Communication Control Device for Scalable Group Key Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dynamic group management methods face challenges in scalability and network load efficiency, particularly when managing large numbers of communication devices, as existing solutions like GDOI require frequent updates of key information across all group members, leading to increased communication load and potential unintentional group withdrawals.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a communication control device that uses media key blocks (MKBs) and a group management tree structure to efficiently manage group affiliations by dividing MKBs into fragments, allowing communication devices to determine their group membership based on set information and range information, reducing network load and preventing unintentional group changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic group management is implemented to flexibly manage devices according to situation, then adaptability is improved, but network load increases due to frequent key information updates across all group members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the group management process by dividing key information updates into targeted portions. Instead of updating all group members uniformly, the system identifies and updates only the specific devices that need to be notified of group changes, thereby reducing overall network load while maintaining flexible group management capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic update mechanisms where the group management system adapts update strategies based on current group state and device status. This allows the system to optimize network load by adjusting which devices receive updates and when, rather than following a static update schedule for all members
2Reliability
If key information is updated across all group members to maintain group consistency, then reliability is improved, but communication load increases leading to potential unintentional group withdrawals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes devices from the update distribution list that are no longer active or have already been notified of group changes. By maintaining an updated list of valid group members and only sending updates to those devices, the system preserves group consistency while preventing unintentional withdrawals caused by updating inactive devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where devices confirm receipt of group updates or report their current status. This allows the group management system to verify which devices successfully processed updates and adjust subsequent update strategies accordingly, ensuring reliability while minimizing harmful effects from failed updates
3Ease of operation
If traditional group management methods are used to manage large numbers of devices, then ease of operation is maintained, but scalability is limited due to increased network load and management complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal group management framework that can handle both small and large scale device groups using the same core mechanisms. The system maintains operational simplicity by using consistent update procedures while achieving scalability through optimized update distribution that adapts to group size, allowing the same system to efficiently manage anywhere from a few to thousands of devices
Data Source
AI summary
A communication control device includes a receiving unit, a generating unit, and an output unit. The receiving unit receives input of a binary tree in which each leaf node has an index and a node key assigned thereto, and receives input of node IDs that, from among the leaf nodes, enable identification of the leaf nodes belonging to a group. The generating unit generates, using the node key assigned to the root node of each partial tree of the binary tree which includes only the leaf nodes identified by the node IDs, a cipher text by encrypting a group key shared in the group, and generates set information containing the generated cipher text. The output unit outputs the set information at least to the communication devices that are associated to the leaf nodes belonging to the group.