Secure transmission over satellite phone network

• US 7,890,051 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Reed, Eric, Best, Fiona S., McClintock, Dorothy A., Hartwell, Wesley R., Lee, William Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US12/656,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/427
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18565 Arrangements for preventing unauthorised access or for providing user protection arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3013 involving the discrete logarithm problem, e.g. ElGamal or Diffie-Hellman systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]

Abstract

A reach back secure communications terminal includes a modem to satellite interconnect board that captures DTMF tones, demodulates encrypted modem information, and converts both into an ASCII string for presentation to a data port of a satellite phone, allowing out-of-band control of a non-secure satellite system (e.g., AT command control of a data port) by a user on a secure side of an encryption device, by including the ability to interpret control signals and control the satellite system appropriately. A false dial tone is presented to the encryption device, and the data stream coming from the encryption device is monitored for the presence of dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) tones representing control signals, the DTMF tones are converted to ASCII characters, which are in turn received as control signals by the satellite phone, allowing control of the functions of the satellite system directly from the secure side of the encryption device.

Claims

1. A secure communications terminal, comprising:

a satellite phone comprising a data port;

an encryption device; and

a modem to satellite phone interconnect board to capture a Dial Tone Modulation Frequency (DTMF) tone, demodulate V.34 encrypted modem information received from said encryption device, and convert said DTMF tone and said demodulate V.34 encrypted modem information into an ASCII string, said ASCII string being presented out-of-band with respect to said DTMF tone to said satellite phone data port.

2. The secure communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said modem to satellite phone interconnect board is comprised of a modem.

3. The secure communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said modem to satellite phone interconnect board is formed in a programmable integrated circuit (PIC).

4. The secure communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said modem to satellite phone interconnect board alternately received an output from a FAX/data interface.

5. The secure communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said satellite phone is controlled from a secure side of said encryption device.

6. The secure communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said ASCII string is presented out-of-band with respect to a control signal presented to said satellite phone data port.

7. A method of providing secure communications over a non-secure data network, comprising:

capturing a Dial Tone Modulation Frequency (DTMF) tone;

demodulating V.34 encrypted modem information received from an encryption device;

converting said DTMF tone and said demodulate V.34 encrypted modem information into an ASCII string; and

presenting said ASCII string out-of-band with respect to said DTMF tone to a data port of a satellite phone.

8. The method of providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 7, further comprising:

alternatively receiving demodulated V.34 information at a FAX/data interface.

9. The method of providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling said satellite phone from a secure side of said encryption device.

10. The method of providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling a function of a satellite phone directly from a secure side of said encryption device.

11. The method of providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 7, further comprising:

presenting said ASCII string out-of-band with respect to a control signal presented to said data port of said satellite phone.

12. Apparatus for providing secure communications over a non-secure data network, comprising:

means for providing a false dial tone to an encryption device;

means for capturing a Dial Tone Modulation Frequency (DTMF) tone;

means for demodulating V.34 encrypted modem information from a modem;

means for converting said DTMF tone and said demodulate V.34 encrypted modem information into an ASCII string; and

means for presenting said ASCII string to a data port of a satellite phone.

13. The apparatus for providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for alternatively receiving an output from a FAX/data interface.

14. The apparatus for providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for controlling said satellite phone from a secure side of said encryption device.

15. The apparatus for providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for controlling a function of a satellite phone directly from a secure side of said encryption device.

16. The apparatus for providing secure communications over a non-secure data network according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for presenting said ASCII string presents said ASCII string out-of-band with respect to a control signal presented to said data port of said satellite phone.