Secure wireless communication

• US 9,210,571 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• 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:
  US14/311,889
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 may include receiving a first encryption key. A second encryption key may be generated, and a first data packet containing the second encryption key may be generated and at least part of the first data packet encrypted using the first encryption key. A second data packet may be generated and at least part of the second data packet encrypted using the second encryption key.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending a request for a public key from a remote node to a host;

receiving the public key at the remote node, wherein the public key corresponds to a private key that is kept at the host;

encrypting a session key into an encrypted session key at the remote node using the public key;

sending the encrypted session key from the remote node to the host; and

using the session key at the remote node in encrypted wireless communication with the host.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the session key at the remote node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement at the remote node that the encrypted session key was successfully decrypted at the host.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the session key at the remote node comprises:

encrypting first data using the session key, wherein the first data is to be sent to the host; and

decrypting second data using the session key, wherein the second data is received from the host.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a binding process to enable the remote node to communicate with the host.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the request for the public key is performed during the binding process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the request for the public key is performed in response to a change of state at the remote node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the request for the public key is performed in response to an event at the remote node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote node is a wireless device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote node comprises a wireless transceiver.

11. A method comprising:

receiving at a host a request for a public key from a remote node;

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

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

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

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

using the decrypted session key at the host in encrypted wireless communication with the remote node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein using the decrypted session key at the host comprises:

encrypting first data using the decrypted session key, wherein the first data is to be sent to the remote node; and

decrypting second data using the decrypted session key, wherein the second data is received from the remote node.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing a binding process to enable the host to communicate with the remote node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving at the host the request for the public key is performed during the binding process.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more operations of the method are performed by a driver operating on the host.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the host comprises a wireless transceiver.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the host is one of a computer system, a portable computing device, a set-top box, a television set, a computing device, and a laptop computer.

18. A method comprising:

sending a request for a public key from a remote node to a host;

receiving the request for the public key at the host;

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

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

receiving the public key at the remote node;

encrypting a session key into an encrypted session key at the remote node using the public key;

sending the encrypted session key from the remote node to the host;

receiving the encrypted session key at the host;

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

using the session key in encrypted wireless communication between the host and the remote node.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating the session key at the remote node; and

sending an acknowledgement from the host to the remote node that the encrypted session key was successfully decrypted at the host.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the session key is a randomly-generated number.