System and method to prevent unauthorized voice detection via fiber links

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11901960-B2
Application number	US-202217738086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2022
Priority date	May 20, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A random acoustic phase scrambler device is installed in-line with a telecommunications fiber link to prevent voice detection via fiber links. The device includes a transducer to produce vibrations; a length of optical fiber positioned to receive the vibration from the transducer; and a random acoustic phase driver configured to control the intensity and frequency of the vibrations. The transducer produces randomized vibrations within an acoustic bandwidth. The device is configured to introduce device-induced phase changes to signals within the telecommunications fiber link. The bandwidth of the device-induced phase changes is greater than the bandwidth of voice-induced phase changes, and the device-induced phase changes are greater in intensity than the voice-induced phase changes. The device-induced phase changes mask voice-induced phase changes through the telecommunications fiber link that are otherwise detectable by voice detection equipment tapped to the telecommunications fiber link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
installing an acoustic phase scrambler device on a fiber link at a first boundary of a facility, wherein the acoustic phase scrambler device includes:
a transducer configured to apply vibrations to the fiber link, and
an acoustic phase driver configured to control the transducer; and

generating, using the acoustic phase scrambler device, vibrations within an acoustic bandwidth, wherein the vibrations introduce random phase changes to signals in the fiber link, and
installing another acoustic phase scrambler device in-line with the fiber link at a second boundary of the facility.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first bandwidth of the random phase changes is greater than a second bandwidth of voice-induced phase changes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the random phase changes have greater intensity than voice-induced phase changes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the acoustic phase scrambler device at the first boundary of the facility further comprises:
installing the acoustic phase scrambler device within the facility.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the acoustic phase scrambler device at the first boundary of the facility further comprises:
installing the acoustic phase scrambler device within a central office to prevent detection of voices, outside the central office, through the fiber link.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the vibrations further comprises:
generating random phase changes having more than double the intensity than would be generated by voice-induced vibrations and without disrupting communication signals traversing the fiber link.

7. A system comprising:
a fiber link crossing a first and second boundary of a facility;
a first acoustic phase scrambler device installed on the fiber link at the first boundary of the facility,
wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device includes a transducer configured to apply vibrations to the fiber link, and an acoustic phase driver configured to control the transducer; and
wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device generates vibrations, within an acoustic bandwidth, that introduce random phase changes to signals in the fiber link; and

a second acoustic phase scrambler device installed in-line with the fiber link at the second boundary of the facility.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a first bandwidth of the random phase changes is greater than a second bandwidth of voice-induced phase changes.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the random phase changes have greater intensity than voice-induced phase changes.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device is installed within the facility.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device is installed within a central office to prevent detection of voices, outside the central office, through the fiber link.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein, when generating the vibrations, the first acoustic phase scrambler device generates random phase changes having more than double an intensity than would be generated by voice-induced vibrations and without disrupting communication signals traversing the fiber link.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second acoustic phase scrambler device includes another transducer configured to apply vibrations to the fiber link, and another acoustic phase driver configured to control the other transducer; and
wherein the second acoustic phase scrambler device generates vibrations, within an acoustic bandwidth, that introduce random phase changes to signals in the fiber link.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transducer is in direct contact with the fiber link.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic phase driver includes control logic implemented on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

16. The system of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic phase driver includes control logic implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

17. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device further includes a housing configured to hold the transducer.

18. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fiber link is wrapped around at least a portion of the transducer.

19. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic phase scrambler device further includes a power supply connected to the acoustic phase driver.

20. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transducer is a piezoelectric transducer.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Xia Tiejun
• Wellbrock Glenn
• Smith Kevin N

Classifications

• H04B10/85 Primary

  Protection from unauthorised access, e.g. eavesdrop protection · CPC title

• H04M1/68

  Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping · CPC title

• H04B10/40

  Transceivers · CPC title

• H04B10/43

  using a single component as both light source and receiver, e.g. using a photoemitter as a photoreceiver · CPC title

• H04B10/50

  Transmitters · CPC title