Patent ID: 9160529
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for generating shared secret information between a first communication device and a second communication device, which are connected through a plurality of communication channels, comprising: a) setting a degree of security for the shared secret information wherein the degree of security is determined as a function of the amount of the shared secret information and the amount of shared secret information which would remain after full privacy amplification; b) the first communication device transmitting first secret information to the second communication device through a quantum communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the first secret information is transmitted as optical pulses having a mean number of photons per optical pulse determined as a function of the degree of security and having a relationship with the degree of security such that the mean number of photons decreases as the degree of security increases; c) the second communication device receiving second secret information through the quantum communication channel, wherein the first and second communication devices both generate third secret information based on the first secret information and the second secret information; and d) the first and second communication devices removing, an amount of information from the third secret information to generate the shared secret information, the amount of information removed from the third secret information being a portion of the amount that would have been removed had full privacy amplification been applied, the portion being determined by the degree of security, the amount of the shared secret information and the mean number of photons.