Security Key Rounding for Distributed Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed systems, security keys generated from values measured by different devices often fail to match even when the underlying values are within an acceptable range due to differences in clock skew, drift, and communication latencies, leading to insecure authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
The system generates security keys by rounding values to a predetermined interval and using rounding direction information to ensure matching keys, even when values differ by a small amount, by attempting multiple combinations of rounded values to align with the second device's rounding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If security keys are generated from exact value comparisons, then authentication precision is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to clock skew and latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter from exact value comparison to rounded value comparison. By rounding measured values (such as timestamps) to a predetermined level of precision before generating security keys, the system accommodates clock skew and latency variations while maintaining authentication reliability. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by accepting approximate matches instead of requiring exact matches.
2Reliability
If values are rounded to accommodate clock skew, then system reliability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a rounding operation that transforms precise measured values into rounded values. This rounding is performed to a predetermined level of precision that balances the need for accuracy with the need to accommodate temporal variations. The key insight is that the rounding level is carefully selected to maintain sufficient precision for security key generation while being tolerant enough to handle clock skew and latency.
3Reliability
If multiple rounded value combinations are attempted, then authentication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by attempting multiple rounded value combinations only when necessary. Instead of always performing complex multi-comparison operations, the system first attempts a simpler authentication approach and only resorts to trying multiple rounded combinations when the initial attempt fails. This selective application of complexity maintains reliability while minimizing unnecessary processing overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A system may generate from a first value, based on rounding information, a first security key that matches a second security key whenever the first value and a second value from which the second security key is generated differ by less than a non-zero predetermined amount. The second security key may be generated from the second value rounded to a multiple of a rounding interval that is nearest to the second value. The rounding information may include a rounding direction indication. The rounding direction indication may indicate the direction in which the second value is rounded to the multiple of the rounding interval nearest to the second value.