Software radio system and method

• US 7,885,409 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Zuber, Eric O., Jakoubek, Robert R., Patel, Dipak P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US10/229,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20040052372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,086 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/103, 709/246, 370/467, 380/270, 380/33, 380/255, 380/277
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0827 involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18

Abstract

A multichannel communications device is disclosed. The multichannel communications device includes more than one transceiver. The multichannel communications device also includes a first switch configured for switching between transceivers. Further still, the multichannel communications device includes more than one cryptographic element. Yet further still, the mulitchannel communications device includes a second switch which is configured to switch between the cryptographic elements. A switch policy is configured to control communications between the cryptographic elements, including restricting communications between the cryptographic elements.

Claims

1. A multichannel communications device, comprising:

a plurality of transceivers for communication of encrypted signals;

a first switch configured for switching between the transceivers;

a cryptographic subsystem including a key manager and a plurality of cryptographic channels, each channel being coupled to the first switch, the first switch being between the channels and the transceivers, wherein each cryptographic channel is configured to send and receive the encrypted signal to and from the first switch;

a plurality of red processors for communicating non-encrypted signals;

a second switch configured to send and receive the non-encrypted signals to and from the cryptographic channels, the second switch disposed between the red processors and a platform interface; and

a switch policy configured to control communications between the red processors, wherein the switch policy receives security information from the key manager for determining acceptable configurations, wherein the key manager is coupled directly to the first switch and the second switch,

wherein the multichannel communications device is made up of modular components, each module having an individual housing, wherein the first switch, the second switch and the cryptographic subsystem are disposed in a single module.

2. The multichannel communications device of claim 1, wherein

the key manager includes cryptographic keys for the cryptographic channels.

3. The multichannel communications device of claim 1, wherein each of the red processors correspond to a respective channel of the cryptographic channels.

4. The multichannel communications device of claim 1, wherein each transceiver is configured for transmitting data on a different channel.

5. A method of sending data using a communications device, the method comprising:

accessing a switch policy;

selecting a cryptographic channel from a plurality of cryptographic channels coupled to a plurality of red processors, under control of the switch policy, wherein the more than one of the cryptographic processors are coupled to, and selectable from, a first switch through the red processors, wherein the cryptographic channels are part of a cryptographic subsystem including a key manager;

encrypting the data;

sending the encrypted data to a second switch, wherein the cryptographic channels are between the red processors and the second switch, wherein the second switch is between a plurality of transceivers and the cryptographic channels; and

selecting a transceiver from the plurality of transceivers, wherein the plurality of transceivers are selectable from the second switch, wherein the switch policy receives security information from the key manager for determining acceptable configurations, wherein the key manager is coupled directly to the first switch and the second switch,

wherein a multichannel communications device is made up of modular components, each module having an individual housing, wherein the first switch, the second switch and the cryptographic subsystem are disposed in a single module.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the switch policy is directly coupled to the first and second switch and directly coupled to the key manager.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the red processors are each associated with a single cryptographic channel.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

processing the encrypted data on a black processor in the transceiver.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting the encrypted data.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

accessing, a second time, the switch policy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting a transceiver step is based on the switch policy upon the second time.

12. A modular radio system, comprising:

more than one transceiver, each transceiver being in an individual module and including a black processor for processing an encrypted signal;

a first switch configured for switching between transceivers and cryptographic channels in a cryptographic subsystem including a key manager;

wherein each of the cryptographic channels is configured to send and receive the encrypted signal to and from the first switch;

a second switch configured to switch between a plurality of red processors coupled to the cryptographic channels and a platform interface, wherein the second switch is configured to send and receive a non-encrypted signal to and from the red processors; and

a switch policy configured to control communications between the cryptographic channels, including restricting communications between the cryptographic channels,

wherein the first switch policy receives security information from the key manager for determining acceptable configurations, wherein the key manager is coupled directly to the first switch and the second switch,

wherein the modular radio system is made up of modular components, each module having an individual housing, wherein the cryptographic subsystem, the first switch and the second switch are disposed in a single module.

13. The modular radio system of claim 12, wherein:

the key manager provides cryptographic keys for the cryptographic channels.

14. The modular radio system of claim 12, wherein the red processors are directly coupled to the cryptographic channels.

15. The modular radio system of claim 12, wherein each transceiver includes a black processor and is configured for transmitting data on a different channel.

16. The modular radio system of claim 12, wherein each module is environmentally sealed.

17. The multichannel communications device of claim 12, further comprising:

a core processor coupled to the first switch and configured to provide control to the black and red processors.

18. The modular radio system of claim 17, wherein:

each of the red processors are directly coupled to a dedicated, respective cryptographic channel of the cryptographic channels.