Information distribution system using quantum entanglement in a timed network delivery system

• US 9,509,507 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hunt, Jeffrey H., Howe, Wayne Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasia, Redentor
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAK, PETER K
• Application Number:
  US13/447,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 380/256, 380/237, 380/141, 380/142, 380/202, 380/140, 380/203, 380/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0852 Quantum cryptography transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light, infrared H04B10/00; wavelength-division multiplex systems H04J14/02; WDM arrangements H04J14/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0855 involving additional nodes, e.g. quantum relays, repeaters, intermediate nodes or remote nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a source node. The source node is configured to transmit information using particles with quantum entanglement in a network configured to transmit the information over a reserved path during selected time intervals.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a source node configured to transmit encrypted data using particles with quantum entanglement in a network configured to transmit the encrypted data over a reserved path during selected time intervals, wherein the encrypted data comprises a number of encrypted headers and a corresponding number of encrypted bodies, and wherein the number of encrypted headers include corresponding information about a destination node in the network to which the number of encrypted bodies are to be transmitted;

a next node in the network in communication with the source node, wherein the encrypted data must pass through the next node during transmission of the encrypted data; and

the destination node in the network, the destination node configured to decrypt the encrypted data;

wherein the next node is configured to reserve the reserved path by being configured to;

receive a first request from the source node that identifies a first time interval for a transmission time of the encrypted data;

determine that the next node is available during the first time interval using a schedule;

send a second request that identifies a second time interval to the destination node;

use the schedule to identify to the next node that the encrypted data received at the next node during the first time interval is to be transmitted to the destination node during the second time interval, whereby the next node need not decrypt the number of encrypted headers in order to transmit the encrypted data to the destination node; and

transmit the encrypted data to the destination node during the second time interval without decrypting the number of encrypted headers at the next node; and

wherein the source node is configured to retain a first particle in a group of the particles that are entangled with each other and transmit a second particle in the group of the particles to the destination node such that an expected state of the second particle is preselected.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the source node is configured to retain the first particle in the group of the particles that are entangled with each other and transmit the second particle in the group of the particles to the destination node over the reserved path during the selected time intervals.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the destination node is configured to receive the second particle in the group of the particles and examine a state of the second particle and determine whether the second particle has the expected state.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the destination node is configured to indicate a potential unauthorized examination of the information if a number of the particles received from the source node that does not have the expected state exceeds a threshold.

5. The network of claim 2, wherein the source node is configured to transmit a number of particles in the group of the particles in addition to the second particle to a number of additional destination nodes.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the particles are selected from at least one of photons and electrons.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the quantum entanglement is a state selected from at least one of polarization and spin of the particles.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the source node is selected from one of a router, an access point, a client computer, a server computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, an electrical switch, a wireless node, and an optical switch.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the source node is a computer located in a platform that is selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an airborne platform, an airplane, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a manufacturing facility, a residence, and a building.

10. The network of claim 1,

wherein full encryption is used to encrypt an entirety of the information including all headers of the information;

wherein the source node is further configured to;

receive the encrypted data during the first time interval;

wherein the network is configured to;

identify a number of reserved paths in the network and a number of selected times for transmitting the information from the source node to the destination node through the number of reserved paths, wherein the number of selected times comprises the schedule and wherein routing of the information through nodes of the network is performed based on the schedule such that decryption of the headers is avoided at the source node, and

when the particles received at a number of nodes in the number of reserved paths do not have an expected entanglement;

indicate that a potential unauthorized examination of information is present;

identify a location of a potential unauthorized examination, and

identify a new reserved path that avoids the location of the potential unauthorized examination; and

wherein a time management system of the network is configured to;

receive signals from a plurality of time sources,

select a signal having a desired level of accuracy from the signals, and

set a reference time in a network associated with the time management system using the signal.

11. A network comprising:

a timed delivery network configured to transmit information over reserved paths during selected time intervals; and

a quantum information distribution system configured to transmit the information in the timed delivery network using particles with quantum entanglement;

wherein the information includes encrypted data and a first node of a reserved path of the reserved paths is configured to;

receive a first request that identifies a first time interval for a transmission time of the information;

determine that the first node is available during the first time interval using a schedule;

send a second request that identifies a second time interval to a second node of the reserved path;

use the schedule to identify that the encrypted data received during the first time interval is to be transmitted to the second node during the second time interval; and

transmit the encrypted data to the second node during the second time interval without decrypting an encrypted header of the information;

wherein the first node is configured to retain a first particle in a group of the particles that are entangled with each other and transmit a second particle in the group of the particles to the second node such that the second particle has an expected state; and

wherein the second node is configured to indicate a potential unauthorized examination of the information if a number of the particles received from the first node that does not have the expected state exceeds a threshold.

12. The network of claim 11, wherein the quantum information distribution system is configured to transmit the information using the particles with the quantum entanglement from a source node to a number of destination nodes over a number of the reserved paths during a number of the selected time intervals.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the source node is configured to retain a first particle in a group of the particles that are entangled with each other and transmit other particles in the group of the particles to the number of destination nodes.

14. A method for transmitting information in a network, the method comprising:

identifying a number of reserved paths in the network and a number of selected times for the number of reserved paths for transmitting the information to a destination node through the number of reserved paths;

transmitting the information to the destination node through the number of reserved paths during the number of selected times in the network using particles with quantum entanglement;

receiving a particle in the particles; and

determining whether the particle has an expected state, wherein the expected state is preselected for the destination node;

wherein the information includes encrypted data and a first node of a reserved path of the number of reserved paths is configured to;

receive a first request that identifies a first time interval for a transmission time of the information;

determine that the first node is available during the first time interval using a schedule;

send a second request that identifies a second time interval to a second node of the reserved path;

use the schedule to identify that the encrypted data received during the first time interval is to be transmitted to the second node during the second time interval; and

transmit the encrypted data to the second node during the second time interval without decrypting an encrypted header of the information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the information to the destination node through the number of reserved paths at the number of selected times in the network using the particles with the quantum entanglement comprises:

retaining a first particle in the particles in a group of the particles that are entangled with each other at a source node; and

transmitting a second particle in the group of the particles to the destination node over the number of the reserved paths in the number of the selected times.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

indicating a potential unauthorized examination of the information if a number of the particles received from the source node that do not have an expected state exceeds a threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the particles are selected from at least one of photons and electrons.