EP0624014A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Personal date/time notary device
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1994-04-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-04-15
Abstract
Abstract A personal date/time notary device is embodied in a token device such as a "smart card" (1). The portable notary device includes an input/output (I/O) port (2), which is coupled to a single integrated circuit chip (3). The I/O port may be coupled to a conventional smart card reading device which in turn is coupled to a PC, lap-top computer or the like. A tamper resistant secret private key storage (6) is embodied on the chip. The private key storage is coupled to a processor (4) which, in turn, is coupled to a permanent memory (8) that stores the program executed by the processor. At least one clock (12) is embodied on the card. A second clock 14 and a random value generator 10 are also preferably coupled to the processor. The device combines digital time notarization into a digital signature operation to ensure that a time stamp is always automatically present. The user does not need to be involved in any additional decision making as to whether time stamping is necessary.
Inventors
- 👤 Addison M. Fischer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 04:27
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/10; G07F7/1008; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/70; G06F21/71; G06F21/72; G06F21/725; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/341; G06Q20/346; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/409; G06Q20/4097; G06Q20/40975; G07F7/12; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/32; H04L9/3247; H04L9/3297; H04L2209/00; H04L2209/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A token device fabricated on a portable medium carried by a user comprising: a secure storage device for storing at least one private key, wherein said at least one private key is used to perform digital signatures associated with said user: a clock for providing an indication of date and time; a communication port for receiving a value to be digitally signed and for emitting an output; a processor device coupled to said communication port and said clock for receiving said value to be digitally signed and said indication of date and time and for performing at least one digital signature with said at least one private key for output to said communication port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device according to claim 1, further comprising a random number generator coupled to said processor device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device according to claim 1, further including an additional clock coupled to said processor device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said processor device includes means for validating a user's personal identification password (PIN) as a prerequisite to providing the digital signature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said processor device is prevented from performing digital signatures in response to attempted tampering.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said secure storage device stores a plurality of private keys, said processor devices performs at least one digital signature operation using said plurality of private keys.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for operating a user token device comprising the steps of: a) receiving a digital value to be digitally signed b) determining the current time from a trusted clock source; c) creating a digital data structure including the current time, and a value derived from information to be signed; d) accessing at least one stored private key; e) digitally signing digital data said structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said at least one said stored private key has an associated public key certified as having its private key operating from within a secure time notary device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said at least one said private key has an associated public key certified a being identified with a particular individual.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein at least one certificate associated with said at least one stored private key is stored in the device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein one of the certificates associated with said at least one stored private key are stored outside of the device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said clock is permanently initialized at the time of manufacture.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said private keys is created at time of manufacture.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
A user token device based system comprising: secure storage means for storing least one private key, wherein said at least one of said private keys is used to perform digital signatures associated with said user; communication means for receiving input digital signal and emitting digital output; processor means for receiving said input digital signals and for performing digital signatures with the said at least one private key; and means for interfacing with a trusted date-time notary device and for coupling via said communication means date and time related signals generated by said notary device to said processor means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system according to claim 14 wherein said secure storage means stores information used to identify a trusted date time notary device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system according to claim 14 wherein said means for interfacing is coupled in use to at least one interface reader device for supplying input and output to the token device coupled to at least one trusted time notary device.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
98 words
A method for calibrating an on-chip clock device to compensate for individual deviation, including the steps of taking a first clock reading from a master clock; storing the first clock reading; taking a second clock reading from the master clock; storing the second clock reading; counting the number of oscillations between the master clock readings; determining the actual oscillation frequency using the difference between the second and first master clock readings to compute oscillations per unit time; storing the calculated oscillation frequency; and adjusting the output of the on-chip clock device in accordance with said calculated oscillation frequency.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein a calibration value computed for a clock of a time notary device is stored in memory in said device.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
55 words
A method according to 17, wherein the on-chip clock indicates current time, which after calibration is computed with the steps of: counting the number of oscillations since the first clock reading; dividing said number of oscillations by the calibration value to obtain an adjustment value; adding said adjustment value to the said first clock reading.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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