Cryptographic engine using logic and base conversions

• US 6,125,182 A
• Filed: 02/07/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Channel One Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Channel One Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Satterfield, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seal, James
• Application Number:
  US09/019,916
• Time in Patent Office: 962 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28
• US Class Current: 380/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/06 by transmitting the information or elements thereof at unnatural speeds or in jumbled order or backwards

Abstract

Apparatus and method for encrypting and decrypting using permutation, concatenation and decatenation together with rotation and arithmetic and logic combining with elements or digits or characters from random, pseudo-random, or arbitrary sources wherein the plaintext may be partitioned, block-by-block, the block size being a user selectable power of 2 in size. The data bytes in the input block are selected M bytes at a time, where M≧2, with permuted addressing to form a single concatenated data byte, CDB. The CDB is modified by rotating (or barrel shifting) a random bit distance. The CDB may also be modified before or after rotation by simple arithmetic/logic operations. After modification, the CDB is broken up into M bytes and each of the M bytes is placed into the output block with permuted addressing. The output block, or ciphertext, may again be used as an input block and the process repeated with a new output block. This scheme may be used as an encryption method by itself or in conjunction other block encryption methods. The latter may be accomplished by using this scheme between successive stages of other encryption methods on blocked data, or between an internal stage of these other methods. The sources of random numbers used to determine the distance for the random rotation operation can be from: a pseudo-random number generator, sampled music CD-ROMs, entries in tables, arrays, buffers, or any other digital source.

Claims

1. Encryption/Decryption apparatus comprising:

a. means for retrieving information to be encoded/decoded, said information defining an array D1 of first elements,

b. means for combining of the first elements of D1 by concatentation of at least one to another of said first elements of D1, wherein said concatenation results in formation of second elements of an array D2, and wherein the number of second elements is less than the number of first elements, but where at least one of the second elements is larger than at least one of the first elements,

c. means for barrel rotating and modifying at least one of the second elements of D2, and

d. means for converting and decatenating said modified second elements of array D2 back into the first elements of D1, and

e. an array of R elements, said R elements arranged to provide information for directing and controlling one or more of elements b, c, and d.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for permuting the order of said first and second elements being concatenated, rotated, modified, converted and decatenated,.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising an array S wherein said array S is arranged to provide information, in addition to array R, for directing and controlling one or more of elements b, c, and d.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

e. third elements,

f. means for combining at least one second element of D2 with said third elements to form an array D3, and

g. means for converting said array D3 back into said array D2.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for combining comprises:

means for arithmetic and logic combining selected from the group consisting of means for adding, subtracting, exclusive-oring and rotating.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for arithmetic and logic combining comprises means for converting into another number base.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said third elements are selected form the group consisting of passwords, constants, address registers, counters, mask arrays, random number sources, pseudo-random sources, arbitrary number sources, and the contents of memory locations.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

means for repeating item f.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for indexing into said arrays.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 where said means for indexing comprises at least a number formed in any number base.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein

said means for combining includes means for permuting, and

said means for converting and decatenating includes means for permuting back, and further comprising:

e. third elements, wherein third elements are selected from the group consisting of passwords, constants, address registers, counters, mask arrays, random number sources, pseudo-random number sources, arbitrary number sources, and the contents of memory locations, and means for combining said third elements with said second elements of array D2 for form an array D3,

f. means for indexing into any array, D1, D2, and D3,

g. means for arithmetic and logic combining selected from the group consisting of means for adding, subtracting, exclusive-oring or rotating,

h. means for converting the result of item f. into another number base, and

i. means for converting said array D3 back into said array D2.

12. A method for encryption/decryption comprising the steps of:

a. retrieving information to be encoded/decoded, said information defining an array D1 of first elements,

b. combining of the first elements of D1 by concatenation of said first elements of D1, one to another, wherein said concatenation results in formation of second elements of an array D2, wherein the number of second elements is less than the number of first elements, but where at least one of the second elements is larger than at least one of the first elements,

c. barrel rotating and modifying at least one of the second elements of array D2, and

d. converting and decatenating said modified second elements of array D2 back into the first elements of D1, and

e. providing an array of R elements, said R elements arranged to provide information for directing and controlling one or more of elements b, c, and d.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

e. retrieving an array of third elements,

f. combining at lease one second element of D2 with said third elements to form an array D3, and

g. converting said array D3 back into said array D2.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein said combining comprises the step:

arithmetic and logic combining selected from the group consisting of adding, subtracting, exclusive-oring or rotating.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein said arithmetic and logic comprises converting into another number base.

16. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein said third elements are selected from the group consisting of passwords, constants, address registers, counters, mask arrays, random number sources, pseudo-random number sources, arbitrary number sources, and the contents of memory locations.

17. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of:

repeating step f.

18. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of indexing into said arrays.