Variable guard band construction to support key reconciliation

Abstract

Key reconciliation procedures are needed to correct key differences that can arise as a consequence of independent noise at the two ends of a reciprocal link. We assume a line-of-sight channel and use reconfigurable antenna elements to randomize it, such that it allows for key generation. The Linde-Buzo-Gray algorithm is employed to quantize the complex channel transfer characteristic, and adaptive guard bands, symmetric to the quantization thresholds, are further constructed. To limit the number of key errors, we ensure that only the points that fall outside the guard band interval are accepted for key generation. The steps for constructing the guard bands are presented.