IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,231,553
Granted Patent B2
US 12,231,553 · App. 17/898,902 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Key management device, quantum cryptography communication system, and computer program product

Inventors: Yu Yu (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Yasuhiro Katsube (Yokohama Kanagawa, JP); Yoshimichi Tanizawa (Yokohama Kanagawa, JP); Ririka Takahashi (Tokyo, JP); Yasuhiro Fujiyoshi (Tokorozawa Saitama, JP)
Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
H04L9/0855
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,231,553
App. No.
17/898,902
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A key management device according to an embodiment is a key management device managing an application key for encrypting a communication in an application network including a plurality of applications. The key management device includes a hardware processor configured to function as a collection unit, a calculation unit, a determination unit, and a communication unit. The collection unit collects, using quantum key distribution (QKD), resource information indicating a resource of a link for which a link key is generated. The calculation unit calculates metric for a key relay route including the link on the basis of the resource information. The determination unit determines a key relay route from among a plurality of key relay routes on the basis of the metric. The communication unit uses the key relay route determined by the determination unit to send, to a destination, an application key encrypted with the link key.

Claims (72)

1. A key management device managing an application key for encrypting a communication in an application network including a plurality of applications, the key management device comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to:

collect, using quantum key distribution (QKD), resource information indicating a resource of a link for which a link key is generated;

calculate metric for a key relay route including the link on a basis of the resource information;

determine a key relay route from among a plurality of key relay routes on a basis of the metric; and

use the key relay route determined to send, to a destination, an application key encrypted with the link key,

wherein

the resource information includes at least one of a generation speed for the link key in the link and an amount of the link key held in the link, and

the one or more hardware processors:

calculate first metric based on a bottleneck of resource information on a plurality of links included in the key relay route, the bottleneck being determined based on costs of the plurality of links, the costs each being one of a generation speed for the link key of corresponding one of the plurality of links, an amount of the link key held in the corresponding one of the plurality of links, and a weighted sum of the generation speed for the link key and the amount of the link key; and

determine the key relay route using the first metric as the metric.

2. The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more hardware processors further calculate a number of hops on the key relay route, and calculates the metric further on a basis of the number of hops.

3. The key management device according to claim 2 , wherein

the one or more hardware processors calculate second metric inversely proportional to the number of hops, and

in a case where there is a plurality of the key relay routes having the first metric common to each other, the one or more hardware processors determine a key relay route further on a basis of the second metric.

4. The key management device according to claim 2 , wherein

the one or more hardware processors calculate and second metric inversely proportional to the number of hops, and

in a case where there is a plurality of the key relay routes having the second metric common to each other, the one or more hardware processors determine a key relay route further on a basis of the first metric.

5. The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more hardware processors further collect state information indicating a state of the link,

calculate state information on the key relay route on a basis of state information on a link included in the key relay route, and

determine on a basis of the metric, a key relay route from among key relay routes having state information on the key relay route smaller than a threshold, and determines a key relay route having state information on the key relay route equal to or greater than the threshold as an anomaly route.

6. The key management device according to claim 5 , wherein

state information on the link is a quantum bit error rate (QBER) of the link.

7. The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein

the key management device belongs to any of a plurality of domains included in a QKD network,

the key management device further comprises:

an internal information memory configured to store therein internal information indicating information on a domain to which the key management device belongs, and

an external information memory configured to store therein external information indicating information on a domain to which the key management device does not belong,

the internal information includes at least the resource information on a link included in the domain to which the key management device belongs, and

the external information includes at least the resource information on a link included in the domain to which the key management device does not belong.

8. The key management device according to claim 7 , wherein

the one or more hardware processors collect the resource information stored in the internal information memory of another key management device belonging to the QKD network, and

the external information memory stores therein the resource information stored in the internal information memory of the another key management device.

9. A quantum cryptography communication system including a plurality of key management devices, wherein

the plurality of key management devices manages an application key for encrypting a communication in an application network including a plurality of applications, and

the key management device comprises:

one or more hardware processors configured to:

collect, using quantum key distribution (QKD), resource information indicating a resource of a link for which a link key is generated,

calculate metric for a key relay route including the link on a basis of the resource information,

determine a key relay route from among a plurality of key relay routes on a basis of the metric, and

use the key relay route determined to send, to a destination, an application key encrypted with the link key,

the resource information includes at least one of a generation speed for the link key in the link and an amount of the link key held in the link, and

the one or more hardware processors:

calculate metric based on a bottleneck of resource information on a plurality of links included in the key relay route, the bottleneck being determined based on costs of the plurality of links, the costs each being one of a generation speed for the link key of corresponding one of the plurality of links, an amount of the link key held in the corresponding one of the plurality of links, and a weighted sum of the generation speed for the link key and the amount of the link key; and

determine the key relay route using the first metric as the metric.

10. The quantum cryptography communication system according to claim 9 , wherein

the key management device belongs to any of a plurality of domains included in a QKD network,

the one or more hardware processors of the key management device further configured to:

store therein internal information indicating information on a domain to which the key management device belongs, and

store therein external information indicating information on a domain to which the key management device does not belong,

the internal information includes at least the resource information on a link included in the domain to which the key management device belongs, and

the external information includes at least the resource information on a link included in the domain to which the key management device does not belong.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium including programmed instructions stored therein, the instructions causing a computer for managing an application key for encrypting a communication in an application network including a plurality of applications, to as:

collect, using quantum key distribution (QKD), resource information indicating a resource of a link for which a link key is generated;

calculate metric for a key relay route including the link on a basis of the resource information;

determine a key relay route from among a plurality of key relay routes on a basis of the metric; and

use the key relay route determined to send, to a destination, an application key encrypted with the link key,

the resource information includes at least one of a generation speed for the link key in the link and an amount of the link key held in the link, and

the instructions cause the computer to:

calculate metric based on a bottleneck of resource information on a plurality of links included in the key relay route, the bottleneck being determined based on costs of the plurality of links, the costs each being one of a generation speed for the link key of corresponding one of the plurality of links, an amount of the link key held in the corresponding one of the plurality of links, and a weighted sum of the generation speed for the link key and the amount of the link key; and

determine the key relay route using the first metric as the metric.

12. A key management method for managing an application key for encrypting a communication in an application network including a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

collecting, using quantum key distribution (QKD), resource information indicating a resource of a link for which a link key is generated;

calculating metric for a key relay route including the link on a basis of the resource information;

determining a key relay route from among a plurality of key relay routes on a basis of the metric; and

using the key relay route determined to send, to a destination, an application key encrypted with the link key,

wherein

the resource information includes at least one of a generation speed for the link key in the link and an amount of the link key held in the link, and

first metric is calculated based on a bottleneck of resource information on a plurality of links included in the key relay route, the bottleneck being determined based on costs of the plurality of links, the costs each being one of a generation speed for the link key of corresponding one of the plurality of links, an amount of the link key held in the corresponding one of the plurality of links, and a weighted sum of the generation speed for the link key and the amount of the link key; and

the key relay route is determined using the first metric as the metric.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2022
From: YU, YU; KATSUBE, YASUHIRO; TANIZAWA, YOSHIMICHI; TAKAHASHI, RIRIKA; FUJIYOSHI, YASUHIRO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 061357/0381 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-042596 · Mar 17, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230299952A1 · Sep 21, 2023
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