Systems and methods for key generation in wireless communication systems

• US 8,208,628 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Original Assignee: University of Connecticut Through Its Center For Science & Technology Commercialization
• Inventors: Yener, Bulent, Mercado, Alejandra, Azimi-Sadjadi, Babak, Kiayias, Aggelos
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durham, Imhotep
• Application Number:
  US12/288,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 380/44
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement

Abstract

A system and a method for providing a secure wireless ad-hoc network in a wireless communication system having at least two transceivers coupled by a wireless transmission link are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data transmission at a first transceiver from a second transceiver, wherein the data transmission identifies a source of a signal in the data transmission and the signal is identified by a signal envelope; detecting a deep fade in the data transmission, wherein the first and second transceivers are configured to sample the source of the signal in the data transmission; determining whether the received signal exceeds a predetermined threshold for deep fades, wherein the predetermined threshold is preset by the first and second transceivers; generating a bit-string corresponding to each of the transceivers based on channel fading information relating to the wireless transmission link; and, using the bit-string, generating a key.

Claims

1. A method for providing a secure wireless ad-hoc network in a wireless communication system having at least two transceivers coupled by a wireless transmission link, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data transmission at a first transceiver from a second transceiver, wherein the data transmission identifies a source of a signal in the data transmission and the signal is identified by a signal envelope;

detecting a deep fade in the data transmission, wherein the first and second transceivers are configured to sample the source of the signal in the data transmission;

based on the sampling, determining whether the received signal exceeds a predetermined threshold for deep fades, wherein the predetermined threshold is preset by the first and second transceivers;

using the threshold for deep fades, generating a bit-string corresponding to each of the transceivers based on channel fading information relating to the wireless transmission link; and

using the bit-string, generating a key.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

comparing the signal envelope with the predetermined threshold over a period of time to determine whether a deep fade occurred.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detection is periodic.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

determining whether the envelope of the received signal is below a threshold;

determining that a deep fade has occurred; and

setting a bit within the bit-string to one.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising

determining whether the envelope of the received signal is above the threshold;

determining that a deep fade did not occur; and

setting a bit within the bit-string to zero.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system further includes a key generation circuit having a filter coupled to the transceivers;

the method further comprising a step of;

passing the received signal through the filter to filter out interference.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each signal source is characterized by a bit string.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising generating a bit vector for each transceiver, wherein the bit vector for each transceiver is configured to be constructed from the bit stream and wherein bit vectors for uplink and downlink between transceivers are configured to be similar due to channel reciprocity.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a sequence of consecutive ones within the bit vector identifies a deep fade within a signal envelope.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

using the first transceiver,

calculating the key; and

releasing key verification information to the second transceiver;

using the second transceiver, determining second transceiver correct key based on key verification information received from the first transceiver.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein deep fades are uniformly distributed over the period of time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entropy of the wireless link between the first and second transceivers in communication can be configured to be:

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

generating the key using a secure fuzzy information reconciliator (“

SFIR”

);

wherein SFIR is configured to operate based on independent lengths of deep fades.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of using SFIR, performing fast error correction independently of lengths of deep fades.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of using SFIR, recovering the same key for both transceivers.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of generating the key further comprises

using SFIR

using the first transceiver,

applying a function Gen to a bit string corresponding to the random source of the first transceiver signal, wherein function Gen is configured to flatten a distribution of the signal and further configured to enable a reconciliation;

generating a pair of strings <

f p>

corresponding to the key and a reconciliation information, respectively; and

setting key=f;

transmitting the value p to the second transceiver; and

using the second transceiver,

applying function Rep to read a bit string corresponding to the random source of the second transceiver, wherein function Rep is configured to reconstruct the key given the reconciliation information p; and

recovering key=f.

