Method for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels

• US 6,501,841 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Horne, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/216,476
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 380/31, 380/33, 380/34, 380/38, 380/260, 380/261, 380/262, 370/204, 370/342, 370/343, 370/344, 455/59, 455/61, 455/480
• US Class Current: 380/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for providing security for a transmission of information in an ADSL environment using a DMT modulation technique. The order of the frequency orthogonal subchannels used in the DMT technique is scrambled according to a permutation cipher. The key for this scrambling operation is scrambled with the subscriber'"'"'s public key, and is encoded according to a CDMA technique for transmission through the ADSL channel approximately concurrently with the information. The encoded key and the DMT data subblocks are recovered from the secured transmission. The encoded key is decoded according to the CDMA technique to generate the decoded key. The decoded key is used to assign an order to the subblocks of data.

Claims

1. A method for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels comprising steps of:

dividing the information into a plurality of data subblocks;

assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher; and

spreading a baseband signal representing a first key to the permutation cipher over a frequency spectrum comprising at least two of the frequency orthogonal subchannels for transmission with the information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of transmitting the information and the baseband signal approximately concurrently.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of:

receiving a second key to the permutation cipher; and

calculating a third key based on the second key, wherein the third key is used in the step of assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels.

4. A method for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels in an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) channel comprising steps of:

assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher;

modulating the information according to a discrete multitone technique; and

encoding a first key to the permutation cipher according to a code division multiple access technique for transmission through the ADSL channel with the information.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising a step of transmitting the information and the first key approximately concurrently.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising steps of:

receiving a second key to the permutation cipher; and

calculating a third key based on the second key, wherein the third key is used in the step of assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels.

7. A method for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels comprising steps of:

(A) dividing the information into a plurality of frames;

(B) dividing a frame of information into a plurality of data subblocks;

(C) assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher;

(D) spreading a baseband signal representing a first key to the permutation cipher over a frequency spectrum comprising at least two of the frequency orthogonal subchannels for transmission with the information;

(E) transmitting the frame of information and the first key approximately concurrently; and

(F) repeating steps (B) to (E) until the information has been transmitted.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising steps of:

(A1) receiving a second key to the permutation cipher; and

(A2) calculating a third key based on the second key, wherein the third key is used in the step of assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels.

9. A method for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels in an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) channel comprising steps of:

(A) dividing the information into a plurality of frames;

(B) assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher;

(C) modulating a frame of information according to a discrete multitone technique;

(D) encoding a first key to the permutation cipher according to a code division multiple access technique for transmission through the ADSL channel with the information;

(E) transmitting the frame of information and the first key approximately concurrently; and

(F) repeating steps (B) to (E) until the information has been transmitted.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising steps of:

(A1) receiving a second key to the permutation cipher; and

(A2) calculating a third key based on the second key, wherein the third key is used in the step of assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels.

11. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing a sequence of instructions for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannels, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps of:

dividing the information into a plurality of data subblocks;

assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher; and

spreading a baseband signal representing a first key to the permutation cipher over a frequency spectrum comprising at least two of the frequency orthogonal subchannels for transmission with the information.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, further causes the processor to perform a step of calculating a second key to the permutation cipher to be used in the step of assigning each data subblock to one of the frequency orthogonal subchannels.

13. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing a sequence of instructions for providing security for a transmission of information through a plurality of frequency orthogonal subchannelsin an asymemetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) channel, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps of:

assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels using a permutation cipher;

modulating the information according to a discrete multitone technique; and

encoding a first key to the permutation cipher according to a code division multiple access technique for transmission through the ADSL channel with the information.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, further causes the processor to perform a step of calculating a second key to the permutation cipher to be used in the step of assigning a scrambled order to the frequency orthogonal subchannels.