Transmitter-directed security for wireless-communications

• US 8,358,613 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Giallorenzi, Tom, Hall, Eric, Haddadin, Osama, Watt, Dan, Dyal, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US12/394,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles

Abstract

Transmitter-directed transmission security is provided between a transmit node and a receive node. The transmit node selects transmission format for each data frame based on a transmission security scenario. Information related to the transmission format is communicated between the transmit node and the receive node, and the data frames are transmitted over a wireless communication link using the selected transmission formats.

Claims

1. A method of transmitter-directed transmission security in a wireless communication link, the method comprising:

accepting data for transmission from a data source at a transmitter;

forming data frames and inserting at least a portion of the data into the data frames;

selecting a transmission format for each data frame based on a transmission security scenario, wherein the transmission format changes between at least one pair of data frames;

communicating format information from the transmitter to a receiver, the information at least partially defining the transmission format of each data frame; and

transmitting each data frame from the transmitter to the receiver on the wireless communication link using the corresponding transmission format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises varying a transmission frequency from data frame to data frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises varying a direct sequence spreading sequence from data frame to data frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises varying a frequency-hopping pattern from data frame to data frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises varying a frame length from data frame to data frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises varying a modulation format from data frame to data frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises selecting the transmission format based in part on the data within the data frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises selecting the transmission format partially based in part on quality of service requirements associated with the data within the data frame.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises selecting the transmission format based in part on threat information fed back from the receiver to the transmitter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission scenario comprises selecting a parameter of the transmission format based in part on a random or pseudorandom number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the format information defines the transmission format in conjunction with a predefined format-encoding table.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

communicating the format information is performed by transmitting the format information on a first channel of the wireless communication link; and

transmitting each data frame is performed on a second channel of the wireless communication link.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the format information prior to transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the format information at the receiver via the wireless communication link;

determining a frame format of an incoming data frame at the receiver; and

receiving the incoming data frame at the receiver via the wireless communications link using the frame format of the incoming data frame.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising decrypting the format information, wherein the format information has been encrypted by the transmitter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

receiving the format information is performed on a first channel of the wireless communication link; and

receiving the incoming data frame is performed on a second channel of the wireless communication link.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, communication format information from the transmitter to the receiver comprises using steganography to hide the format information.

18. A wireless transmission system providing transmitter-directed transmission security, comprising:

a framer having a data input and frame output and configured to form and output data frames using data received at the data input;

a selector coupled to the framer and configured to select a corresponding transmission format for each data frame based on a transmission security scenario; and

a transmitter coupled to the framer and the selector, the transmitter configured to transmit format information into a wireless channel that at least partially defines the transmission format and configured to transmit the data frames into the wireless channel using the corresponding transmission format.

19. The wireless transmission system of claim 18, wherein the selector comprises a random or pseudorandom number generator and the transmission security scenario comprises selecting a parameter of the transmission format based on a random or pseudorandom number.

20. The wireless transmission system of claim 19, wherein the selector randomly or pseudorandomly varies any of a transmission frequency, a transmission phase, a transmission amplitude, a spreading sequence, a modulation format, a data frame length, and combinations thereof.

21. The wireless transmission system of claim 18, wherein the transmitter comprises:

a first transmitter configured to transmit the format information; and

a second transmitter configured to transmit the data frames.

22. The wireless transmission system of claim 21, wherein the first transmitter comprises a cryptographic unit configured to encrypt the format information.

23. The wireless transmission system of claim 21, wherein the first transmitter comprises any of a frequency hopper, a direct sequence spreader, and combinations thereof.

24. A wireless reception system using transmitter-directed transmission security, comprising:

a first receiver configured to receive over a wireless communications link format information that at least partially defines a transmission format of data frames;

a decoder coupled to the first receiver and configured to use the format information to determine a frame format of the data frames; and

a second receiver coupled to the decoder and configured to receive the data frames over the wireless communications link using the frame format determined by the decoder.

25. The wireless reception system of claim 24, wherein the decoder comprises a predefined encoding table that defines a relationship between format information and frame format.

26. The wireless reception system of claim 24, wherein the format information defines any of a transmission frequency, a transmission phase, a transmission amplitude, a spreading sequence, a modulation format, a data frame length, and combinations thereof.

27. The wireless reception system of claim 24, wherein the first receiver operates on a first channel of the wireless communication link and the second receiver operates on a second channel of the wireless communication link.

28. The wireless reception system of claim 24, wherein the decoder comprises a cryptographic unit configured to decrypt the format information.

29. The wireless reception system of claim 24, wherein:

the format information at least partially defines a plurality of different transmission formats of the data frames,

each transmission format corresponds to a different frame format,

the second receiver is further configured to receive one of the data frames in a first of the frame formats and another of the data frames in a second of the frame formats, and

the first frame format is different than the second frame format.