METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR GENERATING DYNAMIC PAIRWISE MASTER KEYS

• US 20100246818A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yao, Zongming
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0433 Key management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity

Abstract

A method to generate a pairwise master key for use in establishing a wireless connection is presented. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a region in an image. The method further comprises generating the pairwise master key based at least on contents of the region in the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first region in a first image; and

generating a first key, based at least on contents of the first region, for use in establishing a wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first key is a pairwise master key (PMK) generated by using a secure hash algorithm (SHA).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating first random data; and

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein generating the first key is further based on the first random data and the second random data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a second key based at least on contents of a second region in the first image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of the first region comprise at least 500 bytes data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein determining the first region comprises

determining an x coordinate, by applying a first hash function, based on the second random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

determining a y coordinate, by applying the first hash function, based on the first random data and the first value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein determining the first region comprises

generating an x coordinate, by applying a first hash function, based on the first random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

generating a y coordinate, by applying the first hash function, based on the second random data and the first value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a first value indicating a security level, wherein a size of the first region increases if the first value increases.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system; and

selecting one of a plurality of pre-shared images including the first image based on result from a first hash function based at least on the first random data and the second random data.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the first key is a pairwise master key (PMK) generated by using a secure hash algorithm (SHA).

22. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating first random data; and

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein generating the first key is further based on the first random data and the second random data.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein determining the first region comprises

determining an x coordinate, by applying a first hash function, based on the second random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

determining a y coordinate, by applying the first hash function, based on the first random data and the first value.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein determining the first region comprises

generating an x coordinate, by applying a first hash function, based on the first random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

generating a y coordinate, by applying the first hash function, based on the second random data and the first value.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating first random data;

receiving an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system; and

selecting one of a plurality of pre-shared images including the first image based on result from a first hash function based at least on the first random data and the second random data.

10. A wireless apparatus comprising:

memory to store a first image; and

a controller operable

to determine a first region in the first image; and

to generate a first key, based at least on contents of the first region, for use in establishing a wireless connection.

11. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, further comprising key generation logic to generate the first key which is a Pairwise master key (PMK).

12. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to

generate first random data;

and

receive an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system, wherein generating the first key is further based on the first random data and the second random data.

13. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to generate a second key based at least on contents of a second region in the first image.

14. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to

generate first random data;

receive an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system;

determine an x coordinate of the first region, by applying a first hash function, based on the second random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

determine a y coordinate of the first region, by applying the first hash function, based on the first random data and the first value.

15. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine a first value indicating a security level, wherein a size of the first region increases if the first value increases.

16. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to

generate first random data;

receive an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system; and

select one of a plurality of pre-shared images based on result from a first hash function based at least on the first random data and the second random data.

17. A system comprising

a controller operable to determine a first region in a first image;

and to generate a first key, based at least on contents of the first region, for use in establishing a wireless connection;

an interface circuitry to transmit and to receive the data packets via the wireless connection; and

a processor couple to use the wireless connection.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first key is a Pairwise master key (PMK).

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is operable to

generate first random data;

receive an encrypted version of second random data from a remote system;

generate an x coordinate of the first region, by applying a first hash function, based on the second random data and a first value indicating a security level; and

generate a y coordinate of the first region, by applying the first hash function, based on the first random data and the first value.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium including data storing instructions thereon that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

determining a first region in a first image; and

generating a first key, based at least on contents of the first region, for use in establishing a wireless connection.