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Multi-party secure session/conference

  • US 5,369,705 A
  • Filed: 06/03/1992
  • Issued: 11/29/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of providing secure communications between terminals of a communications network, said method comprising:

  • (a) storing in a server of said network an initial user key for each of said terminals, each corresponding said user key being known only to said server and a corresponding one of said terminals;

    (b) transmitting, upon the event of a group of said terminals indicating a desire to communicate with each other, corresponding alleged identity and corresponding freshness information from each terminal of said group of terminals, said freshness information indicating the happening of said event and the time elapsed since said event occurred and being associated with said group and said event, each said alleged identity information and each said freshness information being transmitted to said server, each said alleged identity and freshness information being dynamically routed to said server on current available paths of said network;

    (c) generating a group key which is held in a secure fashion and is usable only by said group of terminals for only a predetermined time interval following said event;

    (d) computing coded information for each terminal of said group of terminals, said coded information being dependent upon said group key, corresponding said freshness information, corresponding said user key, and upon an alleged identification of a user;

    (e) transmitting to each of said terminals of said group corresponding said coded information along with an attached clear text tag representing said each terminal on said current available paths of said network; and

    (f) extracting said group key, by each of said terminals, based upon corresponding said coded information, by employing said user key of said each terminal, said corresponding coded information being identified by a corresponding said attached tag,said extracting in step (f) being successful only if an alleged user is actually the user it alleges to be in step (b), said users communicating securely with each other using said group key,repeating steps (b) through (f) when another group of said terminals indicate that they desire to communicate with each other, wherein a new group key is generated.

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