Description
SUBJECT MATTER UNDER THIS CLASS:
This class includes equipment and processes which (a) concealor obscure intelligible information by transforming such informationso as to make the information unintelligible to a casual or unauthorizedrecipient, or (b) extract intelligible information from such a concealedrepresentation, including breaking of unknown codes and messages.
(1)Note. Cryptographic processing may include, e.g., scramblingor masking or their complementary transformations.
(2)Note. All electrical communications equipment which processesan information signal for purposes of concealment are classified inthis class.
(3)Note. Processing or converting of a signal for purposes ofhandling or transmission which may incidentally render a signal unintelligibleare not classified in this class.
(4)Note. Mere blocking of access to the information is not considereda cryptographic transformation of the signal or information.
(5)Note. A cryptogram or a cryptographic record absent a separateencrypting or decrypting device is classified elsewhere. See Referencesto Other Classes, below.
(6)Note. Excluded herein is nominal cryptography in combinationwith subject matter of another class. Such subject matter is classifiedwith the other class. See search notes below.
(7)Note. Excluded herein is subject matter of this class in combinationwith the specific environments of a) business data processing orb) electrical computer or digital processing system support. Suchsubject matter is classified elsewhere in the classes providingfor the specific environment. See search notes below.
(8)Note. During the latest reclassification project, a groupof existing subclasses were repositioned as is pending additionalreclassification of this class. However, screening was not donewithin this group of subclasses or between this group and the other subclassesnot part of the latest project. This should be taken into consideration whendetermining an appropriate field of search.