Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
A portable trusted token device comprising: a token device medium (1) having fabricated therein: a secure storage device (6) for storing at least one private key and one
user's private key not necessarily distinct, wherein said at least one private key
is used to perform digital signatures associated with a user, said at least one
private key has an associated public key certified as operating from within a
secure time-notary device; a clock (12) for providing an indication of date and time; a communication port (2) for receiving a value to be digitally signed
and for emitting an output; and a processor device (4) coupled to said communication port (2), characterised in that said trusted token device is fabricated on a portable
medium and sized so as to be readily carried or worn by a user, and said user's
private key has an associated public key certified as belonging to said user, and
wherein said processor is coupled to said clock (12), said processor receiving
said value to be digitally signed and said indication of date and time and said
processor performing at least one digital signature with said at least one private
key for output to said communication port (2), whereby a digital signature
produced by said user with said device can be verified by a third party as being
created by the trusted device by the indicated user at the indicated time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device according to claim 1, further comprising a random number
generator (10) coupled to said processor device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device according to claim 1, further including an additional clock
(14) coupled to said processor device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said processor device (4)
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 (4) is prevented
from performing digital signatures in response to attempted tampering.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said secure storage device (6)
stores a plurality of private keys, and said processor devices (4) performs at
least one digital signature operation using said plurality of private keys.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
120 words
A method of operating the user's trusted portable token device of claim
1, comprising the steps of: a) receiving a digital value to be digitally signed by the medium
carried by a user; b) determining the current time from the clock embodied within said
medium; c) creating a digital data structure including the current time, and a
value derived from information to be signed; d) digitally signing said digital data structure; and e) accessing a stored private key which has an associated public key
certified as operating from within a secure time-notary device, said method being characterised by f) accessing a not necessarily distinct user's stored private key which
has an associated public key certified as belonging to said user.
Claim 8
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 9
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 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said clock is permanently
initialized at the time of manufacture.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said private
keys is created at the time of manufacture.