Dual-Frequency Bus Encryption for Legacy Protocol Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication protocols like MIL-STD-1553 lack security features, making data transmissions vulnerable to interception and manipulation, which can impact mission success in military vehicles.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where data is transmitted at different frequencies, with encrypted communications at a higher frequency and unencrypted communications at a lower frequency, allowing for backwards compatibility with legacy systems while enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is transmitted using existing communication protocols like MIL-STD-1553, then compatibility with legacy systems is maintained, but security against interception and manipulation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two distinct transmission channels: an encrypted channel operating at a first frequency for secure communications, and an unencrypted channel operating at a second frequency for legacy compatibility. This segmentation allows simultaneous support for both security requirements and backward compatibility without compromising either aspect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency as an additional dimension for differentiation. By transmitting encrypted and unencrypted data at different frequencies, the system creates separate communication layers, allowing legacy devices to operate on the second frequency while secure communications occur on the first frequency, thus resolving the contradiction between security and compatibility.
2Reliability
If encrypted communications are transmitted at a higher frequency, then security against interception is improved, but device complexity increases due to dual-protocol support
Solution Approach 1:
Modules in the system are designed with multi-functionality to support both encrypted and unencrypted communication protocols. Each module can operate in either mode depending on the communication requirements, allowing the system to maintain security when needed while preserving compatibility with legacy systems, thereby managing complexity through versatile component design.
3Reliability
If dual-frequency transmission is implemented, then security and compatibility are both achieved, but loss of time increases due to protocol determination overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing which modules support which protocols and frequencies. This allows the bus controller to quickly determine the appropriate transmission protocol without extensive real-time analysis, reducing the time overhead associated with protocol determination while maintaining both security and compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a first module configured to communicatively couple a first device to a communication bus. The first module is configured to transmit, over the bus, first data at a first frequency to a second module that is communicatively coupled to a second device; and to transmit, over the bus, second data at a second frequency to a third module that is communicatively coupled to a third device. The bus may be implemented with a standard communication protocol (e.g., MIL-STD-1553). The first module may include transceiver, encoding/decoding, and cryptography circuitry, and allows for both standard-compliant communications to the third device via a primary communication protocol (the bus standard compliant protocol) as well as communications to the second device via a secondary communication protocol (e.g., a proprietary protocol), over the same bus, thus allowing backwards compatibility for the primary protocol and opportunity for secure communications using the secondary protocol.