Secure satellite modem for personal digital assistant method and apparatus

• US 8,676,122 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory H. Piesinger
• Original Assignee: Gregory H. Piesinger
• Inventors: Piesinger, Gregory H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jia, Xin
• Application Number:
  US13/217,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/41.2, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A system for enabling communication utilizing a satellite communications network includes a mobile communication device and a satellite modem apparatus. A text message is generated at the mobile communication device and transmitted to the satellite modem apparatus using a short range wireless protocol. The satellite modem transmits the text message as a short burst data message to a satellite within the satellite communications system where it is routed to a receiver unit. The satellite modem apparatus does not include a processor. Instead, the mobile communication device includes a processor and program code for generating, transmitting, and receiving text messages, and for encrypting a text message, and/or compressing a text message to a size suitable for transmission via an L-band communications protocol from the satellite modem apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of communication utilizing a satellite communications network comprising:

compressing a text message to form an encoded text message, said compressing operation including;

performing auto-completion of a word of said text message as characters of said word are entered at a mobile communication device; and

formatting said word of said text message with a pointer address to a first source table associated with said mobile communication device, said first source table having said word corresponding to said pointer address stored therein;

transmitting said encoded text message from said mobile communication device to a short range radio module within a satellite modem using a short range wireless communication link;

transmitting said encoded text message as a satellite message from a short burst data transceiver within said satellite modem to a satellite within said satellite communications network using a long range wireless communication link, said short range radio module being in communication with said short burst data transceiver;

relaying said satellite message via said satellite communications network for receipt at a receiving unit; and

decompressing said encoded text message at said receiving unit, said decompressing operation including utilizing said pointer address to access a second source table associated with said receiving unit to recover said word of said text message stored in said second source table.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said short range wireless communication link is a Bluetooth link.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said long range wireless communication link is an L-band link.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

encrypting said encoded text message at said mobile communication device to form an encrypted encoded text message prior to transmitting said encrypted encoded text message from said mobile communication device; and

decrypting said satellite message at said receiving unit to recover said encoded text message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said encrypting and decrypting activities utilize one-time pad encryption.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving said satellite message from said satellite communications network at a server system;

converting said satellite message to said text message at said server system; and

forwarding said text message from said server system toward said receiving unit.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said forwarding operation forwards said text message to said receiving unit as an email message.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

determining that said text message is an emergency message; and

said forwarding operation routes said text message for receipt at said receiving unit associated with emergency personnel.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

determining that said text message is intended for receipt by concierge personnel;

said forwarding operation routes said text message for receipt at said receiving unit associated with said concierge personnel;

transmitting a response message from said receiving unit to said short burst data transceiver via said satellite communications network; and

transmitting said response message from said short range radio module to said mobile communication device.

10. An apparatus for enabling communication of messages via a satellite communications network comprising:

a short range radio module for transmitting and receiving said messages to and from a wireless communication device;

a short burst data transceiver coupled to said short range radio module for transmitting and receiving short burst data messages to and from a remote location via said satellite communications network;

an antenna coupled to said short burst data transceiver;

a power supply for supplying power to said radio module; and

an enclosure housing said short range radio module, said short burst data transceiver, said antenna, and said power supply, wherein;

a first text message is encoded in said wireless communication device to form a first encoded text message and transmitted from said wireless communication device utilizing a short range wireless protocol and received by said short range radio module is transmitted from said short burst data transceiver as a first satellite message to a satellite within said satellite communications network, wherein transmission of said first satellite message occurs utilizing a long range wireless protocol; and

a second satellite message communicated via said satellite communications network utilizing said long range wireless protocol and received at said short burst data transceiver is transmitted as a second encoded text message from said short range radio module to said wireless communication device and decoded to form a second text message in said wireless communication device, wherein transmission of said second encoded text message occurs utilizing said short range wireless protocol, wherein said encoded and decoded operation includes;

performing auto-completion of a word of said first text message as characters of said word are entered at said wireless communication device;

formatting said word of said first text message with a pointer address to a source table associated with said wireless communication device, said source table having said word corresponding to said pointer address stored therein; and

decoding said second encoded text message at said wireless communication device, said decoding operation including utilizing said pointer address to access said source table associated with said wireless communication device to recover said word of said second text message stored in said source table.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 herein said short range wireless protocol is a Bluetooth communication protocol.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said long range wireless protocol is an L-band communication protocol.

13. A system for enabling communication utilizing a satellite communications network, said system comprising:

a mobile communication device comprising a processor configured to generate a text message;

a memory element containing executable code, said executable code instructing said processor to perform an operation comprising;

encrypting said text message at said mobile communication device to form an encrypted text message; and

creating a key file of encryption keys having a uniform probability distribution, said creating operation comprising;

performing at least one of choosing a size of said key file, choosing an initial fill address and a first ascent or descent indicator for said fill address, choosing an initial fill byte value and a second ascent or descent indicator for said fill byte value, choosing a number of byte value repeats, choosing a shuffling period, and initializing said key file;

shuffling said key file in accordance with said shuffling period to generate said uniform probability distribution of said encryption keys;

separating said key file into multiple sets of said encryption keys; and

securely distributing at least one of said multiple sets of said encryption keys to a receiving unit;

a first short range radio module in communication with said processor for transmitting said encrypted text message utilizing a short range wireless protocol; and

a satellite modem apparatus comprising;

a second short range radio module for receiving said encrypted text message from said mobile communication device;

a short burst data transceiver coupled to said second short range radio module for transmitting said encrypted text message as a short burst data message, utilizing a long range wireless protocol, to a receiving unit at a remote location via said satellite communications network;

an antenna coupled to said short burst data transceiver;

a power supply for supplying power to said second short range radio module; and

an enclosure housing said second short range radio module, said short burst data transceiver, said antenna, and said power supply.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said executable code instructs said processor to perform one-time pad encryption to form said encrypted text message, said executable code instructing said processor to perform operations of said one-time pad encryption comprising:

selecting an encryption key from a key file stored in said memory element;

utilizing said encryption key to encrypt said text message; and

erasing said encryption key from said key file following said encrypting operation.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said executable code instructs said processor to perform a further operation prior to said encrypting operation comprising compressing said text message to form an encoded text message for transmission as a short burst data message via said satellite communication network such that said encrypted text message is an encrypted and encoded text message.

16. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said mobile communication device further comprises a memory element containing executable code, said executable code instructing said processor to perform an operation comprising compressing said text message to form an encoded text message for transmission as a short burst data message via said satellite communication network, wherein said compressing operation includes:

performing auto-completion of a word of said text message as characters of said word are entered at said mobile communication device; and

formatting said word of said text message with a pointer address to a first source table associated with said mobile communication device, said first source table having said word corresponding to said pointer address stored therein.