Methods for secure data storage

Abstract

A method includes receiving, from a server, a plurality of data packets at a wireless client device; identifying, by the wireless client device, receive times for the plurality of data packets; identifying, by the wireless client device, a first subset of the plurality of data packets having shorter delay times than a second subset of the plurality of data packets having higher delay times based on the received times; and mixing, by the wireless client device, a subset of the first plurality of data packets to generate an encryption key.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a server, a plurality of data packets at a wireless client device;   identifying, by the wireless client device, receive times for the plurality of data packets;   identifying, by the wireless client device, a first subset of the plurality of data packets having shorter delay times than a second subset of the plurality of data packets having higher delay times based on the received times; and   mixing, by the wireless client device, a subset of the first plurality of data packets to generate an encryption key.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting closed-loop communication between the server, the wireless client device, and a client computer in secure communication connection with the wireless client device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein closed-loop communication takes place between the server, the wireless client device, a client computer in secure communication connection with the wireless client device, and back to the server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein more than one communication protocol contributes to the closed-loop communication from the server to the wireless client device and back to the server. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless client device and a client computer are associated with one user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein delay in a data packet traversing the closed loop is measured and used as an authentication metric to determine whether a user associated with the wireless client device is present. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein detecting closed-loop communication is provided by polling for user involvement in real time by prompting for a user response and identifying that user response. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising authentication using face recognition with real-time instructions to the user for moving the users head and confirming that the user is responding to the instructions in real time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data packets comprises random data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , communicating with the server utilizing the encryption key. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a client computer coupled to a wireless client device, a plurality of data packets passed to the client computer after being received by the wireless client from a server;   identifying, by the client computer, receive times for the plurality of data packets;   identifying, by the client computer, a first subset of the plurality of data packets having shorter delay times than a second subset of the plurality of data packets having higher delay times based on the received times; and   mixing, by the client computer, a subset of the first plurality of data packets to generate an encryption key.   
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a server, a plurality of data packets at a wireless client device;   identifying, by the wireless client device, packets received in error, and informing the server of indices of the packets received in error;   discarding, at the server and at the wireless client device, the packets received in error;   mixing, by the wireless client device and separately by the server, contents of packets that are received correctly to generate an encryption key.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the server adjusts its transmission strategy to have a smaller packet error rate at the wireless client device than a packet error rate at a randomly positioned eavesdropper. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transmission strategy compromises sending data packets when channel signal-to-noise ratio at the wireless client device is high, thereby reducing a probability of packet error for the wireless client device with respect to a probability of packet error for a randomly positioned eavesdropper. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the server is equipped with multiple transmit antennas, and wherein the transmission strategy compromises sending data packets over one or more transmit antenna dimensions with high signal-to-noise ratio for the wireless client device, and sending noise over the rest of the transmit antenna dimensions, thereby reducing a probability of packet error for a wireless client device with respect to a probability of packet error for a randomly positioned eavesdropper.