Systems and Methods for Securing a Digital Communications Link

• US 20090190756A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hardacker, Robert, Kawasaki, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/08 Modifications for reducing interference; Modifications for reducing effects due to line faults ; Receiver end arrangements for detecting or overcoming line faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A digital data signal, such as a digital video signal, is intentionally pre-distorted before being sent over a network. In one embodiment, this pre-distortion may be performed in accordance with a pre-distortion pattern or algorithm which is shared with only intended receivers. The pre-distortion pattern may be used to vary the pre-distortion on a periodic basis, as frequently as on a symbol-by-symbol basis. The pre-distortion function may include distorting the phase and/or the amplitude of the digital signal'"'"'s modulation.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure digital communications comprising:

receiving a pre-distortion pattern;

receiving a pre-distorted data signal over a network connection;

undistorting at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the pre-distorted data signal in accordance with said pre-distortion pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-distorted data signal is a video signal, and wherein the method further comprises decoding the data signal following said undistorting in accordance with a video coding standard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising demodulating the data signal in accordance with one of a binary phase-shift keying scheme, a quadrature phase-shift keying scheme, and a quadrature amplitude modulation scheme.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a preamble over the network, prior to receiving said pre-distorted data signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the preamble is distorted in accordance with the pre-distortion pattern.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising correcting at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the pre-distorted data signal for channel-condition-based distortion using said preamble.

7. A method for providing secure digital communications comprising:

providing a pre-distortion pattern to an intended receiver;

distorting at least one of a phase and an amplitude of a data signal in accordance with said pre-distortion pattern; and

transmitting, following said distorting, the data signal over a network to the intended receiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said data signal is a video signal, and wherein the method further comprises encoding the data signal prior to said transmitting in accordance with a video coding standard.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising modulating the data signal in accordance with one of a binary phase-shift keying scheme, a quadrature phase-shift keying scheme, and a quadrature amplitude modulation scheme.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting an undistorted preamble, prior to said data signal, over the network to the intended receiver.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting a preamble, prior to said data signal, over the network to the intended receiver, wherein the preamble is distorted in accordance with the pre-distortion pattern.

12. A receiver comprising:

a network interface configured to couple the receiver to a network; and

a demodulation circuit configured to,

receive a pre-distortion pattern,

receive a pre-distorted data signal over the network, and

undistort at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the pre-distorted data signal in accordance with said pre-distortion pattern.

13. The receiver of claim 12, wherein said pre-distorted data signal is a video signal, and wherein the method further comprises decoding the data signal following said undistorting in accordance with a video coding standard.

14. The receiver of claim 12, further comprising demodulating the data signal in accordance with one of a binary phase-shift keying scheme, a quadrature phase-shift keying scheme, and a quadrature amplitude modulation scheme.

15. The receiver of claim 12, further comprising receiving a preamble over the network, prior to receiving said pre-distorted data signal.

16. The receiver of claim 15, wherein the preamble is distorted in accordance with the pre-distortion pattern.

17. The receiver of claim 15, further comprising correcting at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the pre-distorted data signal for channel-condition-based distortion using said preamble.