One-Time Pad Key Exchange Using Circular Buffer Preloading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional encryption algorithms, including the one-time pad (OTP) algorithm, are vulnerable to decryption, especially with the rise of quantum computing, and face challenges in key exchange due to the need for a key size larger than the data being encrypted, limiting their adoption in secure communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A method for exchanging one-time pad keys over a secure channel and encrypting messages over an unsecure channel using a circular buffer mechanism, allowing for secure communication even with high latency and low bandwidth connections, and enabling secure transmission bursts over fast, unsecure networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If one-time pad key exchange is performed over a secure channel, then security against decryption is improved, but transmission speed and bandwidth efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-generates and stores one-time pad keys in a circular buffer before they are needed for encryption. This preliminary action allows the system to have encryption keys ready in advance, eliminating the need for slow secure key exchange during actual message transmission. The keys are generated locally using a pseudo-random number generator seeded with a small secure key, so the bulk of key material is prepared beforehand rather than transmitted in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pseudo-random number generator as an intermediary that expands a small secure seed key into a large one-time pad key. This intermediary mechanism allows a tiny amount of secure key material to be transformed into a much larger encryption key locally, eliminating the need to transmit the full-sized key over secure channels while maintaining the security properties of one-time pad encryption.
2Reliability
If key size is made larger than data size as required by one-time pad, then security is improved, but key exchange complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the key generation process into two parts: a small secure seed key that is exchanged securely, and a locally-generated pseudo-random key that is derived from the seed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain one-time pad security properties while reducing the amount of key material that needs to be exchanged over secure channels from the full message size to just the seed size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by using a pseudo-random number generator to transform a small seed key into a large one-time pad key. Instead of directly transmitting the full key, the system transmits a compressed representation (the seed) and uses local computation to expand it into the full key material, significantly reducing key exchange complexity.
3Loss of time
If secure key exchange is performed in real-time, then message encryption can be performed immediately, but the system cannot handle high latency connections effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-generates one-time pad keys and stores them in a circular buffer before they are needed for encryption. This allows the system to decouple key availability from real-time connection status, enabling immediate encryption even when connections experience high latency or interruptions. The pre-generated keys are ready in the buffer and can be used without waiting for real-time key exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains a continuous supply of encryption keys through the circular buffer mechanism, which pre-generates and replenishes key material independently of connection status. This continuous key availability ensures that encryption operations can proceed without interruption even when secure connections experience latency or failures, maintaining productive action despite connection reliability issues.
Data Source
AI summary
Background-share a one-time pad key from a first location to a second location over a secure background channel. Send a message, encrypted with the one-time pad key, from the first location to the second location, over an unsecure channel.