US 8,301,891 B2Granted

Localized network authentication and security using tamper-resistant keys

AssigneeKoolspan, Inc.

InventorAnthony C. Fascenda

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The invention provides a secure Wi-Fi communications method and system. In an embodiment of the invention, unique physical keys, or tokens, are installed at an access point and each client device of the network. Each key comprises a unique serial number and a common network send cryptographic key and a common network receive cryptographic key used only during the authentication phase by all components on the LAN. Each client key further includes a secret cryptographic key unique to each client device. During authentication, two random numbers are generated per communications session and are known by both sides of the wireless channel. Only the random numbers are sent across the wireless channel and in each case these numbers are encrypted. A transposed cryptographic key is derived from the unique secret cryptographic key using the random numbers generated during authentication. Thus, both sides of the wireless channel know the transposed cryptographic key without it ever being transmitted between the two.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method for remote provisioning of a cryptographic key database file on an access point computing device on a communications network also including a host computing device having a cryptographic key database stored thereon and one or more client computing devices, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the access point computing device;
authenticating the selected access point computing device;
obtaining an access point identifier associated with the selected access point computing device;
obtaining from the cryptographic key database, an access point cryptographic secret key associated with said access point identifier and the cryptographic key database;
constructing the cryptographic key database file, wherein the cryptographic key database file comprises one or more client identifiers associated with the respective one or more client computing devices, and one or more client key cryptographic secret keys associated with cryptographic keys of the respective client computing devices;
encrypting the cryptographic key database file using the access point cryptographic secret key;
and
receiving the encrypted cryptographic key database file at the selected access point computing device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/942,641Filed 9 Nov 2010 · continuation
Priority: 8 Oct 2002
Published: US 2011/0055574 A13 Mar 2011
Granted: 30 Oct 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04W 12/04
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
H04L 9/0897
Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage: involving additional devices, e.g. trusted…
H04L 9/3234
Including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity…:…
H04L 9/3271
Including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity…: using…

Family

Application60/416,583Us provisional application · filed 8 Oct 2002
Application60/422,474Us provisional application · filed 31 Oct 2002
Application60/447,921Us provisional application · filed 19 Feb 2003
Application11/955,864Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Dec 2007
US 2011/0055574 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Mar 2011
US 7,853,788 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2008/0104399 A1Published application
US 8,301,891 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.