Granted Patent B2

US 12,627,481 · App. 18/913,045 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Adam King (Fort Mill, SC); Sanjay Lohar (Mint Hill, NC); George Albero (Charlotte, NC); Matthew K. Bryant (Mt. Holly, NC); Naomi Verma (Apex, NC); David J. Dos Santos (Charlotte, NC)

Assignee: Bank of America Corporation

H04L9/0852

Abstract

Claims (99)

1 . A system comprising:

a memory configured to store a first data packet, and

a first processor, operably coupled to the memory, and configured to:

assign each computing device from among a set of computing devices with a respective encryption key, wherein assigning each computing device from among the set of computing devices with the respective encryption key comprises:

assigning a first computing device with a first encryption key; and

assigning a second computing device with a second encryption key, wherein the second encryption key is distinct from the first encryption key;

the first computing device comprising a second processor configured to:

determine that the first data packet is created at the first computing device;

in response to determining that the first data packet is created at the first computing device, encrypt the first data packet with the first encryption key;

receive a request to communicate the first encrypted data packet to the second computing device;

in respect to receiving the request, encode the first data packet with a first quantum encryption key, wherein encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key comprises generating a quantum state vector, wherein:

the quantum state vector comprises a set of bit values to be used to form the quantum encryption key; and

the first quantum encryption key is associated with a preconfigured quantum state encoding used in encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key; and

the preconfigured quantum state encoding comprises a horizontal, a vertical, a diagonal, or a circular polarization scheme, and

communicate the encoded first data packet to the second computing device;

the second computing device comprising a third processor configured to:

determine that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, by:

receiving, from the first computing device, a first measurement result associated with the quantum state vector at the first computing device, wherein the first measurement result indicates the preconfigured quantum state encoding associated with the first quantum encryption key;

determining a second measurement result associated with the quantum state vector, wherein the second measurement result indicates a measured quantum state vector using a measurement basis used by the second computing device;

comparing the first measurement result with the second measurement result; and

determining that a difference between the first measurement result and the second measurement result is less than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, decrypt the encoded first data packet using the first quantum encryption key.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum encryption key is formed from the set of bit values obtained from a measurement of the quantum state vector.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of bit values are random bit values.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded first data packet is communicated to the second computing device over a quantum channel comprising fiber optic communication links.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is further configured to:

append the first data packet with a unique serial number, wherein:

when the first data packet comprises an image, the unique serial number is embedded in a pixel of the image; and

when the first data packet comprises an audio file, the unique serial number is embedded as frequency bands associated with a portion of the audio file; and

track a network path associated with the first data packet by tracking the unique serial number at each network node where the first data packet is received.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third processor is further configured to:

determine that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device, communicate an alert message to the first processor and the second processor, wherein the alert message indicates the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is further configured to:

receive a second request, from a third computing device, to transmit the first data packet to the third computing device, wherein the second request comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) associated with the third computing device;

determine that the IP associated with the third computing device is not among a list of authorized IP addresses; and

in response to determining that the IP associated with the third computing device is not among a list of authorized IP addresses, deny the second request.

8 . A method comprising:

assigning, by a first processor associated with a server, each computing device from among a set of computing devices with a respective encryption key, wherein assigning each computing device from among the set of computing devices with the respective encryption key comprises:

assigning a first computing device with a first encryption key; and

assigning a second computing device with a second encryption key, wherein the second encryption key is distinct from the first encryption key;

determining, by a second processor associated with the computing device, that a first data packet is created at the first computing device;

in response to determining that the first data packet is created at the first computing device, encrypting, by the second processor, the first data packet with the first encryption key;

receiving, by the second processor, a request to communicate the first encrypted data packet to the second computing device;

in respect to receiving the request, encoding, by the second processor, the first data packet with a first quantum encryption key, wherein encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key comprises generating a quantum state vector, wherein:

the quantum state vector comprises a set of bit values to be used to form the quantum encryption key; and

the first quantum encryption key is associated with a preconfigured quantum state encoding used in encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key; and

the preconfigured quantum state encoding comprises a horizontal, a vertical, a diagonal, or a circular polarization scheme; and

communicating, by the second processor, the encoded first data packet to the second computing device;

