Method for certifying the origin of at least one item of information stored in the memory of a first electronic device and transmitted to a second electronic device, and system for carrying out the method

Claim 1

A method for certifying the origin of at least one item of information I A stored in the memory of a first electronic device C A controlled by an individual A, said information I A , being specific to individual A M and being transmitted for certification to a second electronic device C B controlled by an individual B, said individual B being assigned at least one specific item of information I B which was previously stored into the memory M B of the second electronic device C B ; comprising the steps of: (a) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E B supplied by the second electronic device C B ; and (b) comparing within the second device C B , the two results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual B that the first device C A belongs to the same group as his device C B owing to the fact that the two devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f; (c) information retrieval service individual certifying the origin of the information I A , causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of both items of information I A , I B , combined in accordance with the same predetermined secret algorithm p and exchanged between two devices C A , C B ; and (d) causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and the second device to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I B , I A ), the algorithm p being symmetrical so that J=p (I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ) and thus certifying to (information retrieval service) individual B, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I A has not been altered during its transfer from the first electronic device C A , and that it comes solely from said first device C A .

Claim 2

A method for certifying the origin of at least one item of information I A stored in the memory of a first electronic device C A controlled by an individual A, said information I A , being specific to individual A M and being transmitted for certification to a second electronic device C B controlled by an individual B, said individual B being assigned at least one specific item of information I B which was previously stored into the memory M B of the second electronic device C B ; comprising the steps of: (a) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E B supplied by the second electronic device C B ; and (b) comparing within the second device C B , the two results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual B that the first device C A belongs to the same group as his device C B owing to the fact that the two devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f; (c) information retrieval service individual certifying the origin of the information I A , causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of both items of information I A , I B , combined in accordance with the same predetermined secret algorithm p and exchanged between two devices C A , C B ; and (d) causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and the second device to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I B , I A ), the algorithm p being symmetrical so that J=p (I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ) and thus certifying to (information retrieval service) individual B, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I A has not been altered during its transfer from the first electronic device C A , and that it comes solely from said first device C A .

Claim 3

A method for the mutual identification of two individuals (A, B) belonging to the same organization, the individual A holding a first electronic device C A in the memory of which there is stored at least one item of information I A specific to individual A, individual B holding a second electronic device C B in the memory of which there is stored at least one item of information I B specific to individual B, comprising: (a) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a first result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E B supplied by the second electronic device C B , and (b) comparing within the second device C B the two results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual B that the first device C A belongs to the same group as his device C B owing to the fact that both devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f, (c) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a second result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E A supplied by the first electronic device C A ; and (d) comparing, within the first device C A , the first and the second results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual A that the second device C A belongs to the same group as his device C A owing to the fact that both devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f; and (e) in order to enable individual B to be certain of the origin of the information I A causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of the two items of information I A , I B combined according to the same predetermined secret algorithm p exchanged between the two devices C A , C B ; and (f) causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and causing the second device to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p(I B , I A ), the algorithm p being symmetrical so that J=p(I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ), and thus certifying to individual B, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I A has not been altered during its transfer from the first device C A , and that it comes solely from said device C B ; and that, in order to enable individual A to be certain of the origin of the information I B , (g) causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of both items of information I A , I B combined according to the same predetermined secret algorithm and exchanged between both devices C A , C B ; and thus causing the second device C B to calculate a result R=f (E A , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E A , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ) and thus certifying to individual A, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I B has not altered during its transfer from the second device C B , and that it comes solely from said second device C B .

Claim 4

A method for the mutual identification of two individuals (A, B) belonging to the same organization, the individual A holding a first electronic device C A in the memory of which there is stored at least one item of information I A specific to individual A, individual B holding a second electronic device C B in the memory of which there is stored at least one item of information I B specific to individual B, comprising: (a) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a first result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E B supplied by the second electronic device C B , and (b) comparing within the second device C B the two results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual B that the first device C A belongs to the same group as his device C B owing to the fact that both devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f, (c) causing to be calculated within each device C A , C B a second result R calculated by the same predetermined secret algorithm f and taking account of the same predetermined secret set S and the same random number E A supplied by the first electronic device C A ; and (d) comparing, within the first device C A , the first and the second results R, the agreement between said two results R certifying to individual A that the second device C A belongs to the same group as his device C A owing to the fact that both devices contain the same secret set S and the same algorithm f; and (e) in order to enable individual B to be certain of the origin of the information I A causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of the two items of information I A , I B combined according to the same predetermined secret algorithm p exchanged between the two devices C A , C B ; and (f) causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and causing the second device to calculate a result R=f (E B , S, J) with J=p(I B , I A ), the algorithm p being symmetrical so that J=p(I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ), and thus certifying to individual B, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I A has not been altered during its transfer from the first device C A , and that it comes solely from said device C B ; and that, in order to enable individual A to be certain of the origin of the information I B , (g) causing the algorithm f to take account of a supplementary parameter J which, in turn, takes account of both items of information I A , I B combined according to the same predetermined secret algorithm and exchanged between both devices C A , C B ; and thus causing the second device C B to calculate a result R=f (E A , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B ) and causing the first device C A to calculate a result R=f (E A , S, J) with J=p (I A , I B )=p (I B , I A ) and thus certifying to individual A, in case of an agreement between said two results R, that the information I B has not altered during its transfer from the second device C B , and that it comes solely from said second device C B .

Claim 7

A system for certifying the origin of at least one item of information I A stored in the memory of a first electronic device C A controlled by an individual A, said information I A , being specific to individual A M and being transmitted for certification to a second electronic device C B controlled by an individual B, said individual B being assigned at least one specific item of information I B which was previously stored into the memory M B of the second electronic device C B wherein said electronic devices (C A , C B ) each include a portable, electronic card (C A , C B ) each comprising at least: one memory (M A , M B ) having stored therein at least one item of information (I A , I B ) which is to be identified, a secret set (S) and a predetermined secret algorithm f; control circuits (T A , T B ) for operating on the algorithm f to provide a result (R); said cards (C A , C B ) being respectively adapted for connection to two linkup automatons (A A , A B ), which are adopted to be connected by a transmission channel (L), each automaton comprising at least one random number generator (GNA; GNB) and a comparator circuit (CCA, CCB) for comparing the results (R) calculated by the two cards (C A , C B ).

Claim 8

A system for certifying the origin of at least one item of information I A stored in the memory of a first electronic device C A controlled by an individual A, said information I A , being specific to individual A M and being transmitted for certification to a second electronic device C B controlled by an individual B, said individual B being assigned at least one specific item of information I B which was previously stored into the memory M B of the second electronic device C B wherein said electronic devices (C A , C B ) each include a portable, electronic card (C A , C B ) each comprising at least: one memory (M A , M B ) having stored therein at least one item of information (I A , I B ) which is to be identified, a secret set (S) and a predetermined secret algorithm f; control circuits (T A , T B ) for operating on the algorithm f to provide a result (R); said cards (C A , C B ) being respectively adapted for connection to two linkup automatons (A A , A B ), which are adopted to be connected by a transmission channel (L), each automaton comprising at least one random number generator (GNA; GNB) and a comparator circuit (CCA, CCB) for comparing the results (R) calculated by the two cards (C A , C B ).