Secure wireless transmission

• US 8,280,060 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Wright, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US12/075,748
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 380/285
• US Class Current: 380/285
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/46 wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc G05F1/625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 5/02 of power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention can include receiving a request for a public key from a local node. Furthermore, the public key and a private key that corresponds to the public key can be generated. The public key can be sent to the local node. An encrypted session key can be received from the local node. The encrypted session key can be decrypted using the private key. Additionally, the decrypted session key can be sent to the local node that enables the local node to have secure wireless communication with a remote node. The remote node can generate the encrypted session key using the public key.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating at a host a public key and a private key that corresponds to the public key in response to a request for the public key from a local node;

sending the public key from the host to the local node;

receiving at the host an encrypted session key from the local node;

decrypting the encrypted session key at the host using the private key; and

sending the decrypted session key from the host to the local node that enables the local node to have encrypted wireless communication with a remote node, wherein the remote node comprises a wireless keyboard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local node is coupled to the host system via a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local node comprises a wireless transceiver and the local node is coupled to the host system via Universal Serial Bus interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a the public key from the local node to the remote node.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating the encrypted session key at the remote node.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the encrypted session key from the remote node to the local node, wherein the encrypted session key was encrypted using the public key.

7. A system comprising:

a host configured to generate a public key and a corresponding private key;

a local node coupled to the host and configured to wirelessly transmit the public key; and

a remote node configured to encrypt a session key using the public key and to wirelessly transmit the encrypted session key;

wherein;

the host generates the public key and the corresponding private key, in response to a request for the public key from the local node,

the host sends the public key to the local node, after generating the public key and corresponding private key,

the local node sends the encrypted session key to the host,

the host decrypts the encrypted session key with the corresponding private key after receiving the encrypted session key from the local node and sends the decrypted session key to the local node, and

the local node utilizes the decrypted session key for encrypted wireless communication with the remote node, wherein the remote node comprises a wireless keyboard.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the remote node generates the session key.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the local node comprises a wireless transceiver.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the local node is coupled to the host via a wired communication link.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the local node is coupled to the host via a Universal Serial Bus.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the local node wirelessly receives encrypted data from the remote node and decrypts the encrypted data utilizing the decrypted session key.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the local node sends the decrypted data to the host.

14. A system comprising:

a host configured to generate a public key and a private key corresponding to the public key;

a local node coupled to the host, the local node further configured to wirelessly transmit the public key; and

a peripheral configured to wirelessly receive the public key from the local node and to encrypt a session key using the public key, the peripheral configured to wirelessly transmit the encrypted session key to the local node;

wherein;

the host generates the public key and the private key,

the host sends the public key to the local node,

the local node sends the encrypted session key to the host,

the host decrypts the encrypted session key and sends the decrypted session key to the local node, and

the local node utilizes the decrypted session key for encrypted wireless communication with the peripheral, wherein the peripheral comprises a wireless keyboard.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the peripheral encrypts data utilizing the session key and wirelessly transmits the encrypted data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the local node wirelessly receives the encrypted data and decrypts the encrypted data utilizing the decrypted session key.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the local node sends the decrypted data to the host.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the peripheral generates the session key.