Satellite Messaging Handles for Low-Bandwidth Encrypted Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face limitations in speed and bandwidth when conveying data between user equipment devices, particularly when devices transition from being on-grid to off-grid, leading to increased latency and security risks.
Innovation Solution
A communications system utilizing a non-terrestrial network (NTN) and a terrestrial network that enables user equipment devices to provision sender keys and use short handles or handle indices for end-to-end encryption, reducing message size and ensuring secure communication through a constellation of communications satellites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full user identifiers (phone numbers, email addresses) are used for messaging, then message delivery reliability is improved, but message size increases consuming excessive bandwidth on low-bandwidth satellite links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a mapping between full user identifiers and shortened handles by provisioning a lookup table at the network level. Instead of transmitting the full identifier, only the short handle is sent over the satellite link, while the network copies/expands this handle back to the full identifier for actual message routing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable delivery through full identifier mapping while reducing bandwidth consumption through handle compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The core network acts as an intermediary between the satellite communication layer and the messaging layer. It maintains a database that maps handles to full user identifiers and performs this translation transparently. This intermediary approach allows the low-bandwidth satellite link to carry minimal handle data while the network handles the expansion to full identifiers for reliable message delivery.
2Reliability
If end-to-end encryption is implemented for off-grid communication, then message security is improved, but computational overhead and message processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs key pair generation and distribution in advance while devices are still on the terrestrial network. Public keys are provisioned before off-grid communication is needed, so that when devices go offline, encryption can proceed using pre-established keys rather than performing complex key exchange operations in real-time. This preliminary action reduces the computational burden and processing time during critical off-grid messaging periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs ephemeral session keys that are generated for each messaging session and discarded afterward, rather than relying on long-lived master keys. This approach provides strong per-session security with reduced computational overhead compared to maintaining and managing complex long-term encryption schemes, especially important for resource-constrained satellite devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If satellite communication is used for off-grid messaging, then communication availability is improved, but transmission speed and bandwidth are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential messaging functionality from the full telecommunication protocol stack and implements it over the satellite link. By removing unnecessary protocol overhead and using simplified message formats with handles instead of full identifiers, the system maximizes the efficiency of the slow satellite channel, allowing meaningful communication despite the inherent speed limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial messaging functionality optimized for low-bandwidth conditions, supporting text and basic media types while deferring or omitting bandwidth-intensive features like high-resolution video streaming or large file transfers. This partial action approach ensures that critical communication needs are met through satellite while avoiding the excessive bandwidth consumption that would make the connection unusable.
4Quantity of substance
If handle indices shorter than handles are used to address UE devices, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but message routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core network serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of handle-to-identifier mapping. It maintains a centralized database that translates short handle indices into full user identifiers for routing decisions. This shifts the routing complexity from the edge devices to the network core, allowing devices to use simple short handles in messages while the network handles the complex translation and routing infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A communications system may include a satellite constellation and a terrestrial network. A first user equipment (UE) device may provision sender keys, handles, and/or status information with a core network while connected to the terrestrial network. The core network may accommodate server fan out to a set of other UE devices associated with a particular user identifier. When the first UE device disconnects from the terrestrial network, the first UE device and the set of other UE devices may convey end-to-end encrypted messages through the constellation and the core network. The first UE device may address the set of other UE devices using a short handle associated with the user identifier and/or using a handle index. The first UE device may transmit a control message via the constellation that instructs the core network to release provisioned status information to the set of other UE devices.