IP Library Granted Patent US 11,218,459
Granted Patent B2
US 11,218,459 · App. 16/750,974 · Granted Jan 4, 2022

Reoccuring keying system

Inventors: Nancy Davoust (Louisville, CO); James Fahrny (Parker, CO); Kevin Taylor (Parker, CO)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04L63/062H04L9/0891H04L63/06H04L63/12H04L63/20H04L63/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,218,459
App. No.
16/750,974
Granted
Jan 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for secure communications. One of a plurality of keys with respective key types may be used to establish a secure communication between computing devices. Verification of an establishment of the secure communication may be sent to a trusted computing device.

Claims (80)

1. A method comprising:

determining, based on a request received from a first computing device and by a second computing device, to establish a secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device;

sending, to the first computing device, a first message acknowledging the request;

receiving, from the first computing device, a second message indicating a plurality of keys and a type of key usage for each of the plurality of keys, wherein each of the plurality of keys corresponds to a pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

establishing, based on a first key of the plurality of keys and based on a corresponding type of key usage of the first key, the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message further indicates:

a previously installed key; and

a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first message further indicates a plurality of previously installed keys; and

the plurality of previously installed keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message further indicates, for each of a plurality of previously installed keys, a different type of key usage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the first message comprises encrypting the first message to be undecipherable to the first computing device and decipherable by a trusted computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second message further indicates, for each of the plurality of keys, a different type of key usage.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, to a trusted computing device via the first computing device, a third message indicating a previously installed key and a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key; and

receiving, from the trusted computing device via the first computing device, a fourth message indicating that the previously installed key and the previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key are valid and correspond to the pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the first message comprises encrypting the first message using a communication encryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and a trusted computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, to a trusted computing device via the first computing device, confirmation of successful processing of the first key and the corresponding type of key usage of the first key.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the second message comprises decrypting the second message according to a communication decryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and a trusted computing device.

12. A second computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to:

determine, based on a request received from a first computing device, whether to establish a secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device;

send, to the first computing device, a first message acknowledging the request;

receive, from the first computing device, a second message indicating a plurality of keys and a type of key usage for each of the plurality of keys, wherein each of the plurality of keys corresponds to a pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

establish, based on a first key of the plurality of keys and based on a corresponding type of key usage of the first key, the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

13. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the first message further indicates:

a previously installed key; and

a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key.

14. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein:

the first message further indicates a plurality of previously installed keys; and

the plurality of previously installed keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

15. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the first message further indicates, for each of a plurality of previously installed keys, a different type of key usage.

16. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to encrypt the first message to be undecipherable to the first computing device and decipherable by a trusted computing device.

17. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

18. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the second message further indicates, for each of the plurality of keys, a different type of key usage.

19. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to:

send, to a trusted computing device via the first computing device, a third message indicating a previously installed key and a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key; and

receive, from the trusted computing device via the first computing device, a fourth message indicating that the previously installed key and the previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key are valid and correspond to the pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device.

20. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to encrypt the first message using a communication encryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and a trusted computing device.

21. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to send, to a trusted computing device via the first computing device, confirmation of successful processing of the first key and the corresponding type of key usage of the first key.

22. The second computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second computing device to decrypt the second message according to a communication decryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and a trusted computing device.

23. A system comprising:

a second computing device; and

a trusted computing device;

wherein the second computing device comprises:

one or more second processors; and

second memory storing second instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to:

determine, based on a request received from a first computing device, whether to establish a secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device;

send, to the first computing device, a first message acknowledging the request;

receive, from the first computing device, a second message indicating a plurality of keys and a type of key usage for each of the plurality of keys, wherein each of the plurality of keys corresponds to a pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

establish, based on a first key of the plurality of the keys and based on a corresponding type of key usage of the first key, the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

wherein the trusted computing device comprises:

one or more first processors; and

first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the trusted computing device to:

receive, from the first computing device, the first message;

authorize, for the second computing device, the plurality of keys and the type of key usage for each of the plurality of keys; and

send, to the first computing device and for forwarding to the second computing device, the plurality of keys and the type of key usage for each of the plurality of keys.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first message further indicates:

a previously installed key; and

a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein:

the first message further indicates a plurality of previously installed keys; and

the plurality of previously installed keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first message further indicates, for each of a plurality of previously installed keys, a different type of key usage.

27. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to encrypt the first message to be undecipherable to the first computing device and decipherable by the trusted computing device.

28. The system of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of keys are for establishing the secure communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

29. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second message further indicates, for each of the plurality of keys, a different type of key usage.

30. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to:

send, to the trusted computing device via the first computing device, a third message indicating a previously installed key and a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key; and

receive, from the trusted computing device via the first computing device, a fourth message indicating that the previously installed key and the previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key are valid and correspond to the pairing between the first computing device and the second computing device.

31. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to encrypt the first message using a communication encryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and the trusted computing device.

32. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to send, to the trusted computing device via the first computing device, confirmation of successful processing of the first key and the corresponding type of key usage of the first key.

33. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to decrypt the first key and the corresponding type of key usage of the first key according to a communication decryption key for secure communication between the second computing device and the trusted computing device.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding type of key usage of the first key is for data encryption based on the first key, and the second message indicates that a type of key usage of a second key, of the plurality of keys, is for data authentication based on the second key.

35. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a trusted computing device via the first computing device, a third message indicating that a previously installed key and a previously installed type of key usage of the previously installed key are valid.

36. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second message comprises information indicating a quantity of the plurality of keys.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2020
From: DAVOUST, NANCY; FAHRNY, JAMES; TAYLOR, KEVIN
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051603/0217 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15911330 · Mar 5, 2018
Continuation 14186863 · Feb 21, 2014
Continuation 13221035 · Aug 30, 2011
Related Publication 20200228511A1 · Jul 16, 2020