Security key generator
View Patent ↗A communication system has a first and a second communicating device operable to send and receive data units through a communication channel. Some of the data are encrypted using a security key. The first device comprises a first key generator generating a first embodiment of the key independently of a second embodiment of the key generated by a second generator of the second device, the second embodiment being generated independently of the first, which depends on parameter(s) characterizing a first transmission quality of the channel when receiving a first set of unencrypted data sent by the second device. The second embodiment depends on parameter(s) characterizing a second transmission quality of the channel when receiving a second set of unencrypted data sent by the first device, the first set being different from the second set.
1. A communication system having a first and a second communicating device operable to send and receive a plurality of data units through a communication channel, said plurality of data units comprising data units encrypted using a security key, said first device comprising a first security key generator generating a first embodiment of said key independently of a second embodiment of said key generated by a second security key generator of said second device, said second embodiment being generated independently of said first embodiment, said first embodiment depending on characterizing a first average of N consecutive instances of a transmission quality parameter of said communication channel when receiving a first set of data units sent by said second device not encrypted using said key, where N is an integer greater than one (1), said second embodiment depending on characterizing a second average of N consecutive instances of the transmission quality of said communication channel when receiving a second set of data units sent by said first device not encrypted by said key, said first set being different from said second set, wherein said generating said first embodiment of said key depends on a variation over time of said transmission quality parameter and said generating said second embodiment of said key depends on a variation over time of said transmission quality, wherein said first and second security key generators additionally generate respective embodiments of an additional security key at said first device and said second device, wherein said respective embodiments of said additional security key are different from said first embodiment and said second embodiment of the security key, a respective embodiment of said additional security key being used for decrypting received data units encrypted by said first embodiment of the security key, said first device sending a valid key confirmation to said second device, wherein a valid key confirmation is encrypted using said first embodiment of the security key, and wherein a physical parameter of said communication channel is changed at least once during transmission of said first and second set of data units not encrypted using said security key.
2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said instances of said transmission quality parameter are link quality indication (LQI) values.
3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said transmission quality parameter is a frequency shift.
4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein tolerance against small erroneous differences between said first embodiment of said key and said second embodiment of said key is provided.
5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein, for point-to-multipoint communication, said security key being generated by all communicating devices, wherein said all communicating devices comprise at least one further communicating device operable to communicate with said first communicating device and said second communicating device.
6. A method of establishing a secure communication between a first and a second communicating device operable to send and receive a plurality of data units through a communication channel, comprising sending a first set of non-encrypted data units from said second device to said first device; sending a second set of non-encrypted data units from said first device to said second device, said second set of data units being different from said first set of data units; extracting a first set of values characterizing a transmission quality parameter of said communication channel when receiving said first set of data units; generating a first embodiment of a security key depending on a first average of N consecutive instances of said first set of extracted values, independently of a second embodiment of said security key, where N is an integer greater than one (1), extracting a second set of values characterizing the transmission quality of said communication channel when receiving said second set of data units; generating said second embodiment of said security key depending on a second average of N consecutive instances of said second set of extracted values; wherein said generating said first embodiment of said key depends on a variation over time of said transmission quality parameter and said generating said second embodiment of said key depends on a variation over time of said transmission quality; additionally generating respective embodiments of an additional security key at said first device and said second device, wherein said respective embodiments of said additional security key are different from said first embodiment and said second embodiment of the security key, a respective embodiment of said additional security key being used for decrypting received data units encrypted by said first embodiment of the security key, said first device sending a valid key confirmation to said second device, wherein a valid key confirmation is encrypted using said first embodiment of the security key, and wherein a physical parameter of said communication channel is changed at least once during transmission of said first and second set of data units not encrypted using said security key.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said instances of said transmission quality parameter are link quality indication (LQI) values.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said communication channel is a wireless communication channel.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said communication channel is a wired communication channel.
10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least one of said devices is moved by movement at least once during transmission of said first and second set of data units not encrypted using said security key, wherein the movement induces variation of the values of the transmission quality parameter during the extracting the first set of values characterizing a transmission quality parameter and during the extracting the second set of values characterizing a transmission quality parameter.
11. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein data units of said first set and said second set are sent alternately by said first and said second device.
12. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said first set and said second set of data units are sets of dummy data units.
13. The method of claim 6 wherein said extracting said first set of values characterizing said transmission quality parameter of said communication channel when receiving said first set of data units further comprises:
applying signal processing to said received first set of data units, said signal processing comprising Wiener filtering.
14. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
sending at least one data unit encrypted using the first embodiment of the security key from the first device to the second device;
decrypting the at least one data unit encrypted using the first embodiment of the security key;
sending the at least one data unit encrypted using the second embodiment of the security key from the second device to the first device; and
decrypting the at least one data unit encrypted using the second embodiment of the security key.