Systems and methods for managing quantum cryptographic networks

• US 7,460,670 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technlogies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BBN Technologies (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Elliott, Brig Barnum
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Application Number:
  US10/324,355
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 380/256
• US Class Current: 380/256
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0858 Details about key distillation or coding, e.g. reconciliation, error correction, privacy amplification, polarisation coding or phase coding

Abstract

A system (125) performs network management in a quantum cryptographic network (115). The system (125) monitors parameters associated with multiple links and multiple nodes of the quantum cryptographic network (115). The system (125) manages the multiple links and multiple nodes of the quantum cryptographic network (115) based on the monitored parameters.

Claims

1. A method of displaying quantum cryptographic parameters associated with a plurality of nodes in a quantum cryptographic network, comprising:

monitoring quantum cryptographic parameters associated with the plurality of nodes, wherein the quantum cryptographic parameters comprise at least one of a number of quantum cryptographic bits produced at each of the plurality of nodes using quantum cryptographic techniques;

a number of quantum cryptographic bits, produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, consumed in each of the plurality of nodes;

a number of different security associations (SAs) active, and using quantum cryptographic bits produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, in each of the plurality of nodes;

or a quantum bit error rate (QBER), determined using quantum cryptographic techniques, associated with each of the plurality of nodes; and

displaying the monitored quantum cryptographic parameters in at least one of textual and graphical form at a remote location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing the plurality of nodes of the quantum cryptographic network based on the monitored parameters.

3. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method for displaying quantum cryptographic parameters associated with a plurality of nodes in a quantum cryptographic network, the method comprising:

receiving quantum cryptographic parameters associated with the plurality of nodes, wherein the quantum cryptographic parameters comprise at least one of a number of quantum cryptographic bits produced at each of the plurality of nodes using quantum cryptographic techniques;

a number of quantum cryptographic bits, produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, consumed in each of the plurality of nodes;

a number of different security associations (SAs) active, and using quantum cryptographic bits produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, in each of the plurality of nodes;

or a quantum bit error rate (QBER) determined using quantum cryptographic techniques, associated with each of the plurality of nodes; and

displaying the received quantum cryptographic parameters in at least one of textual and graphical form.

4. A quantum cryptographic network management device, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive quantum cryptographic parameters associated with a plurality of nodes of a quantum cryptographic network, wherein the quantum cryptographic parameters comprise at least one of a number of quantum cryptographic bits produced at each of the plurality of nodes using quantum cryptographic techniques;

a number of quantum cryptographic bits, produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, consumed in each of the plurality of nodes;

a number of different security associations (SAs) active, and using quantum cryptographic bits produced using quantum cryptographic techniques, in each of the plurality of nodes;

or a quantum bit error rate (QBER), determined using quantum cryptographic techniques, associated with each of the plurality of nodes, and

cause the received quantum cryptographic parameters to be displayed in one or more of a textual form and a graphical form.