UWB Node Cryptographic Key Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ultra-wideband (UWB) communication systems face security risks due to the use of a single shared cryptographic session key, which allows responder nodes to potentially impersonate each other.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a communication node that uses a common cryptographic session key for message encryption and responder-specific cryptographic session keys for response decryption, reducing the risk of impersonation while maintaining computational efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a single shared cryptographic session key is used for communication between multiple responder nodes, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to potential impersonation attacks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the single shared cryptographic session key into multiple responder-specific cryptographic session keys, where each key is uniquely assigned to a specific responder node. This segmentation allows the system to maintain individualized security credentials for each responder while still using a common key for initial message encryption, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If responder-specific cryptographic session keys are implemented for each responder node, then security is improved by preventing impersonation, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the use of common cryptographic session keys for message encryption with responder-specific cryptographic session keys for response decryption. By combining these two key types in a unified cryptographic protocol, the system achieves enhanced security without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the common key handles the bulk of encryption operations while responder-specific keys provide targeted security for critical responses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3910901B1UWB communication node and operating method
Publication Date: 2025.03.05 NXP BV
  • EP3910901B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3910901B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3910901B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, an ultra-wideband communication node is provided, comprising: an ultra-wideband communication unit configured to transmit one or more messages to a plurality of external responder nodes and to receive one or more responses from said responder nodes; a processing unit configured to use a common cryptographic session key to encrypt said messages, wherein said common cryptographic session key is a key shared between the ultra-wideband communication node and all the external responder nodes; wherein the processing unit is further configured to use responder-specific cryptographic session keys to decrypt the responses and/or to encrypt further messages to the responder nodes, and wherein each individual one of said responder-specific cryptographic session keys is a key shared between the ultra-wideband communication node and one of the external responder nodes.