Patent ID: 7684568
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for communicating in a network, the method comprising: encapsulating content from a plurality of high level data units from a high level layer to generate a stream; dividing the stream into a plurality of segments with each segment being divided into a plurality of data blocks and each segment being associated with segment overhead information; associating the plurality of segments with low level data units, at least some of the low level data units associated with a plurality of segments, each low level data unit being associated with data unit overhead information different from the segment overhead information associated with each segment that is associated with that low level data unit; individually encrypting at least some of the segments, wherein an encrypted segment includes a plurality of encrypted blocks, and a first encrypted block within a first encrypted segment within a first low level data unit is formed from a first data block using an encryption key and an initialization vector derived at least in part from a portion of the segment overhead information associated with the first encrypted segment and a portion of the data unit overhead information associated with the first low level data unit; and supplying the low level data units, including the encrypted segments, to a physical layer that handles physical communication over the network, at least some of the low level data units each including a plurality of encrypted segments.