US 9,319,878 B2 · Streaming alignment of key stream to unaligned data stream

Abstract

Enhanced cryptographic techniques are provided which facilitate higher data rates in a wireless communication system. In one aspect, improvements to the ZUC algorithm are disclosed which can reduce the number of logical operations involved key stream generation, reduce computational burden on a mobile device implementing ZUC, and extend battery life. The disclosed techniques include, for instance, receiving, at a wireless communication apparatus, a data stream having data packets for ciphering or deciphering. The wireless apparatus can generate a cipher key for the cryptographic function, determine a starting address of a first data packet in the data stream and shift the cipher key to align with the starting address of the first data packet. Once aligned, the processing apparatus applies the cryptographic function to a first block of the first data packet using the shifted cipher key and manages a remaining portion of the cipher key to handle arbitrarily aligned data across multiple packets.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at a wireless communication apparatus, a data stream having one or more data packets for a cryptographic function;
generating a cipher key for the cryptographic function;
determining a starting address of a first data packet in the data stream;
determining a misalignment between the starting address of the first data packet and the cipher key, wherein the misalignment is determined as a number of bits;
shifting the cipher key by the number of bits, wherein the shifting aligns the cipher key with the starting address of the first data packet to eliminate the determined misalignment;
and
applying the cryptographic function to a first block of the first data packet using the shifted cipher key.

4 more elements

An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, at a wireless communication apparatus, a data stream having one or more data packets for a cryptographic function;
means for generating a cipher key for the cryptographic function;
means for determining a starting address of a first data packet in the data stream;
means for determining a misalignment between the starting address of the first data packet and the cipher key, wherein the misalignment is determined as a number of bits;
means for shifting the cipher key by the number of bits, wherein the shifting aligns the cipher key with the starting address of the first data packet to eliminate the determined misalignment;
and
means for applying the cryptographic function to a first block of the first data packet using the shifted cipher key.

4 more elements

A computer program product for wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code including:
program code to receive, at a wireless communication apparatus, a data stream having one or more data packets for a cryptographic function;
program code to generate a cipher key for the cryptographic function;
program code to determine a starting address of a first data packet in the data stream;
program code to determine a misalignment between the starting address of the first data packet and the cipher key, wherein the misalignment is determined as a number of bits;
program code to shift the cipher key by the number of bits, wherein the shifting aligns the cipher key with the starting address of the first data packet to eliminate the determined misalignment;
and
program code to apply the cryptographic function to a first block of the first data packet using the shifted cipher key.

5 more elements

An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;
and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured:
to receive, at a wireless communication apparatus, a data stream having one or more data packets for a cryptographic function;
to generate a cipher key for the cryptographic function;
to determine a starting address of a first data packet in the data stream;
to determine a misalignment between the starting address of the first data packet and the cipher key, wherein the misalignment is determined as a number of bits;
to shift the cipher key by the number of bits, wherein the shifting aligns the cipher key with the starting address of the first data packet to eliminate the determined misalignment;
and
to apply the cryptographic function to a first block of the first data packet using the shifted cipher key.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Streaming alignment of key stream to unaligned data stream

Life of this patent

Streaming alignment of key stream to unaligned data stream

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32