Secure transmission over satellite phone network

• US 20110237247A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• 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 8,913,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18565 Arrangements for preventing unauthorised access or for providing user protection arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• 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 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3013 involving the discrete logarithm problem, e.g. ElGamal or Diffie-Hellman systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]

Abstract

A reach back secure communications terminal includes a modem to satellite interconnect board that captures DTMF tones, demodulates encrypted modem information, and converts both into an ASCII string for presentation to a data port of a satellite phone, allowing out-of-band control of a non-secure satellite system (e.g., AT command control of a data port) by a user on a secure side of an encryption device, by including the ability to interpret control signals and control the satellite system appropriately. A false dial tone is presented to the encryption device, and the data stream coming from the encryption device is monitored for the presence of dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) tones representing control signals, the DTMF tones are converted to ASCII characters, which are in turn received as control signals by the satellite phone, allowing control of the functions of the satellite system directly from the secure side of the encryption device.

Claims

1. An interface for use between an encryption device and a satellite phone, comprising:

a modem interface; and

a DTMF conversation a ASCII module receiving a data stream from said modem interface;

wherein said DTMF conversation is adapted to remove in-band control signaling from said data stream, and to present said control signaling out-of-band to a data port of said satellite phone.

2-14. -14. (canceled)