Message splitting and spatially diversified message routing for increasing transmission assurance and data security over distributed networks

• US 20020080888A1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Poppe, Dorothy C., Shu, Li
• Application Number:
  US10/025,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0059 Convolutional codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0066 Parallel concatenated codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0096 Channel splitting in point-to-point links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 : Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention features an apparatus and method for transmitting a file via a communications network. The apparatus includes a file processor that converts a file into N message segments. The file can be reassembled from a subset of any M of the message segments, where N and M are positive integers, N is greater than M, and M is greater than or equal to 1. The apparatus includes a message segment transmitter. The transmitter transmits at least M of the N message segments to a receiver for reassembly of the file after receiving M of the N message segments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting a file via a communications network, comprising:

a file processor that converts the file into N message segments that enable reassembly of the file from a subset of any M of the message segments, where N and M are positive integers, and

N>

M≧

1;

and

a message segment transmitter that transmits at least M of the N message segments toward a receiver for reassembly of the file after receiving M of the N message segments.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the file processor comprises a file encoder and an encoded file splitter, which cooperate to convert the file into the N message segments.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the file encoder implements a class of encoding algorithms in generating the message segments.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the encoded file splitter implements a class of splitting algorithms in generating the message segments.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the file processor further comprises a communications network analyzer that determines a condition of the communications network, and a message segment parameter selector that selects a value for M and a value for N based on the determined condition to achieve a preselected probability of a successful transmission of M of the transmitted message segments.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communications network condition assessor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the file processor associates N message segment identifiers with the N message segments, a one-to-one association existing between the N message segment identifiers and the N message segments.

8. A method for transmitting a file, comprising the steps of:

converting the file into N message segments that enable reassembly of the file from a subset of any M of the message segments, where N and M are positive integers, and

N>

M≧

1;

and

transmitting at least M of the N message segments toward a receiver for reassembly of the file after receiving M of the N message segments.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting message segments via multiple pathways of a communications network.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting further transmits message segments via multiple pathways of an ad hoc network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting further transmits message segments via multiple pathways of a mobile ad hoc network.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the file comprises protecting the N message segments with a data security algorithm.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the file comprises the steps of encoding the file and splitting the encoded file into the N message segments.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of encoding comprises the steps of selecting one of a class of encoding algorithms by use of a selection protocol and encoding the file in accordance with the selected encoding algorithm.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of splitting the encoded file comprises the steps of selecting one of a class of splitting algorithms by use of the selection protocol and splitting the encoded file in accordance with the selected splitting algorithm.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting comprises identifying the selected encoding algorithms for a receiver.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of selecting one of the class of encoding algorithms comprises selecting an encoding algorithm that injects redundancy into the message segments to enable reassembly of the file by the receiver if less than N of the message segments are received.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the file comprises the step of associating the N message segments in one-to-one correspondence with N unique identifiers.

19. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of receiving at least M of the N message segments and reassembling the file from as few as M of the N message segments.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of reassembling the file further comprises the steps of combining M of the N message segments and decoding the combined message segments.

21. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the file further comprises the steps of analyzing the communications network to determine a condition of the communications network, and selecting a value for M and a value for N based on the determined condition to achieve a preselected probability of a successful transmission of M of the transmitted message segments.

22. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the file comprises converting the file into N message segments that require an eavesdropper to intercept at least M of the message segments to reassemble the file.

23. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting less than M of the N message segments on any one pathway of a plurality of pathways to inhibit an eavesdropper from recovery of the file.

24. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting at most (N−

M) of the N message segments on any one pathway of a plurality of pathways to inhibit a jammer from preventing reassembly of the file by the receiver.

25. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of causing conversion of at least one of the M message segments into N₂ message segments that enable reassembly of the at least one message segment from a subset of any M₂ of the N₂ message segments, where N₂ and M₂ are positive integers and N₂>

M₂≧

1; and

causing transmission of at least M₂ of the N₂ message segments toward the receiver for reassembly of the at least one message segment prior to reassembly of the file.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of causing reassembly of the at least one message segment;

and causing transmission of the at least one reassembled message segment toward the receiver.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of receiving, by the receiver, the at least M₂ message segments;

and reassembling the at least one message segment.