Security system for SSTV encryption

• US 4,484,027 A
• Filed: 11/19/1981
• Issued: 11/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1981
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: COMSAT Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Original Assignee: Communications Satellite Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Inventors: Fang, Russell J., Lee, Lin-nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cangialosi, Sal
• Application Number:
  US06/322,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 178/22.08, 178/22.13, 178/22.15, 178/22.09, 178/22.16, 358/114, 358/122, 340/706
• US Class Current: 380/239
• 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

In a secure communications system, a key number which is changed periodically, e.g. monthly, and a random number from a random number generator are combined and used as a seed to reset a PN sequence generator, with the output of the generator being used to control encryption of transmission data in a signal processor. The key is also provided to a first encipherer to encipher the random number for transmission with the encrypted data. At the receiver, the key is provided on common to a decipherer for deciphering the random number and a PN sequence generator which is periodically reset by the combination of the key and random number in the same manner as in the transmitter. The PN sequence is then used to decrypt the information. User identification codes are stored in the transmitter and are used to encipher the key, with each employing its ID code to decipher the key. The user ID codes are known only to the system operator, so that not even a particular user can know the key.

Claims

1. In a communications system including a transmitter and a receiver, said transmitter including a program source for providing a program signal representing program information, a transmit signal processor for encrypting said program signal in accordance with a transmit control signal and transmit means for transmitting said encrypted signal, said receiver including receive means for receiving said encrypted signal, a receiver signal processor for decrypting said encrypted signal in accordance with a receive control signal and means for receiving said decrypted signal and providing said program information, the improvement comprising:

first generator means at said transmitter for generating a first sequence of signals representing a first sequence of numbers;

key number means at said transmitter for providing a key number signal representing a key number;

second generator means at said transmitter for generating a second sequence of signals representing a second sequence of numbers, said second generator means being periodically reset by a reset signal comprising the output of said first generator means to thereby generate a plurality of sequence segments each beginning with a reset signal, the output of said second generator means comprising said transmit control signal;

means at said transmitter for enciphering said first sequence of signals with said key number signal and for providing said enciphered first signal sequence to said transmit means for transmission with said encrypted program signal;

means at said receiver for providing said key number signal;

receive deciphering means at said receiver for receiving said enciphered first signal sequence and said key number, deciphering said first signal sequence in accordance with said key number and providing said deciphered first signal sequence as an output; and

receive generating means for generating a sequence of signals representing said first sequence of numbers, said receive generating means being periodically reset by a reset signal comprising the output of said receive deciphering means to thereby generate said plurality of sequence segments, said plurality of sequence segments being provided by said receive generating means to said receive signal processor as said receive control signal.

2. A communications system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for providing an identification number signal uniquely identifying said receiver;

means for enciphering said key number signal with said identification signal;

means at said receiver for providing said identification number signal; and

means at said receiver for receiving said identification number signal and said enciphered key number signal and for deciphering said key number signal, said deciphered key number signal being provided to said receive deciphering means.

3. A communications system as defined in either one of claims 1 or 2, wherein each of said reset signals provided to said second generator means comprises a combination of said key number signal and a signal of said first signal sequence, and wherein each of said reset signals provided to said receive generator means comprises a combination of said key number signal and a signal of said deciphered first signal sequence.

4. A communications systems as defined in claim 3, wherein said key number signal is changed at predetermined time intervals.

5. A communications system as defined in claim 4, wherein said second generator means is a non-linear pseudorandom sequence generator.

6. A communications system as defined in claim 3, wherein a plurality of receivers receive the encrypted signal transmitted by said transmitter, each of said receivers having a corresponding unique identification number and said enciphered key number received at each receiver being enciphered with the user identification number unique to said each receiver.

7. The communications system as defined in claim 6, wherein said first signal sequence represents a substantially random number sequence.

