Anti-Hacking System for Quantum Communication
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJeffrey H. Hunt, Wayne Richard Howe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing unauthorized access of an information stream. The information stream is received at a node along a path to a destination node. The information stream comprises information bits and quantum bits that are interspersed with each other. A portion of the quantum bits are examined at the node along the path. An occurrence of unauthorized access to the information stream is indicated when an original entangled state of the portion of the quantum bits is absent.
Claims22
A method for reducing unauthorized access of an information stream, the method comprising:
- hiding information bits within a stream of quantum bits by interspersing the information bits and the quantum bits in a predetermined pattern, wherein the information bits carry information to be transmitted and the quantum bits do not carry information to be transmitted, the quantum bits comprising entangled electrons or entangled photons, and the information bits comprising non-entangled electrons or non-entangled photons;
- receiving the information stream at a node along a path to a destination node;
- examining a portion of the quantum bits at the node along the path;
- and
- indicating an occurrence of unauthorized access to the information stream when an original entangled state of the portion of the quantum bits is absent.
(canceled)
An apparatus comprising:
- an origination node configured to:
- generate information bits and quantum bits, the quantum bits comprising entangled electrons or entangled photons having a corresponding original entangled states, and the information bits comprising non-entangled electrons or non-entangled photons, wherein the information bits carry information to be transmitted and the quantum bits do not carry information to be transmitted;
- hide the information bits within a stream of the quantum bits by interspersing the information bits and the quantum bits in a predetermined pattern, thereby generating an information stream;
- and
- send the information stream to a destination node along a path.
(canceled)
A communications system comprising:
- an origination node configured to:
- generate information bits and quantum bits, the quantum bits comprising entangled electrons or entangled photons having a corresponding original entangled states, and the information bits comprising non-entangled electrons or non-entangled photons, wherein the information bits carry information to be transmitted and the quantum bits do not carry information to be transmitted;
- hide the information bits within a stream of the quantum bits by interspersing the information bits and the quantum bits in a predetermined pattern, thereby generating an information stream;
- and
- send the information stream from the origination node;
- a destination node that receives the information stream;
- and
- a set of nodes that form a path from the origination node to the destination node, wherein a node in the set of nodes is configured to receive the information stream along the path to the destination node;
- examine a portion of the quantum bits;
- and indicate an occurrence of unauthorized access to the information stream when an original entangled state of the portion of the quantum bits is absent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.