Message deciphering method, system and article

• US 8,223,970 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Sannino, Roberto Valerio, Sozzani, Fabio, Bertoni, Guido Marco, Pelosi, Gerardo, Fragneto, Pasqualina
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Yin-Chen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, KARI L
• Application Number:
  US12/939,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/156, 713/163, 713/171, 380/30, 380/44, 380277-278, 380/286, 726/29
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3073 involving pairings, e.g. identity based encryption [IBE], bilinear mappings or bilinear pairings, e.g. Weil or Tate pairing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

A method for decrypting the encrypted messages sent by a transmission device to a first electronic device associated with a first trusted authority and to a second electronic device (ME). In one embodiment, first and second tokens are generated and exchanged, respectively, by the first and second electronic devices, which then generate a joint decryption key in order to decrypt the encrypted message.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a first electronic device associated with a first trusted authority; and

a second electronic device associated with a second trusted authority adapted to communicate with the first electronic device, wherein;

the first and second electronic devices form a common entity configured to receive an encrypted message and decryption information, the encrypted message being sent to the common entity;

the first electronic device is configured to generate a first decryption token based at least in part on the decryption information and to provide the first decryption token to the second electronic device;

the second electronic device is configured to generate a second decryption token based at least in part on the decryption information and to provide the second decryption token to the first electronic device; and

wherein the common entity is configured to generate a joint decryption key to decrypt the encrypted message based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens, and

wherein the second trusted authority is distinct and autonomous with respect to the first trusted authority.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first trusted authority is configured to provide at least part of the decryption information to the common entity.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the second trusted authority is configured to provide at least part of the decryption information to the common entity.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the first trusted authority is configured to include first and second quantities in the decryption information and the second trusted authority is configured to include third and fourth quantities in the decryption information.

5. The communication system of claim 3, wherein a first identity is associated with the first electronic device, a second identity is associated with the second electronic device and the communication system is configured to generate a first public key by application of a first hash function to the first identity and a second public key by application of the first hash function to the second identity.

6. A common entity system, comprising:

a first electronic device configured to receive encryption information and an encrypted message addressed to a common entity, the first electronic device configured to generate a first decryption token based at least in part on the received encryption information, the first electronic device associated with a first trusted authority;

a second electronic device coupleable to the first electronic device, the second electronic device configured to receive the encryption information and the encrypted message addressed to the common entity, the second electronic device configured to generate a second decryption token based at least in part on the received encryption information, the second electronic device associated with a second trusted authority, the second trusted authority being distinct and autonomous with respect to the first trusted authority; and

wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are each configured to generate a joint decryption key based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens.

7. The common entity system of claim 6 wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are each configured to request encryption information from the first trusted authority.

8. The common entity system of claim 7 wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are each configured to request encryption information from a second trusted authority, wherein the second electronic device is not associated with the first trusted authority and the first electronic device is not associated with the second trusted authority.

9. A method of decrypting an encrypted message, the method comprising:

receiving from a transmission device, an encrypted message directed to a single joint identity, the single joint identity identifying a common entity to the transmission device;

receiving decryption information associated with the common entity;

generating a first decryption token based at least in part on the received decryption information;

receiving a second decryption token; and

generating a joint decryption key based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens,

wherein the common entity is formed by a first electronic device associated with a first trusted authority and by a second electronic device associated with a second trusted authority, the second trusted authority being distinct and autonomous with respect to the first trusted authority.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting at least part of the decryption information from the first trusted authority.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

requesting at least part of the decryption information from the second trusted authority, wherein the second electronic device is not associated with the first trusted authority and the first electronic device is not associated with the second trusted authority.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive from a first trusted authority associated with the electronic device decryption information and an encrypted message, the encrypted message directed to a single joint identity, wherein the electronic device and a second electronic device form a common entity identifiable to a transmission device as the single joint identity; and

a processor configured to generate a first decryption token based at least in part on received decryption information;

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the first decryption token to the second electronic device;

wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a second decryption token from the second electronic device; and

wherein the processor is configured to generate a joint decryption key based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the transceiver is configured to receive decryption information from a second trusted authority associated with the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device is not associated with the first trusted authority and the electronic device is not associated with the second trusted authority.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to decrypt the second decryption token.

15. A computer storage device storing instructions that are executable by a processor, the instructions configured to cause an electronic device to:

receive from a transmission device, an encrypted message directed to a single joint identity, the single joint identity identifying a common entity to the transmission device, wherein the common entity is formed by the electronic device, which is associated with a first trusted authority, and by a second electronic device, which is associated with a second trusted authority, the second trusted authority being distinct and autonomous with respect to the first trusted authority;

receive decryption information associated with the common entity;

generate a first decryption token based at least in part on the received decryption information;

receive a second decryption token; and

generate a joint decryption key based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens.

16. The computer storage device of claim 15 wherein the instructions executable by the processor are configured to cause the electronic device to request at least part of the decryption information from the first trusted authority.

17. The computer storage device of claim 15 wherein the instructions executable by the processor are configured to cause the electronic device to request the second decryption token from the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device is not associated with the first trusted authority and the electronic device is not associated with the second trusted authority.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

send electronic device identity information to a second electronic device;

send first trusted authority identity information to the second electronic device, the first trusted authority identity information identifying a first trusted authority associated with the electronic device;

receive second electronic device identity information from the second electronic device;

receive second trusted authority identity information from the second electronic device, the second trusted authority associated with the second electronic device;

send the second electronic device identity information and the second trusted authority identity information to the first trusted authority;

receive decryption information from the first trusted authority; and

receive an encrypted message, the encrypted message directed to a single joint identity, wherein the electronic device and the second electronic device form a common entity identifiable to a transmission device as the single joint identity

a memory configured to store the decryption information and the encrypted message; and

a processor configured to decrypt the encrypted message with a joint decryption key.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein:

the processor is further configured generate a first decryption token based at least in part on received decryption information;

the transceiver is further configured to receive a second decryption token from the second electronic device; and

the processor is further configured to generate the joint decryption key based at least in part on the first and second decryption tokens.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to create a private session key from the second electronic device identity information, the private session key operable to encrypt information communicated to the second electronic device, the private session key further operable to decrypt information communicated from the second electronic device.