17. A method for providing private and secure communications in wireless communication networks by generating a cryptographic key between a pair of nodes communicating on a wireless link in a wireless ad-hoc network, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically detecting deep fades in the data transmission between transceivers, wherein said detecting includes

each node sampling the signal it receives, wherein the signal is characterized by a signal envelope; and

determining whether the signal exceeds an agreed-upon threshold for deep fades;

generating a bit stream from the detected deep fades based on a predetermined threshold preset by both nodes of the wireless link;

comparing the envelope of the received signal over a time slot with the predetermined threshold; and

,

generating a secret key.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising generating the secret key based on key verification information, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

sampling by each node of a respective bit-string;

calculating the key by a first node;

sending the key verification information to the second node;

using the second node, determining a correct key based on the key verification information, wherein said determining further includes

scanning through all possible error vectors related to the bit-string.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising generating the secret key using a secure fuzzy information reconciliator (“

SFIR”

), wherein said generating further comprises the steps of;

using a first node,

applying Gen function to a random variable bit-string to obtain a pair of strings (f, p), wherein function Gen is configured to flatten a distribution of the signal and further configured to enable a reconciliation and wherein the pair of strings <

f,p>

corresponding to the key and a reconciliation information, respectively; and

setting the key equal to f;

transmitting the value p in the pair of strings to the second node; and

using a second node,

applying function Rep to read a signal envelope to recover the key, wherein function Rep is configured to reconstruct the key given the reconciliation information p.

20. A system for providing a secure wireless ad-hoc network in a wireless communication system, comprising

at least two transceivers coupled by a wireless transmission link, the transceivers configured to:

receive a data transmission at a first transceiver from a second transceiver, wherein data transmission identifies a source of a signal in the data transmission and the signal is identified by a signal envelope;

detect a deep fade in the data transmission, wherein the first and second transceivers are configured to sample the source of the signal in the data transmission;

based on the sampling, determine whether the received signal exceeds a predetermined threshold for deep fades, wherein the predetermined threshold is preset by the first and second transceivers;

using the threshold for deep fades, generate a bit-string corresponding to each of the transceivers based on channel fading information relating to the wireless transmission link; and

using the bit-string, generate a key.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the transceivers are further configured to compare the signal envelope with the predetermined threshold over a period of time to determine whether a deep fade occurred.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said detection is periodic.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

determine whether the envelope of the received signal is below a threshold;

determine whether a deep fade has occurred; and

set a bit within the bit-string to one.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

determine whether the envelope of the received signal is above the threshold;

determine whether a deep fade did not occur; and

set a bit within the bit-string to zero.

25. The system according to claim 20, wherein the system further includes a key generation circuit having a filter coupled to the transceivers;

wherein the transceivers are further configured to;

pass the received signal through the filter to filter out interference.

26. The system according to claim 20, wherein each signal source is characterized by a bit string.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the transceivers are further configured to generate a bit vector for each transceiver, wherein the bit vector for each transceiver is configured to be constructed from the bit stream and wherein bit vectors for uplink and downlink between transceivers are configured to be similar due to channel reciprocity.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein a sequence of consecutive ones within the bit vector identifies a deep fade within a signal envelope.

29. The system according to claim 20, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

using the first transceiver,

calculate the key; and

release key verification information to the second transceiver;

using the second transceiver,

determine second transceiver correct key based on key verification information received from the first transceiver.

30. The system according to claim 20, wherein deep fades are uniformly distributed over the period of time.

31. The system according to claim 20, wherein the entropy of the wireless link between the first and second transceivers in communication can be configured to be:

32. The system according to claim 20, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

generate the key using a secure fuzzy information reconciliator (“

SFIR”

);

wherein SFIR is configured to operate based on independent lengths of deep fades.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

using SFIR, perform fast error correction independently of lengths of deep fades.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the transceivers are further configured to:

using SFIR, recover the same key for both transceivers.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein generation of the key further comprises:

using SFIR

using the first transceiver,

apply a function Gen to a bit string corresponding to the random source of the first transceiver signal, wherein the function Gen is configured to flatten a distribution of an input signal and further configured to enable a reconciliation;

generate a pair of strings <

f, p>

corresponding to the key and a reconciliation information, respectively; and

set key=f;

transmit the value p to the second transceiver; and

using the second transceiver,

apply a function Rep to read a bit string corresponding to the random source of the second transceiver, wherein the function Rep is configured to reconstruct the key given the reconciliation information p; and

recover key=f.