Faceplate for quick removal and securing of encryption device

• US 20060271779A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Reed, Eric, Best, Fiona S., McClintock, Dorothy A., Hartwell, Wesley R., Lee, William Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A reach back secure communications terminal includes an easily removed and secured personality faceplate including an encryption device. The personality faceplate removes the encryption device from the reach back secure communications terminal, while leaving behind non-secure portions of the reach back secure communications terminal. This feature is most advantageous in emergency situations where a user needs to evacuate an area quickly, without the need to have to disconnect and carry in a secure manner the entire reach-back terminal. Because the personality faceplate with the encryption device attached is smaller than the entire reach-back terminal, it is more easily physically secured once removed.

Claims

1. A reach-back communications terminal, comprising:

a telephone;

an interface to connect said telephone to a communications network;

an encryption communications device operable to encrypt a path between said telephone and said interface; and

a personality faceplate in a case holding said encryption communications device, said personality faceplate being removably connectable to said reach-back communications terminal to allow easy and quick user removal of said encryption communications device.

2. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said encryption communications device comprises:

a Future NarrowBand Digital Terminal (FNBDT).

3. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said encryption communications device comprises:

a Type 4 Standard Telephone Equipment (STE).

4. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said personality faceplate with encryptor in place comprises:

a display;

a personality keypad;

a telephone handset; and

a telephone keypad.

5. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said path encrypted between said telephone and said interface includes a data path.

6. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said path encrypted between said telephone and said interface includes a voice path.

7. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said path encrypted between said telephone and said interface is a digital data path for passing packetized data.

8. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said path encrypted between said telephone and said interface is a digital data path for passing streaming data.

9. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

10. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a private branch exchange (PBX).

11. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a GSM interface.

12. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a satellite wireless interface.

13. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

an Internet Protocol (IP) interface.

14. The reach-back communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a wireless fidelity (WIFI) interface.

15. A method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device, comprising:

providing a communications path through an encryption communications device to a communications network; and

providing a user-removable personality faceplate in a case holding said reach-back communications device, said user-removable personality faceplate including said encryption communications device and being quickly removed from said reach-back communications device allowing a user of said encryption communications device to quickly remove and secure said encryption communications device via said user-removable personality faceplate without also requiring said user to physically secure a non-secure communications portion of said reach-back communications device.

16. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 15, further comprising:

adapting said personality faceplate to physically accept a Future NarrowBand Digital Terminal (FNBDT) encryption communications device.

17. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 15, further comprising:

adapting said personality faceplate to physically accept a Type 4 Standard Telephone Equipment (STE) encryption communications device.

18. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 15, further comprising:

passing digital data through said communications path through said encryption communications device.

19. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 18, wherein:

said digital data is packetized digital data.

20. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 18, wherein:

said digital data comprises streaming digital data.

21. The method of providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 15, further comprising:

passing a voice data stream through said communications path through said encryption communications device.

22. Apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device, comprising:

means for providing a communications path through an encryption communications device to a communications network; and

means for providing a user-removable personality faceplate in a case holding said reach-back communications device, said user-removable personality faceplate including said encryption communications device and being quickly removed from said reach-back communications device allowing a user of said encryption communications device to quickly remove and secure said encryption communications device via said user-removable personality faceplate without also requiring said user to physically secure a non-secure communications portion of said reach-back communications device.

23. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for adapting said personality faceplate to physically accept a Future NarrowBand Digital Terminal (FNBDT) encryption communications device.

24. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for adapting said personality faceplate to physically accept a Type 4 Standard Telephone Equipment (STE) encryption communications device.

25. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for passing digital data through said communications path through said encryption communications device.

26. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 25, wherein:

said digital data is packetized digital data.

27. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 25, wherein:

said digital data comprises streaming digital data.

28. The apparatus for providing easily secured encryption in a reach-back communications device according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for passing a voice data stream through said communications path through said encryption communications device.

29. A reach-back communications terminal, comprising:

a GSM communications device;

an encryption device to encrypt information passing to and from said GSM communications device; and

a GSM personality card.

30. In a reach-back communications terminal including encryption capability, the improvement comprising:

a GSM cellular telephone enclosed by said reach-back communications terminal, said GSM cellular telephone being adapted to pass information through an encryption device in said reach-back communications terminal; and

a subscriber identity module (SIM) adapted for regular insertion and removal by a user from said GSM cellular telephone inside said reach-back communications terminal.