Patent ID: 8229110

Claim:
An apparatus for processing N encrypted packets, wherein N is an integer and N≧1, the apparatus comprising: a key mixing circuit to generate N groups of decryption seeds, wherein each of the N groups of decryption seeds is generated based upon a predetermined key, a transmitter address, and a predetermined start value for a packet number; an input circuit to receive the N encrypted packets, wherein each of the N encrypted packets comprises the transmitter address, and one of N values for the packet number, wherein each of the N values for the packet number is greater than, or equal to, the predetermined start value for the packet number; and a decryption circuit to decrypt each of the N encrypted packets using one of the N groups of decryption seeds that was generated based on the one of the N values for the packet number in a respective one of the N encrypted packets, wherein the key mixing circuit generates each of the N groups of decryption seeds before the input circuit receives the respective one of the N encrypted packets of the data, and wherein the predetermined start value is (i) initialized when the apparatus is initialized and (ii) incremented when each of the N groups of decryption seeds is generated.