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EP-4210233-B1 - TACTICAL/LEGACY WAVEFORM OBFUSCATION THROUGH INDEPENDENT SPREADING OVERLAY

EP4210233B1EP 4210233 B1EP4210233 B1EP 4210233B1EP-4210233-B1

Inventors

  • Yaskoff, Nicholas T.
  • HADDADIN, OSAMA S.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230111

Claims (9)

  1. A method (700) of communicating using spread spectrum, the method comprising: intercepting (702) a legacy RF signal from a legacy radio; performing (704) spread spectrum processing on the legacy RF signal to create a spread signal; re-allocating the spread signal via frequency shifting to an available band, wherein available bands are made known dynamically using external sensing and dynamic spectrum allocation; and transmitting (706) the spread signal to a receiver, whereafter the spread signal is de-spread to recover the legacy RF signal, wherein the steps of intercepting the legacy RF signal, performing the spread spectrum processing to create the spread signal, re-allocating the spread-signal and transmitting the spread signal are performed by a relay drone.
  2. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein intercepting the legacy RF signal comprises intercepting the legacy RF signal, in a wired fashion, at a device physically attached to the legacy radio.
  3. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein intercepting the legacy RF signal comprises intercepting the legacy RF signal at a device distant the legacy radio by intercepting the legacy RF signal over the air.
  4. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein performing spread spectrum processing on the legacy RF signal is performed to cause the spread signal to be below a predetermined noise floor.
  5. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein performing spread spectrum processing on the legacy RF signal is performed to cause the spread signal to be suitable for use in a CDMA system.
  6. The method (700) of claim 1, further comprising adding an acquisition marker to the spread signal.
  7. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein the acts are performed such that communications in the legacy RF signal are sent in the spread signal with the spread signal originating at the legacy radio and persisting to the receiver.
  8. The method (700) of claim 1, wherein the acts are performed such that communications in the legacy RF signal are sent such that devices proximate the legacy radio receive the legacy RF signal, but where other devices receive the communications by receiving the spread signal.
  9. The method (700) of claim 1, further comprising performing outphasing on the spread signal.

Description

BACKGROUND Background and Relevant Art Various entities, including military entities, are interested in highly protected, covert communications for contested anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments. This is sometimes achieved with the introduction of new communication waveforms. However, the cost of introducing and deploying new waveforms and radios to all users and platforms is typically prohibitive. Furthermore, entities are often interested in continuing the use of legacy waveforms, systems, and radios to achieve mission specific tasks. Thus, while designing a new waveform from scratch yields better performance, it may prohibit the use of existing legacy waveforms and communication systems. Further, in one specific example, 5G offers many benefits for tactical/military use, and it is expected to spread very quickly among the user community. One of the risks associated with 5G is that it is detectable, jammable and exploitable. Enemy equipment can easily jam 5G emissions, disrupting its use. With some sophistication, the enemy can detect 5G emissions, determine the location of emitters with great accuracy, and track traffic patterns. This can result in serious harm to various users and missions. Since users and missions are often the target of adversarial operations, protecting them is as important as protecting data through encryption. New wireless communication systems for tactical and/or military use, including protected and resilient communications, are traditionally designed as part of a lengthy and costly new development and deployment cycle. This covers system design, prototype build, low-rate initial production, user trials, production build, and full deployment. To improve time to deployment, it is more attractive to augment 5G with new overlay capability that enhances its protection and resiliency for military use without sacrificing the 5G technology or performance. To provide waveform obfuscation or low probability of interference/low probability of detection/anti-jam (LPI/LPD/AJ) capabilities, industry has followed the path of new waveform design or major modifications to legacy military waveforms. Neither approach takes advantage of the technological advances and dollars spent making 5G a reality, nor are these approaches compatible with existing communication waveforms and equipment. While designing a new waveform from scratch yields better LPI/LPD/AJ performance, it may prohibit the use of existing standards, base stations, infrastructure, and end-user equipment. Examples for communication systems and methods are disclosed by the documents WO 2016/206721 A1, WO 2008/009982 A2, US 5859842 A, EP 2081304 A1, EP 2106032 A1, WO 2009/149107 A1 and WO 2021/250385 A1. Additionally, FILIP PERICH ET AL: "Efficient dynamic spectrum access implementation", MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE, 2010 - MILCOM 2010, IEEE, PISCATAWAY, NJ, 31 October 2010, pages 1887-1892, discloses a communications system for military use. Further communications systems and methods are disclosed in the documents US 10 863 348 B1 and MACKENZIE AB ET AL: "Cognitive Radio and Networking Research at Virginia Tech", PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, IEEE, NEW YORK, vol. 97, no. 4, 1 April 2009. BRIEF SUMMARY The invention is defined by independent claim 1. Further embodiments are defined by the dependent claims. One embodiment illustrated herein includes a method that may be practiced in a communication environment. The method includes acts for communicating using spread spectrum. The method includes intercepting a legacy RF signal from a legacy radio. Spread spectrum processing is performed on the legacy RF signal to create a spread signal. The spread signal is transmitted to a receiver, whereafter the spread signal is de-spread to recover the legacy RF signal. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features can be obtained, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments which are illust