Secure spread spectrum communication system

• US 4,241,447 A
• Filed: 07/22/1969
• Issued: 12/23/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
• Inventors: Epstein, Marvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Birmiel, Howard A.
• Application Number:
  US04/843,689
• Time in Patent Office: 4,172 Days
• Field of Search: 375/1, 455/26, 455/29, 371/3
• US Class Current: 375/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/36 including means for exchanging jamming data between transmitter and receiver, e.g. in forward or backward direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/25 based on characteristics of target signal or of transmission as countermeasure against surveillance H04K3/827, e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69

Abstract

A communication system is protected against jamming by modifying a conventional spread spectrum communication system by inserting errors, in the form of digital noise, into the pseudo-noise digital code used to generate the spread spectrum carrier. A bidirectional system is provided so that when jamming occurs, as a consequence of breaking the corrupted spread spectrum code, the pseudo-noise digital code and/or the percent of errors is changed in a prearranged manner to compensate for the jamming and/or reduce the likelihood of breaking the corrupted spread spectrum code. A conventional correlation receiver is employed to recover the intelligence.

Claims

1. Secure communication apparatus comprising:

a first source of a given pseudo-noise digital code;

first means coupled to said source to corrupt said given digital code by a predetermined percent of and distribution of errors;

second means coupled to said first means to generate a spread spectrum signal in response to said corrupted given digital code;

a second source of intelligence; and

third means coupled to said second source and said second means to transmit said spread spectrum signal modulated by said intelligence.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including

a conventional correlation receiver coupled to said third means to recover said intelligence.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said receiver further includes

fourth means to monitor said recovery of said intelligence;

said first source is adjustable to produce a plurality of different pseudo-noise digital codes in addition to said given digital code;

said first means is adjustable to produce a plurality of different percents of and distributions of errors in additions to said predetermined percent of errors; and

further including

fifth means to enable the selection of a prearranged one of at least one of said plurality of digital codes and said plurality of percents of 2nd distributions of errors when said fourth means indicates that communication is lost.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first means includes

a digital noise generator, and

a binary combining means coupled to said first source and said generator to corrupt said given digital code.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said noise generator includes

a Gaussian noise generator,

an adjustable direct current bias source,

a summing means coupled to said Gaussian noise generator and said bias source,

a level regenerator coupled to said summing means, and

a sampling means coupled to said level regenerator.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said Gaussian noise generator includes

a gas tube.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said level regenerator includes

an amplitude limiter.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said combining means includes

a modulo-2 adder.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said adder includes

an EXCLUSIVE-OR gate.

10. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said noise generator includes

a gas tube,

an adjustable direct current bias source,

a summing means coupled to said tube and said bias source,

an amplitude limiter coupled to said summing means and

a sampling means coupled to said limiter;

and said adding means includes

an EXCLUSIVE-OR gate.