Sensor Data Scrambling and Watermarking for Secure Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing need to protect sensitive sensor data from unauthorized access while communicating it remotely, particularly in industrial applications where the data has significant informational and commercial value.
Innovation Solution
A network-communicating device that incorporates a signal input for sensor-derived signals, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a data scrambling circuit, a watermark insertion circuit, and a signal output, which selectively scrambles and watermarks the data to enhance security during transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If sensor data is communicated remotely to enable processing and realization of commercial value, then the informational and commercial value is realized, but the data becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by scrambling the sensor data before it leaves the sensing device. The data is encrypted at the source using a scrambling sequence generated from a seed value, so that even if unauthorized access occurs during transmission or storage, the data remains protected. This preliminary security measure allows the data to be communicated efficiently without compromising security, as the protection is already in place before communication begins.
2Reliability
If data scrambling is applied to protect sensor data, then unauthorized access is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex cryptographic mechanisms with a simpler pseudorandom scrambling approach. Instead of using heavy encryption algorithms, the system uses a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) or similar simple circuit to generate scrambling sequences. This substitution maintains data protection reliability while significantly reducing device complexity, making the solution suitable for resource-constrained sensing devices.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sensor data is protected from unauthorized access, then security is improved, but the ability to process and utilize the data remotely isๅ้
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach where the scrambled data is transmitted to a remote processing system that possesses the corresponding unscrambling capability. The sensing device itself remains simple, while the processing infrastructure remotely handles the decryption and analysis. This intermediary model allows robust security protection at the edge while maintaining full data processing versatility at the cloud or remote server level.
Data Source
AI summary
A network-communicating device with a signal input adapted to receive a sensor-derived signal; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to the signal input and an output; a data scrambling circuit having an input coupled to the output of the ADC and an output; a watermark insertion circuit having an input coupled to the output of the data scrambling circuit and an output; and a signal output coupled to the output of the watermark insertion circuit.