Method and system for providing secure point-to-point communication

• US 10,484,391 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Koch, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Cheng-Feng
• Application Number:
  US14/827,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20170054733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A communication system for providing secure point-to-point communication comprising a communication network, a first client device and a second client device configured to communicate with each other via communication network, wherein each of the first and second client devices is adapted to run a selected communication application using a communication service provided by the communication network to communicate with each other, wherein the communication application which provides the highest communication service security level is selected from a group of communication applications using communication services with different communication service security levels and being available on the first and second client devices.

Claims

1. A communication system for providing secure point-to-point communication comprising:

a communication network,

a first client device and a second client device,

wherein each of the first and second client devices is adapted to run a selected communication application using a communication service provided by said communication network to communicate with each other,

wherein the first client device comprises a control unit, said control unit configured to select from a group of communication applications using communication services with different communication service security levels, wherein the different communication service security levels for the group of communication applications are stored in a lookup table, and the lookup table being available on the first and second client devices, the communication application which provides the highest communication service security according to the lookup table, wherein said first client device is an encryption device configured to encrypt outgoing audio signals or decrypt incoming audio signals,

a mobile device connected to the first client device via a wired or a wireless data interface, wherein said first client device is configured to communicate via the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide the communication link between the first client device and communication network, and via the communication network with the second client device,

wherein the first Client device is configured to select automatically the communication application available at the first client device providing the highest communication service security level according to the lookup table to establish communication link to the second client device via the mobile device and via the communication network of said system, and

wherein if the communication link is not established by the communication application selected by the first client device the first client device is configured to select automatically another communication application available at the first client device according to the lookup table providing the same communication service security level or the next highest communication service security level, and the first client device is configured to repeat to select automatically another communication application available at the first client device according to the lookup table providing the same communication service security level or the next highest communication service security level until a communication link is established or the lowest security level has been reached,

wherein the available communication applications comprise;

at least one Voice over IP application,

at least one instant messaging application,

at least one electronic mail application,

at least one telephone service application, and

at least one short message service application.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein if the communication link is successfully established by the communication application selected by the first client device, the first client device is configured to run the selected communication application to communicate with the second client device via the mobile device and via the communication network of said system.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication service security level of the established communication link is indicated by means of user output interfaces of said first and second client devices.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein communication between the first and second client devices through the mobile device and the established communication link is initiated in response to enablement commands input by means of user input interfaces of said first and second client devices.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a telephone network and/or a data network.

6. A client device for providing secure point-to-point communication via a communication network,

said client device being a first client device and comprising a hardware processor,

application execution software, which when executed by the hardware processor, causes the hardware processor to perform operations comprising running a selected communication application using a communication service provided by said communication network, and

control software, which when executed by the hardware processor, causes the hardware processor to perform operations comprising selecting automatically from a group of available communication applications using communication services with different communication service security levels, wherein the different communication service security levels for the group of communication applications are stored in a lookup table stored on the first client device and a second client device, the communication application which provides the highest communication service security level according to the lookup table, and said first client device is an encryption device configured to encrypt outgoing audio signals or decrypt incoming audio signals,

wherein said first client device is connectable to a mobile device via a wired or a wireless data interface, and

wherein said first client device is configured to communicate via the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide the communication link between the first client device and communication network, and via the communication network with a second client device,

wherein the first client device is configured to select automatically the communication application available at the first client device providing the highest communication service security level according to the lookup table to establish a communication link to the second client device via the mobile device and via the communication network of said system, and

wherein if the communication link is not established by the communication application selected by the first client device the first client device is configured to select automatically another communication application available at the first client device according to the lookup table providing the same communication service security level or the next highest communication service security level, and the first client device is configured to repeat to select automatically another communication application available at the first client device according to the lookup table providing the same communication service security level or the next highest communication service security level until a communication link is established or the lowest security level has been reached,

wherein the available communication applications comprise:

at least one Voice over IP application,

at least one instant messaging application,

at least one electronic mail application,

at least one telephone service application, and

at least one short message service application.

7. A method for providing secure point-to-point communication between client devices comprising the steps of:

selecting by a control unit of a first client device, wherein said first client device is an encryption device configured to encrypt outgoing audio signals or decrypt incoming audio signals, a communication application which provides the highest communication service security level from a group of communication applications available on the first client device using communication services with different communication service security levels, wherein the different communication service security levels for the group of communication applications are stored in a lookup table stored on the first client device and a second client device, and

connecting the first client device to a mobile device via a wired or a wireless data interface;

executing by the first client device the selected communication application to communicate with a second client device via the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide the communication link between the first client device and communication network, and via a communication network using the communication service with the highest communication service security level according to the lookup table;

wherein communicating with the second client device is accomplished by

attempting to establish a communication link with the second client device using the communication application with the highest communication security level according to the lookup table, and if no link can be established,

attempting to establish a communication link with a different communication application having the next highest communication security level according to the lookup table, and

repeating the attempt to establish a communication link at a next highest communication security level until a communication link is established or a lowest communication security level has been reached,

wherein the available communication applications comprise;

at least one Voice over IP application,

at least one instant messaging application,

at least one electronic mail application,

at least one telephone service application, and

at least one short message service application.