Communication data freshness confirmation system

• US 20110066856A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukui, Kiyoshi, Yao, Taketsugu
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/003 for power analysis, e.g. differential power analysis [DPA] or simple power analysis [SPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A receiving device sends challenge information to a transmitting device. The transmitting device initializes a time varying parameter and transmits communication data together with data derived from the challenge information to the receiving device. Subsequent communication data, if any, are then transmitted together with data derived from the time varying parameter. The receiving device uses the challenge information to verify the freshness of the communication data transmitted first, and uses the time varying parameter to verify the freshness of the subsequent communication data. Freshness can be verified without having to maintain any type of verification data during sleep periods, and without having to send a separate challenge for each data transmission.

Claims

1. A communication data freshness confirmation system comprising:

a transmitting device; and

a receiving device that transmits challenge information to the transmitting device;

wherein

upon receiving the challenge information, if the transmitting device has only one item of communication data to transmit to the receiving device, the transmitting device responds to the challenge and transmits single converted data to the receiving device;

upon receiving the challenge information, if the transmitting device has a first item of communication data and at least one additional item of communication data to transmit to the receiving device, the transmitting device initializes a time varying parameter, uses the time varying parameter to convert the first item of communication data to first converted data and each item of additional communication data to additional converted data, and transmits the first converted data and the additional data to the receiving device, updating the time varying parameter at least after each conversion of the additional communication data; and

the receiving device uses at least the time varying parameter to confirm freshness of the additional converted data.

2. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device uses the challenge information to convert the only one item of communication data to the single converted data and to convert the first item of communication data to the first converted data and transmits the single converted data to the receiving device in response to the challenge, and the receiving device uses the challenge information to confirm the freshness of the single converted data and the first converted data, and wherein:

the transmitting device includes

a data acquisition unit for obtaining the communication data,

a receiver for receiving the challenge information from the receiving device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information,

a time varying parameter manager for receiving the challenge information from the receiver and managing the time varying parameter,

a data converter for receiving the communication data from the data acquisition unit, the key information from the key acquisition unit, and the challenge information and the time varying parameter from the time varying parameter manager and converting the communication data by using the key information, the challenge information, and the time varying parameter to generate the single, first, and additional converted data, and

a transmitter for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the data converter and transmitting the single, first, and additional converted data to the receiving device; and

the receiving device includes

a challenge generator for generating the challenge information,

a transmitter for receiving the challenge information from the challenge generator and transmitting the challenge information to the transmitting device,

a receiver for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the transmitting device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information identical to the key information obtained by the key acquisition unit in the transmitting device,

a time varying parameter tester for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the receiver and testing the freshness of the single, first, and additional converted data, and

a data authenticator for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the time varying parameter tester, the key information from the key acquisition unit in the receiving device, and the challenge information from the challenge generator, authenticating the single, first, and additional converted data by using the key information and at least one of the challenge information and the time varying information to determine whether the converted data were converted correctly, and sending an authentication result to the time varying parameter tester;

wherein

the time varying parameter tester uses the authentication result to confirm the freshness of the single, first, and additional converted data.

3. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 2, wherein:

the time varying parameter manager receives different items of challenge information from the receiver and manages a different time varying parameter for each item of challenge information; and

the data converter uses each item of challenge information to convert an arbitrary number of items of the communication data.

4. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 2, wherein:

the data authenticator uses the challenge information to authenticate the single converted data, sends an authentication success message as the authentication result if the single converted data were derived correctly, and sends an authentication failure message as the authentication result if the single converted data were derived incorrectly; and

the data authenticator uses the key information and at least the challenge information to authenticate the first converted data, sends the authentication success message as the authentication result if the first converted data were derived correctly, and sends the authentication failure message as the authentication result if the first converted data were derived incorrectly; and

the data authenticator uses the key information and at least the time varying parameter to authenticate each item of the additional converted data, sends the authentication success message as the authentication result if the additional converted data were derived correctly, and sends the authentication failure message as the authentication result if the additional converted data were derived incorrectly; and

the time varying parameter tester determines the single, first, and additional converted data to be fresh by receiving the authentication success message, and determines the single, first, and additional converted data and each item of additional converted data not, to be fresh by receiving the authentication failure message.

5. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 4, wherein to authenticate each item of the additional converted data, the data authenticator uses either a value of the time varying parameter included explicitly in the additional converted data or a value inferred to have been used by the data converter in the transmitting device.

6. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 4, wherein the time varying parameter is explicitly included in each item of the additional converted data, the time varying parameter tester compares the explicitly included time varying parameter with a time varying parameter managed by the time varying parameter tester itself to make a provisional freshness determination, and sends the additional converted data to the data authenticator only if the explicitly included time varying parameter is provisionally determined to be fresh.

7. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device responds to the challenge by transmitting a time varying parameter notification message including a starting value of the time varying parameter to the receiving device, and wherein:

the transmitting device includes

a data acquisition unit for obtaining the communication data,

a receiver for receiving the challenge information from the receiving device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information,

a time varying parameter acquisition unit for obtaining the starting value, different starting values being obtained at different times,

a time varying parameter notification unit for receiving the key information from the key acquisition unit, the challenge information from the receiver, and the starting value from the time varying parameter acquisition unit, and converting at least the starting value by using the key information and the challenge information to generate the time varying parameter notification message,

a time varying parameter manager for receiving the starting value from the time varying parameter acquisition unit, initializing the time varying parameter according to the starting value, and managing the time varying parameter,

a data converter for receiving the communication data from the data acquisition unit, the key information from the key acquisition unit, and the time varying parameter from the time varying parameter manager, and converting the communication data by using the key information and the time varying parameter to generate the converted data, the first converted data, and the additional converted data, and

a transmitter for receiving the time varying parameter notification message from the time varying parameter notification unit, receiving the converted data from the data converter, and transmitting the time varying parameter notification message and the converted data to the receiving device; and

the receiving device includes

a challenge generator for generating the challenge information,

a transmitter for receiving the challenge information from the challenge generator and transmitting the challenge information to the transmitting device,

a receiver for receiving the challenge information and the converted data from the transmitting device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information identical to the key information obtained by the key acquisition unit in the transmitting device,

a time varying parameter tester for receiving the converted data from the receiver and testing freshness of the converted data,

a time varying parameter synchronization unit for receiving the time varying parameter notification message from the receiver, the key information from the key acquisition unit in the receiving device, and the challenge information from the challenge generator, authenticating the time varying parameter notification message by using the key information and the challenge information to determine whether the time varying parameter notification message was generated correctly or not, obtaining at least the time varying parameter from the time varying parameter notification message, and sending the time varying parameter to the time varying parameter tester, and

a data authenticator for receiving at least the additional converted data from the time varying parameter tester and the key information from the key acquisition unit in the receiving device, authenticating the converted data by using the key information and the time varying parameter to determine whether the converted data were converted correctly, and sending an authentication result to the time varying parameter tester, wherein

the time varying parameter tester uses the authentication result to confirm the freshness of the converted data.

8. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 7, wherein time varying parameter notification unit also places the first or only one item of communication data in the time varying notification message, and by authenticating the time varying notification message, the time varying parameter synchronization unit also authenticates and tests the freshness of the first or only one item of communication data.

9. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 7, wherein:

the data authenticator also receives the single and first converted data from the time varying parameter tester, authenticates the single and first converted data by determining whether the single and first converted data were converted correctly, sends an authentication success message as the authentication result if the single converted data were derived correctly, sends an authentication success message as the authentication result if the first converted data were derived correctly, sends an authentication success message as the authentication result if the additional converted data were derived correctly, and sends an authentication failure message as the authentication result if the first, single, or additional converted data were converted incorrectly; and

the time varying parameter tester determines the converted data to be fresh by receiving the authentication success message, and determines the converted data not to be fresh by receiving the authentication failure message.

10. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim. 9, wherein when the time varying parameter is explicitly included in the single and first converted data, and in authenticating the single and first converted data, the data authenticator uses the explicitly included time varying parameter.

11. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 7, wherein the time varying parameter is explicitly included in the additional converted data, the time varying parameter tester compares the explicitly included time varying parameter with a time varying parameter managed by the time varying parameter tester itself to make a provisional freshness determination, and sends the additional converted data to the data authenticator only if the explicitly included time varying parameter is provisionally determined to be fresh.

12. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 7, wherein the time varying parameter acquisition unit obtains the time varying parameter by measuring elapsed time from commencement of usage of the key information.

13. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device responds to the challenge in one way when there is only the one item of communication data to be transmitted to the receiving device and in another way when there are the first item and the at least one additional item of communication data to be transmitted to the receiving device, and wherein:

the transmitting device includes

a data acquisition unit for obtaining the communication data,

a receiver for receiving the challenge information from the receiving device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information,

an authentication method selector for receiving the challenge information from the receiver, receiving the communication data from the data acquisition unit, and selecting a first authentication method when there is only one item of communication data, and selecting a second authentication method when the communication data includes the first item and the at least one additional item of communication data,

a key sharing unit for receiving the key information from the key acquisition unit, receiving the challenge information from the authentication method selector, and generating new key information from the key information, the challenge information, and random number information generated by the key sharing unit itself,

a time varying parameter manager for receiving the new key information from the key sharing unit, setting the time varying parameter, and managing the time varying parameter in correspondence to the new key information,

a data converter for receiving the communication data from the data acquisition unit, converting the communication data to the single converted data by using the key information received from the key acquisition unit and the challenge information received from the authentication method selector when the authentication method selector selects the first authentication method, and converting the communication data to the first and additional communication data by using the new key information and the time varying parameter received from the time varying parameter manager when the authentication method selector selects the second authentication method, and

a transmitter for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the data converter, receiving a key sharing message including at least the random number information from the key sharing unit, and transmitting the single, first, and additional converted data and the key sharing message to the receiving device; and

the receiving device includes

a challenge generator for generating the challenge information,

a transmitter for receiving the challenge information from the challenge generator and transmitting the challenge information to the transmitting device,

a receiver for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data and the key sharing message from the transmitting device,

a key acquisition unit for obtaining key information identical to the key information obtained by the key acquisition unit in the transmitting device,

an authentication method determiner for receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the receiver and determining the authentication method selected by the authentication method selector in the transmitting device from information included in the single and first converted data or information transmitted separately by the transmitting device,

a key sharing unit for receiving the key information from the key acquisition unit in the receiving device, the challenge information from the challenge generator, and the key sharing message from the receiver, and generating new key information identical to the new key information generated by key sharing unit in the transmitting device by using the key information, the challenge information, and the key sharing message,

a time varying parameter tester for receiving the new key information from the key sharing unit, receiving the single, first, and additional converted data from the authentication method determiner, and testing freshness of the single, first, and additional converted data, and

a data authenticator for receiving the converted data from one of the authentication method determiner and the time varying parameter tester, receiving the new key information from the key acquisition unit, receiving the new key information from the time varying parameter tester, receiving the challenge information from the challenge generator, authenticating the converted data by using at least one of the challenge information, the key information, the new key information, and the time varying parameter to determine whether the converted data have been converted correctly, and sending an authentication result to the time varying parameter tester, wherein

the time varying parameter tester uses the authentication result to confirm the freshness of the converted data.

14. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 13, wherein, when the data acquisition unit obtains only the one item of communication data:

the data converter converts the one item of communication data by using the key information received from the key acquisition unit in the transmitting device and the challenge information received from the authentication method selector to generate the single converted data; and

the data authenticator authenticates the single converted data by using the challenge information and the key information.

15. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 13, wherein, when the data acquisition unit obtains a plurality of items of communication data including the first item of communication data and the at least one additional item of communication data:

the data converter converts each item of communication data by using the new key information and the time varying parameter received from the time varying parameter manager to generate the first and additional converted data;

the data authenticator authenticates the first and additional converted data by using the new key information and the time varying parameter to determine whether the first and additional converted data were converted correctly, sends an authentication success message as the authentication result if the first and additional converted data were converted correctly, and sends an authentication failure message as the authentication result if the converted data were converted incorrectly; and

the time varying parameter tester determines the converted data to be fresh by receiving the authentication success message, and determines the converted data not to be fresh by receiving the authentication failure message.

16. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 13, wherein the time varying parameter is explicitly included in the first and additional converted data, the time varying parameter tester compares the explicitly included time varying parameter with a time varying parameter managed by the time varying parameter tester itself to make a provisional freshness determination, and sends the first and additional converted data to the data authenticator only if the explicitly included time varying parameter is provisionally determined to be fresh.

17. The communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1, wherein the converted data are obtained by adding a message authentication code to the communication data or by encrypting the communication data.

18. A communication device including the transmitting device in the communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1.

19. A communication device including the receiving device in the communication data freshness confirmation system of claim 1.