Gretag Aktiengesellschaft

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Bell Telephone Laboratories

Kurt H Mueller

Jean J Werner

A symmetric procedure avoids the problems with prior art systems using modifiers with master keys and generates a secure session key from a secret master key and an additional pair of randomly selected signals. The secret master key is known to both parties: one at station A and one at station B. One randomly selected signal of the pair is generated by the party at station A while the other signal in the pair is generated by the party at station B. In one embodiment, a random number signal sent by each one of the parties to the other is encrypted before transmission and decrypted upon reception. Both encryption (at one station) and decryption (at the other station) employ symmetric key cryptographic systems which use the secret master key. The session key is then formed by a commutative combination of both random number signals.

Method for secure session key generation

A decoding system containing a synchronizing and entry detector rendering possible the phase-in of messages delayed, for example, by interference. In order to be able to decode parts of the message received prior to phase-in, the cipher is stored intermediately from the onset of reception in a memory. Following the completion of the transmission, the decoding generator is set to an initial state corresponding to the phase-in and operated in the inverse direction from there. Simultaneously the intermediately stored cipher is called up in an inversed order from the memory and decoded with the key pulse sequence of the decoding generator.

Decoding process and apparatus

The enciphering section of an enciphering/deciphering system includes a random number generator, a primary code memory and a multiplex unit in addition to the actual enciphering unit. The deciphering section includes a deciphering unit, a primary code memory and a demultiplex unit. At the beginning of each transmission, and after disturbances, the enciphering and deciphering sections are first synchronized by means of a synchronization sequence. Then a random address is produced by the random number generator for a primary code, and a randomly determined auxiliary code is also selected. The address and the auxiliary code are then transmitted and the primary and auxiliary codes are loaded into the enciphering and deciphering units. The randomly controlled, statistical selection of the primary code simplifies the code management and thus the operation of the system.

Enciphering/deciphering system

In a data receiver (40) for a quadrature-amplitude-modulated signal s(t) having symbol interval T, line samples (s.sub.k) are formed at a sampling frequency n/T which is at least equal to the Nyquist frequency. With the sampling being performed at this rate, the functions conventionally provided by individual bandpass filter (12), phase splitter (14) and equalizer (22) circuits are performed by a single transversal filter equalizer (122). Tap coefficients for the transversal filter equalizer are derived in a decision-directed manner. The tendency of the tap coefficient values to drift is suppressed by adding energy to the received signal at frequencies within the band (0-n/2T) Hz at which the received signal has negligible energy.

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Wallisellen, Switzerland

Kurt H Mueller