Patent ID: 9705671
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A one-way key switching method, comprising: setting a new key as unavailable in a sending direction and keeping an original key as available in the sending direction by a sender after the new key is obtained, before it is deduced or determined that the new key is obtained by at least n receivers; starting a key switching process by the sender after the new key is obtained and it is deduced or determined that the new key is obtained by at least n receivers, while before the original key becomes invalid, wherein the switching process comprises setting the original key as unavailable in the sending direction and setting the new key as available in the sending direction, where N≧n≧1, N is a total number of the receivers corresponding to the sender; setting the new key as available in a receiving direction and keeping the original key as available in the receiving direction by the receiver when the new key is obtained; receiving, by the receiver, data sent by the sender, and selecting, by the receiver, a valid key from the original key and the new key according to a protection identifier of the data to de-protect the data; and starting, by the receiver, a key switching process, after the data is successfully de-protected using the new key for the first time while before the original key becomes invalid, wherein the switching process comprises setting the original key as unavailable in the receiving direction and keeping the new key as available in the receiving direction.