Method and apparatus for enhancing security of wireless communications

• US 8,621,225 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shin, Sung-Hyuk, Reznik, Alexander, Zhang, Guodong, Chitrapu, Prabhakar R
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US13/043,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/16 Implementing security features at a particular protocol layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for enhancing security of communications. The apparatus comprises a security processing unit, a data processing unit, a cross-layer watermarking unit, and optionally a smart antenna processor. The security processing unit generates a token/key to be used in watermarking and sends a node security policy to other components. The data processing unit generates user data. The cross-layer watermarking unit includes at least one of Layer-2/3, Layer-1 and Layer-0. Each layer performs a different scheme or degree of watermarking. The cross-layer watermarking unit embeds the token/key into the user data transmission on at least one of the layers selectively in accordance with a security policy.

Claims

1. A transmitter for transmitting information in accordance with a security policy, the transmitter comprising:

a content watermarking unit configured to perform initial watermarking of user data, which produces a content watermarked message;

a higher layer processing unit configured to perform higher layer processing of the initial watermarked user data;

a transport watermarking unit configured to transmit watermarked user data, and embed a token or key or both into user data transmission, the transport watermarking unit comprising at least one sub-layer watermarking unit; and

a cross layer watermarking distributor configured to adaptively allocate and distribute the content watermarked message to the at least one sub-layer watermarking unit based on system parameters.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sub-layer watermarking unit comprises at least one of:

a physical layer (PHY) watermarking unit configured to perform PHY layer watermarking;

a radio frequency (RF) watermarking unit configured to perform RF layer watermarking;

or

a layer 2/3 watermarking unit configured to perform layer 2/3 watermarking.

3. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the system parameters include radio channel quality indication.

4. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the system parameters include security protection level.

5. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the system parameters include watermark message capacity.