Patent ID: 11936636
Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 8:
9. A communication method implemented in a communication device, comprising:
sharing encryption keys with a plurality of external communication devices, the encryption keys being used in an encryption method in which residual quantities of the encryption keys change;
deciding on a route for sending transmission data, based on the residual quantities of the encryption keys;
encrypting one or more headers, each of the one or more headers corresponding to one of one or more first external communication devices among the plurality of external communication devices, the one or more first external communication devices being included in the route, each of the one or more headers being a header in which the corresponding one of the one or more first external communication devices is set as a destination, each of the one or more headers being encrypted using one of the encryption keys shared with the corresponding one of the one or more first external communication devices;
generating a packet that includes the transmission data and the one or more headers; and
sending the generated packet along the route,

wherein the deciding includes deciding on the route that includes the one or more first external communication devices, a number of the one or more first external communication devices included in the route being greater than a prescribed number, from among the plurality of external communication devices.