Sharing of secret information for accessing a wireless computing network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11323263-B2
Application number	US-202016868660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2020
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A solution is proposed for sharing secret information for accessing a wireless computing network. A corresponding method for distributing the secret information by a source (computing) device comprises receiving a public key of the a target (computing) device, transmitting a verification token to the target device, receiving an utterance of the verification token and transmitting the secret information encrypted with the public key in response to the utterance of the verification token. A corresponding method for obtaining the secret information by a target (computing) device comprises transmitting a public key of the target device, receiving a verification token, outputting the verification token and receiving the secret information encrypted with the public key in response to an utterance of the verification token. Corresponding computer programs and computer program products are also proposed. Moreover, a source computing device and a target computing device for implementing the methods are proposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for distributing secret information for accessing a wireless computing network, wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by a source computing device, a presentation message from a target computing device requesting an access to the wireless computing network, the presentation message comprising a target public key of the target computing device;
transmitting, by the source computing device, a verification message comprising a verification token associated with the target computing device in response to the presentation message;
receiving, by the source computing device, a confirmation message of vocal type comprising an utterance of the verification token in response to the verification message;
encrypting, by the source computing device, the secret information with the target public key; and
transmitting, by the source computing device, an authorization message comprising the encrypted secret information in response to the confirmation message.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by the source computing device, the verification message comprising the verification token encrypted with the target public key in response to the presentation message.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
authenticating, by the source computing device, a person uttering the confirmation message.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by the source computing device, the presentation message further comprising presentation information of the target computing device.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by the source computing device, a probe message from the target computing device;
transmitting, by the source computing device, an acknowledgment message comprising a source public key of the source computing device in response to the probe message;
receiving, by the source computing device, the presentation message comprising the presentation information encrypted with the source public key in response to the acknowledgment message; and
decrypting, by the source computing device, the presentation information comprised in the presentation message with a source private key corresponding to the source public key.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by the source computing device, the probe message via an auxiliary communication channel having an auxiliary communication range shorter than a wireless communication range of the wireless computing network;
transmitting, by the source computing device, the acknowledgment message in response to the probe message via the auxiliary communication channel;
receiving, by the source computing device, the presentation message in response to the acknowledgment message via the auxiliary communication channel;
transmitting, by the source computing device, the verification message in response to the presentation message via the auxiliary communication channel; and
transmitting, by the source computing device, the authorization message in response to the confirmation message via the auxiliary communication channel.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the auxiliary communication channel comprises a sound communication channel.

8. A method for obtaining secret information for accessing a wireless computing network, wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by a target computing device requesting an access to the wireless computing network, a presentation message comprising a target public key of the target computing device;
receiving, by the target computing device, a verification message comprising a verification token associated with the target computing device in response to the presentation message;
outputting, by the target computing device, the verification token in response to the verification message;
receiving, by the target computing device, an authorization message comprising the secret information encrypted with the target public key in response to a confirmation message of vocal type comprising an utterance of the verification token; and
decrypting, by the target computing device, the encrypted secret information with a target private key corresponding to the target public key.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
outputting, by the target computing device, the verification token in response to the verification message by displaying the verification code to cause a person to utter the verification code.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by the target computing device, the verification message comprising the verification token encrypted with the target public key in response to the presentation message; and
decrypting, by the target computing device, the verification token with the target private key.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by the target computing device, the presentation message further comprising presentation information of the target computing device.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method comprises:
transmitting by the target computing device, a probe message;
receiving, by the target computing device, an acknowledgment message comprising a source public key of a source computing device in response to the probe message;
encrypting, by the target computing device, the presentation information with the source public key; and
transmitting, by the target computing device, the presentation message further comprising the encrypted presentation information in response to the acknowledgment message.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by the target computing device, the probe message via an auxiliary communication channel having an auxiliary communication range shorter than a wireless communication range of the wireless computing network;
receiving, by the target computing device, the acknowledgment message in response to the probe message via the auxiliary communication channel;
transmitting, by the target computing device, the presentation message in response to the acknowledgment message via the auxiliary communication channel; and
receiving, by the target computing device, the authorization message in response to the confirmation message via the auxiliary communication channel.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary communication channel comprises a sound communication channel.

15. A source computing device for distributing secret information for accessing a wireless computing network, the source computing device comprising:
a receiver for receiving a presentation message from a target computing device requesting an access to the wireless computing network, the presentation message comprising a target public key of the target computing device;
a transmitter for transmitting a verification message comprising a verification token associated with the target computing device in response to the presentation message;
the receiver further for receiving a confirmation message of vocal type comprising an utterance of the verification token in response to the verification message;
a cryptographic engine for encrypting the secret information with the target public key; and
the transmitter further for transmitting an authorization message comprising the encrypted secret information in response to the confirmation message.

16. The source computing device of claim 15 , wherein the ver

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Gargaro Gianluca
• Rogante Matteo
• Ottaviano Paolo
• Ragusa Roberto

Classifications

• H04L9/085

  Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes · CPC title

• H04L9/3226

  using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083) · CPC title

• H04L2209/805

  Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor · CPC title

• H04L9/3231 Primary

  Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861) · CPC title

• H04L9/0825

  using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates · CPC title