Electronic device providing a secure time reference for the protection of a program

Abstract

Abstract The electronic device, for verification of lawful use of a logic system is designed to be connected to a computer (11). The device includes a micro-controller (13) connected to a memory (14,15), an internal clock (16) and an internal battery (12). The micro-controller(13) uses an asymmetric crypto-graphic algorithm, which requires the use of a secret signature function and of a public verification function. The device contains the secret signature as well as the public verification function. The device can be connected to either the serial or parallel ports of a computer and is incorporated in a sealed casing. The device includes an interrogation counter (17) which is incremented for each interrogation of the device, it also includes a personalising counter (18) which permits the loading or reinstalling of user rights, in the form start dates and/or end of validity, of use duration. The algorithm is taken from amongst the following algorithms: RSA, FIAT- SHAMIR, DSA-DSS, GQ, EL-GAMAL.

Inventors

• 👤 David Arditti
• 👤 Laurent Stoffel

Bibliographic Details