determining, by a third processor associated with the second computing device, that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, by:

receiving, from the first computing device, a first measurement result associated with the quantum state vector at the first computing device, wherein the first measurement result indicates the preconfigured quantum state encoding associated with the first quantum encryption key;

determining a second measurement result associated with the quantum state vector, wherein the second measurement result indicates a measured quantum state vector using a measurement basis used by the second computing device;

comparing the first measurement result with the second measurement result; and

determining that a difference between the first measurement result and the second measurement result is less than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, decrypting, by the third processor, the encoded first data packet using the first quantum encryption key.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the quantum encryption key is formed from the set of bit values obtained from a measurement of the quantum state vector.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of bit values are random bit values.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the encoded first data packet is communicated to the second computing device over a quantum channel comprising fiber optic communication links.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

appending, by the second processor, the first data packet with a unique serial number, wherein:

when the first data packet comprises an image, the unique serial number is embedded in a pixel of the image; and

when the first data packet comprises an audio file, the unique serial number is embedded as frequency bands associated with a portion of the audio file; and

tracking, by the second processor, a network path associated with the first data packet by tracking the unique serial number at each network node where the first data packet is received.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, by the third processor, that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device, communicating, by the third processor, an alert message to the first processor and the second processor, wherein the alert message indicates the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, by the second processor, a second request, from a third computing device, to transmit the first data packet to the third computing device, wherein the second request comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) associated with the third computing device;

determining, by the second processor, that the IP associated with the third computing device is not among a list of authorized IP addresses; and

in response to determining that the IP associated with the third computing device is not among a list of authorized IP addresses, denying, by the second processor, the second request.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

assign, by a first processor associated with a sever, each computing device from among a set of computing devices with a respective encryption key, wherein assigning each computing device from among the set of computing devices with the respective encryption key comprises:

assigning a first computing device with a first encryption key; and

assigning a second computing device with a second encryption key, wherein the second encryption key is distinct from the first encryption key;

determine, by a second processor associated with the first computing device, that a first data packet is created at the first computing device;

in response to determining that the first data packet is created at the first computing device, encrypt, by the second processor, the first data packet with the first encryption key;

receive, by the second processor, a request to communicate the first encrypted data packet to the second computing device;

in respect to receiving the request, encode, by the second processor, the first data packet with a first quantum encryption key, wherein encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key comprises generating a quantum state vector, wherein:

the quantum state vector comprises a set of bit values to be used to form the quantum encryption key; and

the first quantum encryption key is associated with a preconfigured quantum state encoding used in encoding the first data packet with the first quantum encryption key; and

the preconfigured quantum state encoding comprises a horizontal, a vertical, a diagonal, or a circular polarization scheme; and

communicate, by the second processor, the encoded first data packet to the second computing device;

determine, by a third processor associated with the second computing device, that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, by:

receiving, from the first computing device, a first measurement result associated with the quantum state vector at the first computing device, wherein the first measurement result indicates the preconfigured quantum state encoding associated with the first quantum encryption key;

determining a second measurement result associated with the quantum state vector, wherein the second measurement result indicates a measured quantum state vector using a measurement basis used by the second computing device;

comparing the first measurement result with the second measurement result; and

determining that a difference between the first measurement result and the second measurement result is less than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is transmitted to the second computing device without being intercepted, decrypt, by the third processor, the encoded first data packet using the first quantum encryption key.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the quantum encryption key is formed from the set of bit values obtained from a measurement of the quantum state vector.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the set of bit values are random bit values.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the encoded first data packet is communicated to the second computing device over a quantum channel comprising fiber optic communication links.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein to the instructions further cause the second processor to:

append the first data packet with a unique serial number, wherein:

when the first data packet comprises an image, the unique serial number is embedded in a pixel of the image; and

when the first data packet comprises an audio file, the unique serial number is embedded as frequency bands associated with a portion of the audio file; and

track a network path associated with the first data packet by tracking the unique serial number at each network node where the first data packet is received.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the third processor to:

determine that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device; and

in response to determining that the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device, communicate an alert message to the first processor and the second processor, wherein the alert message indicates the encoded first data packet is intercepted before being received at the second computing device.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)