System and method for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity

• US 8,447,295 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Palmer, John R., Delachapelle, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Fanghwa
• Application Number:
  US12/274,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00

Abstract

A network for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity may include a satellite, a plurality of distributed satellite terminals transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite, and a computer. The computer may compute how much transmission power spectral density each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be transmitting based on allocated data rates of each of the distributed satellite terminals. The computer may calculate an aggregate transmission power spectral density which is being used or would be used by all of the distributed satellite terminals. The computer may calculate how much unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation by subtracting from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit the aggregate transmission power spectral density. The computer may determine a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals. The transmission power spectral density levels of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals may be adjusted by the computer to distribute the portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination.

Claims

1. A method for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity comprising:

providing a network comprising a satellite, distributed satellite terminals transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite, and at least one computer in communication with the network;

calculating using the at least one computer how much unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation;

if the calculating step establishes that there is the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network, determining using the at least one computer, using an algorithm, a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals in order to provide obfuscation of the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity, and adjusting a transmission power spectral density level of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer;

determining whether or not allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are to be adjusted;

if the determining step determines that the allocated data rates are to be adjusted, adjusting the allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals, to be proportional to the adjustment to the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals, by inserting non-information carrying bits into their data streams when the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity; and

if the determining step determines that the allocated data rates are not to be adjusted, not adjusting the allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals when the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals is adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided network further comprises a ground station transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed satellite terminals are attached to at least one of a ground, an aircraft, a spacecraft, a ship, a truck, a satellite, or a rocket.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is real-time and is used continuously to adjust for changes in the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network for obfuscation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises determining the random distribution using all of the unused transmission power spectral density for one or more of the distributed satellite terminals, and the adjusting step comprises setting the transmission power spectral density level of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals to distribute all of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

if the calculating steps establish that there is none of the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network, the at least one computer not determining the random distribution of the unused transmission power spectral density and not adjusting the transmission power spectral density level of the distributed satellite terminals.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

at least one of the distributed satellite terminals requesting from the network a data rate adjustment;

the at least one computer following the steps of the method to determine if there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment; and

, if the at least one computer determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment, the network allowing the requested data rate adjustment, the network following the steps of the method to determine the random distribution of at least the portion of the unused transmission power spectral density, and the network adjusting the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination at the requested data rate adjustment.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

if the at least one computer determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, the network allowing the requested data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, but not further adjusting allocated data rates of the remaining non-requesting distributed satellite terminals when the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals is adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

if the at least one computer determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, the network allowing the requested data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, and also adjusting allocated data rates of the remaining non-requesting distributed satellite terminals, to be proportional to the adjustment made to the transmission power spectral density level of the distributed satellite terminals, by inserting non-information carrying bits into their bit streams.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of the network not allowing the requested data rate adjustment if the at least one computer determines that there would not be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating using the at least one computer how much of the unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation by subtracting an aggregate transmission power spectral density of the distributed satellite terminals from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

computing using the at least one computer how much transmission power spectral density each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be transmitting based on allocated data rates of each of the distributed satellite terminals; and

calculating using the at least one computer the aggregate transmission power spectral density which is being used or would be used by all of the distributed satellite terminals by adding up the computed transmission power spectral densities which each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be using based on the allocated data rates.

11. A network for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity comprising:

a satellite;

a plurality of distributed satellite terminals for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite;

at least one computer in communication with the network; and

a computer program, the computer program configured to;

calculate how much unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation;

use an algorithm to determine a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals in order to provide obfuscation of the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity;

adjust a transmission power spectral density level of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination;

determine whether or not allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are to be adjusted;

if the determine step determines that the allocated data rates are to be adjusted, adjust and adjusting allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals, to be proportional to the adjustment to the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals, by inserting non-information carrying bits into their data streams when the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity; and

if the determine step determines that the allocated data rates are not to be adjusted, not adjust the allocated data rates of the one or more distributed satellite terminals when the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals is adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the at least one computer in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

12. The network of claim 11 further comprising a ground station configured to transmit signals to and receive signals from the satellite.

13. The network of claim 11 wherein the distributed satellite terminals are attached to at least one of a ground, an aircraft, a spacecraft, a ship, a truck, a satellite, or a rocket.

14. The network of claim 11 wherein the computer program is configured to continuously adjust in real-time for changes in the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network for obfuscation.

15. The network of claim 11 wherein the computer program is configured to determine the random distribution using all of the unused transmission power spectral density for one or more of the distributed satellite terminals, and is configured to adjust the transmission power spectral density levels of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals to distribute all of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination of the computer program in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

16. The network of claim 11 wherein the computer program is configured to not determine the random distribution of the unused transmission power spectral density and to not adjust the transmission power spectral density level of the distributed satellite terminals when there is none of the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network.

17. The network of claim 11 wherein the computer program is configured to, when at least one of the distributed satellite terminals requests from the network a data rate adjustment, determine if there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment;

and, if the computer program determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment, the computer program is configured to allow the requested data rate adjustment, determine the random distribution of at least the portion of the unused transmission power spectral density, and to adjust the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution at the requested data rate adjustment.

18. The network of claim 17 wherein the computer program is configured to, if it determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the requested data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, allow the requested data rate adjustment for the at least one distributed satellite terminal which requested the data rate adjustment, but to not adjust allocated data rates of the remaining distributed satellite terminals which did not request the data rate adjustment as the transmission power spectral density level of the one or more distributed satellite terminals is adjusted to distribute said portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination in order to obfuscate the distributed satellite terminal transmission activity.

19. The network of claim 17 wherein the computer program is configured to, when it determines that there would be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment of the at least one requesting distributed satellite terminal, allow the requested data rate adjustment for the at least one distributed satellite terminal which requested the data rate adjustment, and to adjust allocated data rates of the remaining non-requesting distributed satellite terminals, to be proportional to the adjustment made to the transmission power spectral density level of the distributed satellite terminals, by inserting non-information carrying bits into their bit streams.

20. The network of claim 17 wherein the computer program is configured to not allow the requested data rate adjustment when the computer program determines that there would not be the unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment.

23. The network of claim 11 wherein the computer program is further configured to calculate how much of the unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation by subtracting an aggregate transmission power spectral density of the distributed satellite terminals from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit.

24. The network of claim 23 wherein the computer program is further configured to compute how much of the transmission power spectral density each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be transmitting based on allocated data rates of each of the distributed satellite terminals, and to calculate the aggregate transmission power spectral density which is being used or would be used by all of the distributed satellite terminals by adding up the computed transmission power spectral densities which each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be using based on the allocated data rates.