Circuit and method for generating cryptographic keys

Claim 2

A circuit, associated with a communications node, for generating a cryptographic key at said communications node, comprising: communications circuitry for communicating a first seed during a first communications session and communicating a second seed during a second communications session temporally separated from said first communications session; and processor circuitry for creating said cryptographic key from said first and second seeds, said communicating of said first and second seeds occurring during said temporally-separated first and second communications sessions, respectively.

Claim 3

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications circuitry further communicates a third seed during said first communications session, said processor circuitry creating said cryptographic key from said first, second and third seeds.

Claim 4

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said first seed is communicated over a first communications channel and said second seed is communicated over a second communications channel.

Claim 5

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said second communications session is conducted over a wireless communications channel.

Claim 6

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications circuitry comprises: first communications circuitry for transmitting said first seed from said communications node to another communications node during said first communications session; and second communications circuitry for receiving said second seed from said other communications node during said second communications session.

Claim 7

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor circuitry further generates verification data for verifying said cryptographic key.

Claim 8

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications circuitry communicates verification data during said second communications session.

Claim 9

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said first seed is 8 to 10 digits in length and said second seed is 24 digits in length.

Claim 10

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications node is a mobile node of a wireless telecommunications network.

Claim 11

The circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications node is a client in a computer network.

Claim 14

The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the steps of: further communicating a third seed during said first communications session; and creating said cryptographic key from said first, second and third seeds.

Claim 15

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of communicating comprises the steps of: communicating said first seed over a first communications channel; and communicating said second seed over a second communications channel.

Claim 16

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step for communicating comprises the step of conducting said second communications session over a wireless communications channel.

Claim 17

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of communicating comprises the steps of: transmitting said first seed from said communications node to another communications node during said first communications session; and receiving said second seed from said other communications node during said second communications session.

Claim 18

The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of further generating verification data for verifying said cryptographic key.

Claim 19

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of communicating further comprises the step of communicating verification data during said second communications session.

Claim 20

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of communicating comprises the steps of: communicating a first seed of 8 to 10 digits in length; and communicating a second seed of 24 digits in length.

Claim 21

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said communications node is a mobile node of a wireless telecommunications network.

Claim 22

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said communications node is a client in a computer network.

Claim 23

A circuit for independently generating cryptographic keys at first and second communications nodes, comprising: communications circuitry for transmitting first and third seeds between said first and second communications nodes during a first communications session over a first communications channel and transmitting a second seed between said first and second communications nodes during a second communications session temporally separated from said first communications session and over a second communications channel separate from said first communications channel; and processor circuitry for generating verification data and said cryptographic keys from said first, second and third seeds at both said first and second communications nodes, said processor circuitry employing said verification data during said second communications session to verify said transmitting of said first, second and third seeds, said transmitting of said first and second seeds occurring during said temporally-separated first and second communications sessions and over said separate first and second communications channels, respectively.

Claim 24

A circuit for independently generating cryptographic keys at first and second communications nodes, comprising: communications circuitry for transmitting first and third seeds between said first and second communications nodes during a first communications session over a first communications channel and transmitting a second seed between said first and second communications nodes during a second communications session temporally separated from said first communications session and over a second communications channel separate from said first communications channel; and processor circuitry for generating verification data and said cryptographic keys from said first, second and third seeds at both said first and second communications nodes, said processor circuitry employing said verification data during said second communications session to verify said transmitting of said first, second and third seeds, said transmitting of said first and second seeds occurring during said temporally-separated first and second communications sessions and over said separate first and second communications channels, respectively.

Claim 25

The circuit as recited in claim 21 wherein said second communications channel is a wireless communications channel.

Claim 26

The circuit as recited in claim 21 wherein said first seed is 8 to 10 digits in length and said second seed is 24 digits in length.

Claim 27

The circuit as recited in claim 21 wherein said first communications node is a mobile node of a wireless telecommunications network and said second communications node is a base station of said wireless telecommunications network.

Claim 28

The circuit as recited in claim 21 wherein said first communications node is a client in a computer network and said second communications node is a server in said computer network.

Claim 31

The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said second communications channel is a wireless communications channel.

Claim 32

The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said first seed is 8 to 10 digits in length and said second seed is 24 digits in length.

Claim 33

The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said first communications node is a mobile node of a wireless telecommunications network and said second communications node is a base station of said wireless telecommunications network.

Claim 34

The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said first communications node is a client in a computer network and said second communications node is a server in said computer network.

Claim 35

A wireless infrastructure, comprising: a communications network having a base station for communicating signals via wireless communications channels; a database, associated with said base station, for containing cryptographic keys, said cryptographic keys allowing transmission of encrypted signals from said base station; a plurality of wireless terminals coupled to said base station via said wireless communications channels to allow communication of signals therebetween, each of said plurality of wireless terminals having a memory associated therewith for storing a cryptographic key allowing transmission of encrypted signals from said each of said plurality of wireless terminals to said base station; and a key management system for independently generating cryptographic keys at said base station and a selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, comprising: communications circuitry, associated with said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, for transmitting a first seed between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals during a first communications session and transmitting a second seed between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals during a second communications session temporally separated from said first communications session, and processor circuitry, associated with said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, for generating said cryptographic keys from said first and second seeds at both said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals and storing one of said cryptographic keys in said database, said transmitting of said first and second seeds occurring during said temporally-separated first and second communications sessions, respectively.

Claim 36

A wireless infrastructure, comprising: a communications network having a base station for communicating signals via wireless communications channels; a database, associated with said base station, for containing cryptographic keys, said cryptographic keys allowing transmission of encrypted signals from said base station; a plurality of wireless terminals coupled to said base station via said wireless communications channels to allow communication of signals therebetween, each of said plurality of wireless terminals having a memory associated therewith for storing a cryptographic key allowing transmission of encrypted signals from said each of said plurality of wireless terminals to said base station; and a key management system for independently generating cryptographic keys at said base station and a selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, comprising: communications circuitry, associated with said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, for transmitting a first seed between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals during a first communications session and transmitting a second seed between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals during a second communications session temporally separated from said first communications session, and processor circuitry, associated with said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, for generating said cryptographic keys from said first and second seeds at both said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals and storing one of said cryptographic keys in said database, said transmitting of said first and second seeds occurring during said temporally-separated first and second communications sessions, respectively.

Claim 37

The infrastructure as recited in claim 31 wherein said communications circuitry further transmits a third seed between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals, said first seed originating at said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals and said third seed originating at said base station, said processor circuitry generating said cryptographic keys from said first, second and third seeds at both said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals.

Claim 38

The infrastructure as recited in claim 31 wherein said communications circuitry transmits said first seed over a wired first communications channel and said second seed over a wireless second communications channel.

Claim 39

The infrastructure as recited in claim 31 wherein said communications circuitry communicates verification data between said base station and said selected one of said plurality of wireless terminals during said second communications session.

Claim 40

The infrastructure as recited in claim 31 wherein said first seed is 8 to 10 digits in length and said second seed is 24 digits in length.