Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for controlling an encryption system, the method comprising: providing at least one agency public key to at least one decrypting agency entity respectively and to each of a first plurality of subscriber entities and to each of a second plurality of regulator entities and providing at least one corresponding agency private key to said at least one decrypting agency entity respectively; providing an ID, a public key and a corresponding private key for each of the first plurality of subscriber entities and each of the second plurality of regulator entities; for each subscriber entity and for each regulator entity, employing at least one agency public key to encrypt the entity's private key; and for each individual subscriber entity and for each individual regulator entity, generating a certificate attesting, for all other entities, to the individual entity's status, ID, public key and encrypted private key.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for controlling an encryption system, the method comprising: providing at least one agency public key to at least one decrypting agency entity respectively and to each of a first plurality of subscriber entities and to each of a second plurality of regulator entities and providing at least one corresponding agency private key to said at least one decrypting agency entity respectively; providing an ID, a public key and a corresponding private key for each of the first plurality of subscriber entities and each of the second plurality of regulator entities; for each subscriber entity and for each regulator entity, employing at least one agency public key to encrypt the entity's private key; and for each individual subscriber entity and for each individual regulator entity, generating a certificate attesting, for all other entities, to the individual entity's status, ID, public key and encrypted private key.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said at least one decrypting agency comprises a plurality of decrypting agencies.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein each subscriber and each regulator generates his own private and public keys.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method according to claim 1 and also comprising: transmitting a second subscriber entity's certificate to a first subscriber entity; and generating a first random string at a first subscriber entity, signing the random string using the first subscriber entity's private key and encrypting the random string using the second subscriber entity's public key and transmitting to the second subscriber entity the first subscriber entity's certificate and the encrypted and signed random number.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
103 words
A method according to claim 4 and also comprising: generating a second random string at the second subscriber entity and combining the second random string and the encrypted and signed first random string; encrypting the combined strings using the first subscriber entity's public key and transmitting the encrypted combined strings to the first subscriber entity; at the first subscriber entity, encrypting the encrypted combined strings using the second subscriber entity's public key, thereby to generate double-encrypted combined strings, and transmitting the double-encrypted combined strings to the second subscriber entity; and decrypting the encrypted combined strings and transferring messages encrypted using the combined strings.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
10 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein combining comprises concatenating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein combining comprises XORing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 and wherein employing comprises employing the at least one agency public key without the agency's knowledge or implicit agreement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
76 words
An encrypted transmission system comprising: an agency having a private key and a corresponding public key; a multiplicity of subscriber modules each having private key, wherein each two subscriber modules from among said multiplicity of subscriber modules includes first and second subscriber modules characterized in that said first subscriber module conveys to said second subscriber module only encrypted communications which include private keys of said first and second subscriber modules encrypted with the agency's public key.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
An encrypted transmission system comprising: an agency having a private key and a corresponding public key; a multiplicity of subscriber modules each having private key, wherein each two subscriber modules from among said multiplicity of subscriber modules includes first and second subscriber modules characterized in that said first subscriber module conveys to said second subscriber module only encrypted communications which include private keys of said first and second subscriber modules encrypted with the agency's public key.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein said agency does not keep the private keys of said multiplicity of subscriber modules in escrow.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein each of said multiplicity of subscriber modules includes a secured electronic device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 11 wherein said secured electronic device comprises a monolithic secured electronic device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
64 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein said agency comprises first and second agency entities each of which have a private key and a corresponding public key and wherein said first subscriber module conveys to said second subscriber module only communications which include private keys of said first and second subscriber modules double encrypted with public keys of the first and second agency entities.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein said agency receives a petition to recover data from an individual subscriber module and, responsive to the petition, to apply the agency's private key to a communication generated by the individual subscriber module, thereby to derive the individual subscriber module's private key.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 14 and also comprising at least one archive storing a record of said petition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 15 wherein said at least one archive comprises at least two archives.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 15 wherein removal of any record from said at least one archive is detectable.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein each said subscriber module comprises at least one integrated circuit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
74 words
An encrypted transmission method comprising: providing an agency with a private key and a corresponding public key; providing a multiplicity of subscriber modules each having a private key; and for each first and second subscriber modules from among said multiplicity of subscriber modules, conveying from said first subscriber module to said second subscriber module only encrypted communications which include private keys of said first and second subscriber modules encrypted with the agency's public key.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
74 words
An encrypted transmission method comprising: providing an agency with a private key and a corresponding public key; providing a multiplicity of subscriber modules each having a private key; and for each first and second subscriber modules from among said multiplicity of subscriber modules, conveying from said first subscriber module to said second subscriber module only encrypted communications which include private keys of said first and second subscriber modules encrypted with the agency's public key.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for controlling an encryption system including a first plurality of subscriber entities each having an ID, a public key and a private key, the apparatus comprising: a second plurality of regulator entities each having an ID, a public key and a private key; and at least one decrypting agency entity having at least one agency public key respectively which is provided to each of the first plurality of subscriber entities and to each of the second plurality of regulator entities, wherein each subscriber entity and each regulator entity includes a private key encrypter employing at least one agency public key to encrypt the entity's private key; and wherein said apparatus also comprises a certificate generator which, for each individual subscriber entity and for each individual regulator entity, generates a certificate attesting, for all other entities, to the individual entity's status, ID, public key and encrypted private key.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for controlling an encryption system including a first plurality of subscriber entities each having an ID, a public key and a private key, the apparatus comprising: a second plurality of regulator entities each having an ID, a public key and a private key; and at least one decrypting agency entity having at least one agency public key respectively which is provided to each of the first plurality of subscriber entities and to each of the second plurality of regulator entities, wherein each subscriber entity and each regulator entity includes a private key encrypter employing at least one agency public key to encrypt the entity's private key; and wherein said apparatus also comprises a certificate generator which, for each individual subscriber entity and for each individual regulator entity, generates a certificate attesting, for all other entities, to the individual entity's status, ID, public key and encrypted private key.