Secure group communications

• US 20100290625A1
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Dondeti, Lakshminath
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A device for use in a system with multiple receiving units, and multiple intermediate units each configured to communicate with the device and at least some of the multiple receiving units, includes a communication module configured to send information toward and receive information from the receiving units and the intermediate units, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and the communication module. The processor is configured to: cause the communication module to send information toward each of the receiving units sufficient for the receiving units to obtain a key chain corresponding to that receiving unit, each key chain containing a plurality of keys, each key in each key chain being related to other keys in the respective key chains by at least one inverse of a one-way function; select a key from a key chain associated with a particular receiving unit and stored in the memory; and cause the communication module to send the selected key, and an indication of which receiving unit the selected key is associated with, toward the intermediate unit associated with the particular receiving unit.

Claims

1. A device for use in a system with multiple receiving units, and multiple intermediate units each configured to communicate with the device and at least some of the multiple receiving units, the device comprising:

a communication module configured to send information toward and receive information from the receiving units and the intermediate units;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the communication module and configured to;

cause the communication module to send information toward each of the receiving units sufficient for the receiving units to obtain a key chain corresponding to that receiving unit, each key chain containing a plurality of keys, each key in each key chain being related to other keys in the respective key chains by at least one inverse of a one-way function;

select a key from a key chain associated with a particular receiving unit and stored in the memory; and

cause the communication module to send the selected key, and an indication of which receiving unit the selected key is associate with, toward the intermediate unit associated with the particular receiving unit.

2-24. -24. (canceled)