Simple encrypted transmission system suitable for intermittent signals
View Patent ↗A signal transmitted from a first device to a second device is encrypted using an encryption key generated from a preceding part of the signal itself. The signal is decrypted in the second device using a decryption key generated from a preceding part of the received and decrypted signal. This encryption method provides effective privacy protection, because the encryption and decryption keys are constantly changing. Since the transmitted signal provides its own encryption and decryption keys, the method is inexpensive to implement, and can be used in systems such as packet transmission systems that transmit signals intermittently.
1. A system for encrypting a first signal having successive parts and transmitting the first signal from a first device to a second device in an encrypted form, the system including a transmitting section disposed in the first device and a receiving section disposed in the second device,
the transmitting section comprising:
an encryption key generator for receiving each part of the first signal and generating an encryption key from each received part of the first signal;
a memory for temporarily storing the encryption key, thereby delaying the encryption key with respect to the first signal;
an encryption circuit for encrypting each part of the first signal by use of the delayed encryption key generated from an earlier part of the first signal, thereby generating an encrypted signal having successive parts; and
a transmitting circuit for transmitting the encrypted signal to the second device;
the receiving section comprising:
a receiving circuit for receiving the encrypted signal from the first device;
a decryption circuit for decrypting each part of the encrypted signal by use of a delayed decryption key, thereby obtaining a decrypted signal having successive parts;
a decryption key generator for generating a decryption key from each part of the decrypted signal; and
a memory for temporarily storing the decryption key, thereby delaying the decryption key with respect to the decrypted signal and obtaining the delayed decryption key that will be used to decrypt a subsequent part of the encrypted signal.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted signal is transmitted intermittently.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the encrypted signal is transmitted as a series of packets.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving circuit in the receiving section in the second device detects transmission errors in the encrypted signal;
the second device has an initialization control signal generator for generating an initialization control signal when the receiving circuit detects a transmission error in the encrypted signal;
the second device also has a transmitting circuit for transmitting the initialization control signal to the first device; and
the first device has a receiving circuit for receiving the initialization control signal and thereupon sending an initialization command signal to the encryption circuit, the encryption key generator, and the memory in the transmitting section.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first device has an initialization control signal generator for generating an initialization reply signal when the receiving circuit receives the initialization control signal;
the transmitting circuit transmits the initialization reply signal to the receiving circuit in the second device; and
upon receiving the initialization reply signal, the receiving circuit sends an initialization command signal to the decryption circuit, the decryption key generator, and the memory in the receiving section.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the transmitting section in the first device further comprises:
a first pseudo-random pattern generating circuit for generating a pseudo-random pattern; and
a scrambling circuit for using the pseudo-random pattern to scramble the first signal before the first signal is encrypted by the encryption circuit; and
the receiving section in the second device further comprises:
a second pseudo-random pattern generating circuit for generating the pseudo-random pattern; and
a descrambling circuit for using the pseudo-random pattern to descramble the decrypted signal.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device also has a receiving section similar to the receiving section in the second device, and the second device also has a transmitting section similar to the transmitting section in the first device, for encrypting a second signal, transmitting the encrypted second signal from the second device to the first device, and decrypting the encrypted second signal at the first device.
8. A method of encrypting a signal having successive parts and transmitting the signal from a first device to a second device in an encrypted form, comprising the steps of:
generating, from each part of the signal, an encryption key for use in encrypting a subsequent part of the signal;
delaying the encryption key with respect to the signal, thus obtaining a delayed encryption key;
encrypting the subsequent part of the signal by use of the delayed encryption key, thus obtaining an encrypted signal;
transmitting the encrypted signal from the first device to the second device;
decrypting each part of the encrypted signal by use of a delayed decryption key, thus obtaining a decrypted signal having successive parts;
generating a decryption key from each part of the decrypted signal; and
delaying the decryption key with respect to the decrypted signal, thus obtaining the delayed decryption key for decrypting a subsequent part of the encrypted signal.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the encrypted signal is transmitted intermittently.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal is transmitted in packets.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
detecting a transmission error in the encrypted signal at the second device;
transmitting an initialization control signal from the second device to the first device when the transmission error is detected; and
initializing the encryption key when the first device receives the initialization control signal.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
transmitting an initialization reply signal from the first device to the second device when the first device receives the initialization control signal; and
initializing the decryption key when the second device receives the initialization reply signal.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
generating a pseudo-random pattern in the first device and the second device;
scrambling said signal according to the pseudo-random pattern in the first device, before said signal is encrypted; and
descrambling the decrypted signal according to the pseudo-random pattern in the second device.