Apparatus and method for rapid electronic device discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10264440-B2
Application number	US-201615362121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product that intentionally illuminate at least one target device with electromagnetic energy having specific characteristics (e.g., frequency, power, waveform, directionality, duration, etc.). The target device, which may be an unpowered data storage device, acts as a non-linear mixer and is forced to emit radiative signals containing information about the target device behavior, state, and physical characteristics. Embodiments receive the forced emissions, extract useful data, and analyze the data to determine target device characteristics (e.g., a target device type, based on a comparison of data from known types). Embodiments control the illumination so the forced emissions radiate from an enclosure without interfering with tactical communications, and so that stored target device data is not affected. Embodiments can locate a hidden target device via the strength and directionality of the forced emissions. The apparatus is portable for use by military, intelligence, and security personnel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A software defined radio (SDR) apparatus configured for remote detection and analysis of a target device, the apparatus comprising:
transmitter circuitry configured to illuminate the target device with electromagnetic energy, the electromagnetic energy configured to stimulate electromagnetic signals in the target device, the stimulated electromagnetic signals in the target device configured to mix with the electromagnetic energy to produce forced non-linear emissions (FNLE) that radiate from the target device;
receiver circuitry configured to receive the forced non-linear emissions from the target device; and
processing circuitry to determine, based on the received FNLE, a target device type from among known types by comparing a reference evaluation of a reference device of known type with an in-situ evaluation of the target device, the reference evaluation including FNLE profiles of the reference device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the processing circuitry configured to control the electromagnetic energy emitted from a transmitter in the transmitter circuitry, the transmitter configured to control the electromagnetic energy by varying at least one of its frequency, power, waveform, directionality, and duration, to configure a frequency range of the forced non-linear emissions to increase the FNLE radiating from an enclosure containing the target device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the processing circuitry configured to locate the target device based on a strength and a direction of a determined origin of the FNLE.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target device type comprises a data storage device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising the processing circuitry configured to control the electromagnetic energy by varying at least one of its frequency, power, waveform, directionality, and duration, to avoid affecting data stored in the target device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the target device type comprises at least one of a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick, a flash memory, and a secure digital (SD) card.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the processing circuitry configured to control the electromagnetic energy to keep the electromagnetic energy and the forced non-linear emissions out of selected frequency ranges, including predetermined frequency ranges used for tactical communication.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining if the electromagnetic energy and the (FNLE) are within the selected frequency ranges; and
responsively reconfiguring the electromagnetic energy to shift the electromagnetic energy and the (FNLE) away from the selected frequency ranges.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is portable and battery powered.

10. A method of remotely detecting and analyzing a target device, the method comprising:
illuminating the target device using transmitter circuitry that outputs configured electromagnetic energy that stimulates electromagnetic signals in the target device, the stimulated electromagnetic signals in the target device configured to mix with the electromagnetic energy to produce forced non-linear emissions (FNLE) that radiate from the target device;
receiving the FNLE from the target device using receiver circuitry; and
determining, by processing circuitry and based on the received FNLE, a target device type from among known types by comparing a reference evaluation of a reference device of known type with an in-situ evaluation of the target device, the reference evaluation including an FNLE profile of the reference device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling the electromagnetic energy, using a transmitter in the transmitter circuitry, by varying at least one of its frequency, power, waveform, directionality, and duration, to configure a frequency range of the FNLE to increase the FNLE radiating from an enclosure containing the target device.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, using the processing circuitry configured to control the electromagnetic energy emitted from a plurality of transmitters in the transmitter circuitry, increasing the target device detection area and the reception of the FNLE.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of a software defined radio (SDR) that remotely detects and analyzes a target device, to configure the SDR to:
illuminate the target device using transmitter circuitry that outputs configured electromagnetic energy that stimulates electromagnetic signals in the target device, the stimulated electromagnetic signals in the target device configured to mix with the electromagnetic energy to produce forced non-linear emissions (FNLE) that radiate from the target device;
receive the FNLE from the target device using receiver circuitry; and
determine, based on the received FNLE, a target device type from among known types by comparing a reference evaluation of a reference device of known type with an in-situ evaluation of the target device, the reference evaluation including an FNLE profile of the reference device.

14. The medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that locate the target device based on a strength and a direction of an origin of the FNLE.

15. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the target device comprises an unpowered data storage device comprising at least one of a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick, a flash memory, and an secure digital (SD) card, and wherein the transmitter circuitry controls at least one of electromagnetic energy frequency, power, waveform, directionality, and duration, such that data stored in the target device is unaffected by the illumination.

16. The medium of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining if the electromagnetic energy and the FNLE are within selected frequency ranges, including predetermined frequency ranges used for tactical communication; and
responsively reconfiguring the electromagnetic energy to shift the electromagnetic energy and the FNLE away from the selected frequency ranges.

17. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises radio frequency energy.

Assignees

• Raytheon Bbn Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Dishon John
• Edmison Joshua N
• Mergen John-Francis
• Leuschner Zachary
• Wood Kerry
• Waisel Laurie
• Burne Richard
• Shake Tyler

Classifications

• H04L63/302

  gathering intelligence information for situation awareness or reconnaissance · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title

• H04B17/30

  of propagation channels · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04B17/27

  for locating or positioning the transmitter · CPC title