Secure satellite communications system
First Claim
1. A satellite communications system comprising:
- an orbiting communications satellite configured to relay a plurality of communications messages to and from a plurality of stations, the communications messages each having a data content;
a first station of the plurality of stations; and
a second station of the plurality of stations, the second station including an internal secure signal processing path and an internal non-secure signal processing path in parallel, wherein the first and second stations are each configured to transmit and receive at least one of the plurality of communications messages, and wherein the first station transmits one communications message of the plurality of communications messages and the second station receives, processes, and validates the one communications message in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path, and ignores the one communications message if the message fails validation in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path, the data content of the one communications message in the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path being identical.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A secure satellite communications system for mobile users. The secure satellite communications system includes an orbiting communications satellite which performs the function of relaying communications to and from a plurality of earth stations. The secure satellite communications system provides a public key system for satellite communications systems to establish private communications. Communications messages are sent by a transmitting earth station encrypted by a public encryption procedure for a particular receiving earth station. The public encryption procedures are broadcast along with other system status and operational information on a common signaling broadcast channel. The receiving earth station utilizes a private decryption procedure to decrypt the received communications messages. The receiving earth station also validates the transmitted communications messages received by the receiving earth station by utilizing a cyclic redundancy check on the received communications messages.
37 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A satellite communications system comprising:
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an orbiting communications satellite configured to relay a plurality of communications messages to and from a plurality of stations, the communications messages each having a data content;
a first station of the plurality of stations; and
a second station of the plurality of stations, the second station including an internal secure signal processing path and an internal non-secure signal processing path in parallel, wherein the first and second stations are each configured to transmit and receive at least one of the plurality of communications messages, and wherein the first station transmits one communications message of the plurality of communications messages and the second station receives, processes, and validates the one communications message in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path, and ignores the one communications message if the message fails validation in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path, the data content of the one communications message in the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path being identical. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of communications in a satellite communications system, the method comprising:
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providing an orbiting communications satellite configured to relay a plurality of communications messages to and from a plurality of stations, the communications messages each having a data content;
providing a first station from the plurality of stations;
providing a second station from the plurality of stations, the second station including an internal secure signal processing path and an internal non-secure signal processing path in parallel;
configuring each of the first and second stations to transmit and receive at least one of the plurality of communications messages;
transmitting one communications message of the plurality of communications messages from the first station; and
,receiving, processing, and validating the one communications message in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path in the second station, and ignoring the one communications message if the message fails validation in both the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path, the data content of the one communications message in the secure signal processing path and the non-secure signal processing path being identical. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification