Inter-node Privacy Communication via Segmented Hop Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inter-node privacy communication methods in local area networks face inefficiencies due to high storage requirements, computational burdens, and complexity in key management, particularly in determining communication types and key types, which affects security and transmission efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An inter-node privacy communication method that uses node identities as indexes to store keys, determining communication path roles based on node identities in switching path information, allowing for unified privacy communication flows without needing to determine node types, communication types, or key types, thereby simplifying key management and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If end-to-end privacy communication method is used, then security is improved, but storage resource requirements increase due to large number of nodes and keys
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication path into three specific hops (source node to first switch, first switch to last switch, last switch to destination node) and applies encryption only at these segmented points rather than at all nodes. This segmentation reduces the number of keys needed from O(n²) in end-to-end encryption to a manageable set of keys for only the three-hop path, resolving the contradiction between security and storage requirements.
2Productivity
If hop-by-hop privacy communication method is used, then transmission efficiency is improved, but computational burden increases and security decreases due to decryption and encryption at each switch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the first switch and last switch special (with encryption/decryption capabilities) while middle switches perform only simple forwarding. This creates a quality gradient where computational intensity is localized to specific nodes rather than distributed uniformly, reducing overall computational burden while maintaining transmission efficiency.
3Reliability
If traditional key management is used, then security is maintained, but complexity increases due to determining node types, communication types, and key types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a unified privacy communication flow that works for all node types and communication scenarios. The same three-hop encryption mechanism applies whether communicating between stations, switches, or mixed node types, eliminating the need for separate key management procedures for different communication types and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An inter-node privacy communication method, including a network node processing a data packet according to the role of the network node in a communication path of privacy communication; if the node is a communication source node, acquiring, according to node identities in an identity quadruple, a key for encryption, and encrypting and sending the data packet; if the node is the first switch device or the last switch device, and an end-to-end privacy communication policy is valid, directly forwarding the data packet, and if the policy is invalid, acquiring a key for decryption, and receiving and decrypting the data packet, and acquiring, a key for encryption, and encrypting and sending the data packet; if the node is a middle switch device directly forwarding the data packet; and if the node is a communication destination node, acquiring a key for decryption, and receiving and decrypting the data packet.