SATELLITE TRANSMISSION OBFUSCATION

• US 20100124922A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Delachapelle, Michael, Palmer, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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;

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;

calculating using the at least one computer an 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;

calculating using the at least one computer how much unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation by subtracting the aggregate transmission power spectral density from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit;

if the calculating steps establish that there is unused transmission power spectral density available to the network, determining using the at least one computer 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 terminal power transmission activity, and adjusting transmission power spectral density levels 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.

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 the ground, an aircraft, a spacecraft, a ship, a truck, a satellite, and a rocket.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is real-time and is used continuously to adjust for changes in the transmission power spectral density and the data rates of the distributed satellite terminals.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises determining a random distribution of all of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals, and the adjusting step comprises setting 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 at least one computer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of not adjusting the allocated data rates of the distributed satellite terminals when the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to obfuscate satellite terminal transmission activity on the network.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adjusting the satellite terminal data rates, to be proportional to adjustments to the transmission power spectral density levels of the distributed satellite terminals, by inserting non-information carrying bits into their data streams when the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to obfuscate satellite terminal transmission activity on the network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the random distribution is determined using an algorithm.

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

if the calculating steps establish that this is no unused transmission power spectral density available to the network, the at least one computer not determining a random distribution of unused transmission power spectral density and not adjusting the transmission power spectral density levels of the distributed satellite terminals.

10. 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 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 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, and the network following the steps of the method to determine a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density, and the network adjusting the transmission power spectral density levels 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 at the requested data rate adjustment.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

if the at least one computer determines that there would be unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment of the requesting satellite terminals, the network allowing the requested data rate adjustment of the requesting satellite terminals, but not further adjusting the allocated data rates of the remaining non-requesting distributed satellite terminals when the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to obfuscate satellite terminal transmission activity on the network.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

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

13. The method of claim 10 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 unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment.

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

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

a satellite;

a plurality of distributed satellite terminals 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 computing 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, calculating an aggregate transmission power spectral density which is being used or would be used by adding up the computed transmission power spectral densities which each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be using, calculating the unused transmission power spectral density available for obfuscation by subtracting the aggregate transmission power spectral density from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit, determining a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals, and adjusting transmission power spectral density levels 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.

15. The network of claim 14 wherein the network further comprises a ground station transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite.

17. The network of claim 14 wherein the computer program continuously adjusts in real-time for changes in the transmission power spectral density and the data rates of each of the distributed satellite terminals.

18. The network of claim 14 wherein the computer program determines a random distribution of all of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals, and the computer program adjusts 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.

19. The network of claim 14 wherein the computer program does not adjust the allocated data rates of the distributed satellite terminals as the computer program adjusts the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals to obfuscate satellite terminal transmission activity on the network.

20. The network of claim 14 wherein the computer program adjusts the allocated data rates of the distributed satellite terminals by inserting non-information carrying bits into their transmitted data stream, to make the transmitted data rates proportional to the adjustments the computer program makes to the transmission power spectral density levels of the distributed satellite terminals, to obfuscate terminal transmission activity on the network.

21. The network of claim 14 wherein the computer program does not determine a random distribution of unused transmission power spectral density and does not adjust the transmission power spectral density levels of the distributed satellite terminals when there is no unused transmission power spectral density available to the network.

22. The network of claim 14 wherein when at least one of the distributed satellite terminals requests from the network a data rate adjustment, the computer program determines if there would be 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 unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment, the computer program allows the requested data rate adjustment, the computer program determines a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density, and the network adjusts the transmission power spectral density levels 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.

23. The network of claim 22 wherein when the computer program determines that there would be unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment, the computer program allows the requested data rate adjustment for the at least one distributed satellite terminal which requested the data rate adjustment, but does not adjust the allocated data rates of the remaining distributed satellite terminals which did not request the data rate adjustment as the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to obfuscate satellite terminal transmission activity on the network.

24. The network of claim 22 wherein when the computer program determines that there would be unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment, the computer program allows the requested data rate adjustment for the at least one distributed satellite terminal which requested the data rate adjustment, and also adjusts the allocated data rates of the remaining non-requesting distributed satellite terminals by inserting non-information carrying bits to increase their transmission data rates, to be proportional to the adjustments made to the transmission power spectral density levels of the distributed satellite terminals, as the transmission power spectral density levels of the one or more distributed satellite terminals are adjusted to obfuscate terminal transmission activity on the network.

25. The network of claim 22 wherein the network does not allow the requested data rate adjustment when the computer program determines that there would not be unused transmission power spectral density available to the network if the network accommodated the data rate adjustment.