IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,108,550
Granted Patent B1
US 11,108,550 · App. 16/996,869 · Granted Aug 31, 2021

Method and system for highly secured network communication using quantum technologies

Inventors: Daniel M. Esbensen (Hayward, CA); Stephen M. Omohundro (Palo Alto, CA)
H04L9/0852G06N10/00H04L9/0819H04L9/0869H04L63/0485
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,108,550
App. No.
16/996,869
Granted
Aug 31, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods for secure network communications of data using quantum key distribution (QKD) are presented. Source data is provided. The source data is encrypted to produce encrypted data and key data corresponding to the encrypted data. Using QKD, the key data is transmitted from a first network location to a second network location. Successful transmission of the key data to the second location is verified, and upon verification, the encrypted data is transmitted from the first network location to the second network location using QKD. Successful transmission of the encrypted data to the second location is verified, and upon verification, the encrypted data is decrypted with the key data to provide a data output.

Claims (43)

1. A method for secure network communications of data, the method comprising:

providing source data;

encrypting, using a first computer processor, the source data to produce encrypted data and key data corresponding to the encrypted data, wherein encrypting the source data comprises: generating a random bit size corresponding to every write request of the source data of a size equal to the random bit size; and generating a random key equal to or greater in size than the random bit size;

transmitting, from a first network location to a second network location, a first of the encrypted data or the key data;

verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data;

transmitting, from the first network location to the second network location, a second of the encrypted data or the key data only after verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data from the first network location to the second network location;

verifying successful transmission of the second of the encrypted data or the key data; and

decrypting, using a second computer processor at the second network location, the encrypted data with the key data to provide a data output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying successful transmission of the encrypted data or the key data comprises detecting eavesdropping.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein upon detection of eavesdropping, one or both of the encrypted data or the key data is retransmitted using quantum key distribution (QKD).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data occurs at an earlier point in time than transmission the second of the encrypted data or the key data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein quantum key distribution is used for transmitting at least one of the encrypted data or the key data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising varying the transmission of the encrypted data or the key data based on timing differences of failure rates of transmission.

7. A computerized system for secure network communication of data comprising:

source data;

an encryption operator, implemented on a first computer processor, receiving the source data and producing encrypted data and key data corresponding to the encrypted data, wherein producing encrypted data and key data comprises: generating a random bit size corresponding to every write request of the source data of a size equal to the random bit size; and generating a random key equal to or greater in size than the random bit size;

at least one network-enabled communication path between a first network location and a second network location, wherein a first of the encrypted data or the key data is transmitted from the first network location to the second network location;

at least one verification operator verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data through the network-enabled communication path;

a second of the encrypted data or the key data transmitted from the first network location to the second network location only after verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data, the at least one verification operator verifying successful transmission of the second of the encrypted data or the key data through the network-enabled communication path; and

a decryption operator, implemented on a second computer processor, decrypting, at the second network location, the encrypted data with the key data to provide a data output.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the write request further comprises the use of a logical block number destination.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein verifying successful transmission of the encrypted data or the key data comprises detecting eavesdropping.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein upon detection of eavesdropping, one or both of the encrypted data or the key data is retransmitted using quantum key distribution (QKD).

11. The system, of claim 7 , wherein verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data occurs at an earlier point in time than transmission of the second of the encrypted data or the key data.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein quantum key distribution is used for transmitting at least one of the encrypted data or the key data.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising varying the transmission of the encrypted data or the key data based on timing differences of failure rates of transmission.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the encryption operator further comprises an XOR operation.

15. A computerized method for secure network communications of data, the method comprising:

providing source data located at a first network location;

encrypting, using a first computer processor, the source data to produce encrypted data and key data corresponding to the encrypted data, wherein a random bit size generator is used to generate a random bit size corresponding to every write request of the source data of a size equal to the random bit size, and a random key generator is used to generate a random key equal to or greater in size than the random bit size;

transmitting the key data from the first network location to a second network location;

verifying successful transmission of the key data to the second location;

upon verification of successful transmission of the key data to the second location, transmitting the encrypted data from the first network location to the second network location only after verifying successful transmission of the first of the encrypted data or the key data;

verifying successful transmission of the encrypted data to the second location; and

upon verification of successful transmission of the encrypted data to the second location, decrypting, using a second computer processor, the encrypted data with the key data to provide a data output.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein verifying successful transmission of the key data or the encrypted data comprises detecting a level of eavesdropping at or below a predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein quantum key distribution is used for transmitting at least one of the encrypted data or the key data.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein decrypting the encrypted data with the key data comprises:

receiving the encrypted data and key data;

receiving logical block number (LBN) destination associated with the source data and an integer associated with a number of bytes of the source data;

identifying the number of bytes of encrypted data;

identifying the same number of bytes of key data; and

initiating an operation to combine the encrypted data with the key data to reconstruct the source data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2021
From: ESBENSEN, DANIEL M.; OMOHUNDRO, STEPHEN M.
To: QUANTUM PROPERTIES TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 057302/0200 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 16905420 · Jun 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62865969 · Jun 24, 2019
Cited By (5)
US 12,212,656 US 12,316,617 US 12,476,811 US 12,481,601 US 12,737,481