communicatively coupled to the encryption relay device;

receive, from the external communication device, outgoing call information;

encrypt, based on the one or more encryption keys, the received outgoing call information;

communicate the encrypted outgoing call information to the user device to relay the outgoing encrypted call information as part of the call;

detect that the call has ended; and

in response to detecting that the call has ended, automatically erase the at least one encryption key from the local memory of the encryption relay device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein:

the encryption relay device is connected to the user device via a first short-range wireless interface, and

the encryption relay device is connected to the external communication via a second short-range wireless interface, wherein the external communication device includes a headset.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to:

generate the at least one encryption key based on a physical arrangement of manually programmable features of the encryption relay device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to:

receive call information, originating from the other user device, that includes a timestamp;

determine a duration of time defined by a difference between the timestamp and a current time; and

determine whether a third-party device is participating in the call based on the duration of time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to:

detect an identity certificate encoded in an audio signal of the call; and

authenticate the other encryption relay device further based on the identity certificate.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to:

performing a Diffie Hellman procedure to determine a symmetric encryption key between the encryption relay device and the other encryption relay device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the audible phrase includes audio Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) information.

16. A computing device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable memory device storing processor-executable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to;

detect a call involving a user device in communication with the computing device, the call further being associated with another user device that is in communication with an encryption relay device;

authenticate the encryption relay device, the authenticating including;

sending an audible phrase to the encryption relay device;

receiving, from the encryption relay device, an audio response to the audible phrase;

presenting, to the user device, the received audio response;

receiving, from the user device, confirmation that the received audio response matches the audible phrase sent to the encryption relay device; and

authenticating the encryption relay device based on receiving the confirmation;

insert audio signals within the call, the audio signals encoding information used to perform a key exchange, to exchange one or more encryption keys for the call,

wherein at least one encryption key, of the one or more encryption keys, is based on a code dialed at the user device;

store, in a local memory of the computing device, the at least one encryption key;

receive, from the user device, encrypted incoming call information corresponding to the call;

decrypt the encrypted incoming call information based on the one or more encryption keys, to obtain a decrypted version of the incoming call information;

output the decrypted version of the incoming call information to an external communication device that is communicatively coupled to the computing device;

receive, from the external communication device, outgoing call information;

encrypt the received outgoing call information, based on the one or more encryption keys;

communicate the encrypted outgoing call information, to the user device to relay the outgoing encrypted call information as part of the call;

detect that the call has ended; and

in response to detecting that the call has ended, automatically erase the at least one encryption key from the local memory of the computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

use a first short-range wireless interface to communicate with the user device, and

use a second short-range wireless interface to communicate with the external communication device, wherein the external communication device includes a headset.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the audible phrase includes audio Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) information.

19. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructions further include processor-executable instructions to:

determine when an attempt is made to physically tamper with the computing device; and

automatically erase the one or more encryption keys from the local memory of the computing device when determining that an attempt has been made to physically tamper with the computing device.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructions further include processor-executable instructions to:

detect an expiration of a pre-selected period of time for storing the one or more encryption keys; and

automatically erase the one or more encryption keys from the local memory of the computing device when detecting the expiration of the pre-selected period of time for storing the one or more encryption keys.