8. In a method of providing security in a signal transmission system, said method including the steps of encrypting in accordance with an encryption control signal a program signal representing information, transmitting said encrypted signal, receiving said encrypted signal, decrypting said received encrypted signal in accordance with a decryption control signal and providing said information represented by said decrypted signal, the improvement comprising:

generating a key number signal representing a key number;

generating a first signal sequence representing a first sequence of numbers;

generating a second signal sequence representing a second sequence of numbers, said second signal sequence being periodically reset by a reset signal comprising a signal of said first signal sequence to thereby generate a plurality of second sequence segments;

providing said second sequence segments to said transmit signal processor as said encryption control signal;

enciphering said first signal sequence with said key number and providing said enciphered first sequence to said transmitter for transmission with said encrypted signal;

decrypting said enciphered first sequence at said receiver in accordance with said key number signal;

generating said second sequence segments at said receiver by resetting a receive number signal generator with a reset signal comprising said deciphered first signal sequence; and

providing said second sequence segments to said receive signal processor as said decryption control signal.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

enciphering said key number signal at said transmitter with a user identification number signal uniquely identifying said receiver;

transmitting said enciphered key number signal to said receiver;

deciphering said enciphered key number signal at said receiver in accordance with said user identification number signal uniquely identifying said receiver; and

providing said deciphered key number signal to said deciphering means.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

combining said key number signal and a signal in said first sequence to obtain said reset signal in said transmitter; and

combining said key number signal and a signal in said deciphered first sequence in order to obtain said reset signal in said receiver.

11. The method as defined in any one of claims 8-10, further comprising the step of periodically changing said key number signal.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said second generator means in said transmitter and said generator means in said receiver each generate non-linear pseudo-random signal sequences.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said first signal sequence represents a substantially random number sequence.

14. A communications system including a transmitter and a receiver, said system comprising:

a program source at said transmitter for providing a program signal representing program information;

first generator means at said transmitter for generating a first sequence of signals representing a first sequence of numbers;

key number means at said transmitter for providing a key number signal representing a key number;

transmit signal processing means at said transmitter responsive to at least said first sequence of signals for encrypting said program signal;

enciphering means at said transmitter for enciphering said first sequence of signals with said key number signal to provide an enciphered first signal sequence;

transmit means at said transmitter for transmitting said encrypted program signal and said enciphered first signal sequence;

means at said receiver for providing said key number signal;

receive deciphering means at said receiver for receiving said enciphered first signal sequence and said key number, deciphering said first signal sequence in accordance with said key number and providing said deciphered first signal sequence as an output; and

receive generating means at said receiver responsive to at least said output of said receive deciphering means for receiving and decrypting said encrypted program signal to obtain said program signal.

15. A communications system as defined in claim 14, wherein said transmit signal processing means includes encryption means for encrypting said program signal in accordance with an encryption control signal, and second generator means at said transmitter for generating a second sequence of signals representing a second sequence of numbers, said second generator means being periodically reset by a reset signal comprising at least the output of said first generator means to thereby generate a plurality of sequence segments each beginning with a reset signal, the output of said second generator means comprising said encryption control signal.

16. A communications system as defined in claim 15, wherein said reset signal comprises a combination of said key number signal and the output of said first generator means.

17. A method of providing security in a signal transmission system between a transmitter and a receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a program signal representing information;

generating a first sequence of signals representing a first sequence of numbers;

providing a key number signal representing a key number;

encrypting said program signal in accordance with at least said first sequence of signals;

enciphering said first sequence of signals with said key number signal to provide an enciphered first signal sequence;

transmitting said encrypted program signal and said enciphered first signal sequence to said receiver;

providing said key number signal at said receiver;

deciphering said first signal sequence at said receiver in accordance with said key number to obtain a deciphered first signal sequence; and

decrypting said encrypted program signal at said receiver in accordance with at least deciphered first signal sequence to obtain said program signal.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein said step of encrypting said program signal in accordance with at least said first sequence of signals comprises the steps generating a second sequence of signals representing a second sequence of numbers, said second sequence of signals comprising a plurality of sequence segments each beginning with a reset signal, said reset signal comprising at least said first signal sequence, said encrypting said program signal in accordance with said second sequence of signals.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein said reset signal comprises a combination of said key number signal and said first sequence of signals.