Time-locked network and nodes for exchanging secure data packets
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting secure data packets through a node network, the method comprising:
- establishing a predetermined schedule that identifies specific times at which each node in the node network along a predetermined pathway through the node network transmits secure data packets along the predetermined node pathway through the node network and specific times at which secure data packets transmitted along the predetermined node pathway are received at each node in the node network, wherein propagation delays between nodes along the predetermined node pathway are taken into account when determining the times at which each node along the node pathways is scheduled to receive the secure data packets, and wherein the each node transmits the secure data packets based on the predetermined schedule;
receiving unsecure data packets at a set of unsecure inputs and the secure data packets at a number of secure inputs in a node in the node network,wherein the secure data packets are authorized to be sent to a number of secure destination devices, andwherein the unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices;
integrating the secure data packets and the unsecure data packets to form an output data stream based on the predetermined schedule;
sending the output data stream comprising the secure data packets and the unsecure data packets to a next node in along the predetermined node pathway until the secure data packets reach the egress node.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for transmitting secure data packets through a node network. Unsecure data packets are received at a set of unsecure inputs and secure data packets are received at a number of secure inputs in a node in the node network. The secure data packets are authorized to be sent to a number of secure destination devices. The unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices. The secure data packets and the unsecure data packets are integrated to form a number of output data streams based on a predetermined schedule. The number of output data streams is sent to a number of next nodes in the node network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting secure data packets through a node network, the method comprising:
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establishing a predetermined schedule that identifies specific times at which each node in the node network along a predetermined pathway through the node network transmits secure data packets along the predetermined node pathway through the node network and specific times at which secure data packets transmitted along the predetermined node pathway are received at each node in the node network, wherein propagation delays between nodes along the predetermined node pathway are taken into account when determining the times at which each node along the node pathways is scheduled to receive the secure data packets, and wherein the each node transmits the secure data packets based on the predetermined schedule; receiving unsecure data packets at a set of unsecure inputs and the secure data packets at a number of secure inputs in a node in the node network, wherein the secure data packets are authorized to be sent to a number of secure destination devices, and wherein the unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices; integrating the secure data packets and the unsecure data packets to form an output data stream based on the predetermined schedule; sending the output data stream comprising the secure data packets and the unsecure data packets to a next node in along the predetermined node pathway until the secure data packets reach the egress node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for transmitting secure data packets to a number of secure destination devices, the method comprising:
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establishing a predetermined schedule that identifies specific times at which each node in a node network transmits secure data packets and specific times at which secure data packets transmitted along a predetermined node pathway are received at each node in the node network, wherein propagation delays between nodes along the predetermined node pathway are taken into account when determining the times at which each node along the predetermined node pathway is scheduled to receive the secure data packets; establishing the predetermined node pathway upon which each node along the node pathway transmits secure data packets based on the predetermined schedule; receiving an input data stream at a node in a node network, the input data stream comprising the secure data packets and unsecure data packets; using the specific times at which secure data packets are received as identified in the predetermined schedule to determine whether a data packet in the input data stream is a secure data packet; separating the secure data packets from the unsecure data packets received in the input data stream based on the predetermined schedule, wherein the secure data packets are authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices, and wherein the unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices, and wherein the predetermined node pathway identifies an ingress node at which the secure data packets may enter the node network from the number of secure inputs and an egress node at which the secure data packets may exit the node network to the number of secure destination devices; and sending the secure data packets to the number of secure destination devices as a number of secure output data streams from a number of secure outputs in the node via the predetermined node pathway until the secure data packets reach the egress node. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A node in a node network, the node comprising:
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a number of secure inputs comprising hardware equipment configured to receive secure data packets, wherein the secure data packets are authorized to be sent to a number of secure destination devices; a set of unsecure inputs comprising hardware equipment configured to receive unsecure data packets, wherein the unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the number of secure destination devices; a timing controller comprising hardware equipment configured to control integration of the secure data packets and the unsecure data packets into an output data stream based on a predetermined schedule that identifies specific times at which each node in the node network transmits the secure data packets along a predetermined node pathway of select nodes through the node network and specific times at which secure data packets transmitted along the predetermined node pathway are received at each node in the node network, wherein propagation delays between nodes along the predetermined node pathway are taken into account when determining the times at which each node along the node pathways is scheduled to receive the secure data packets; and a number of outputs comprising hardware equipment configured to send the output data stream to a next node select nodes in the predetermined node pathway until the secure data packets reach an egress node. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A node in a node network, the node comprising:
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an input comprising hardware equipment configured to receive an input data stream from a previous node in a predetermined node pathway in the node network, wherein the input data stream comprises secure data packets and unsecure data packets, wherein the secure data packets are authorized to be sent to a secure destination device and the unsecure data packets are not authorized to be sent to the secure destination device; a timing controller comprising hardware equipment configured to separate the secure data packets from the unsecure data packets received in the input data stream based on a predetermined schedule, wherein the predetermined schedule identifies times at which the previous node transmits the secure data packets along the predetermined node pathway and specific times at which secure data packets transmitted along the predetermined node pathway are received at each node in the node network, wherein propagation delays between nodes along the predetermined node pathway are taken into account when determining the times at which each node along the node pathways is scheduled to receive the secure data packets, and wherein the timing controller is configured to use the specific times at which secure data packets are received as identified in the predetermined schedule to determine whether a data packet in the input data stream is a secure data packet; and a secure output comprising hardware equipment configured to send the secure data packets to a next node in the predetermined node pathway based on the predetermined schedule to the secure destination device as a secure output data stream until the secure data packets reach an egress node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification