US5724426A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for controlling access to and interconnection of computer system resources
Assignee: Paralon Tech Inc
•
Filing: 1996-01-11
•
Granted: 1998-03-03
•
Expires: 2016-01-11
Abstract
Abstract A compact, physically secure, high-performance access controller (16, 18) is electrically connected to each access-managed resource (12, 14) or group of resources (10) in a computer system. Whenever access managed resources attempt to establish communications, their associated access controllers exchange sets of internally generated access authorization codes (106, 112, 120, 132, 202, 208, 216, 270, 272) utilizing protocols characterized by multiple random numbers, resource authorization keys, serial number (48, 72) verification, and session authorization keys. Each new session employs different encryption keys derived from multiple random numbers and multiple hidden algorithms. Tables of authorized requesting and responding resources are maintained in a protected memory (34, 38) in each access controller. An authorization table building procedure is augmented by an optional central access control system (56) that employs a parallel control network (62, 64, 66) to centrally manage the access control tables in an access-controlled system of resources.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter D. Rosenow
- 👤 Roger M. Trafton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:44
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/04; H04L63/0428; G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/30; G06F21/31; G06F21/60; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218; G06F21/6236; G06F21/70; G06F21/86; H04L63/10; H04L63/101; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; G06F2211/00; G06F2211/007; G06F2221/00; G06F2221/21; G06F2221/2107; G06F2221/2141; G06F2221/2143
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for securely transferring data across a data communication medium between first and second computer system resources, comprising: first and second access controllers electrically connected to the data communication medium and to respective ones of the first and second resources for transferring the data after verifying that the first and second resources are both associated with at least one authorized access code; the access controllers each including: a memory storing a table of encryption keys, a table of algorithms, and a table of authorized resources that associates pairs of resources with authorized access control codes; a processor generating plural numbers and utilizing the plural numbers, a selected one of the stored algorithms, and a selected one of the stored encryption keys to generate in cooperation with the other access controller a session key; and a processor using the session key to encrypt the secure data transferred across the data communication medium.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for securely transferring data across a data communication medium between first and second computer system resources, comprising: first and second access controllers electrically connected to the data communication medium and to respective ones of the first and second resources for transferring the data after verifying that the first and second resources are both associated with at least one authorized access code; the access controllers each including: a memory storing a table of encryption keys, a table of algorithms, and a table of authorized resources that associates pairs of resources with authorized access control codes; a processor generating plural numbers and utilizing the plural numbers, a selected one of the stored algorithms, and a selected one of the stored encryption keys to generate in cooperation with the other access controller a session key; and a processor using the session key to encrypt the secure data transferred across the data communication medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 in which the resources are selected from a group consisting of: computers, software, servers, networks, data bases, communications switches, communication controllers, mass memory devices, printers, and disk drives.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system of claim 1 in which the communication medium is selected from a group consisting of: a modem, a network, a radio frequency transmission, a SCSI bus, an IEEE-488 bus, an RS-232 interconnection, a cellular radio, a CATV cable, an optical fiber, a switched network, and electrical wiring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 in which the plural numbers are randomly generated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 in which the table of encryption keys, the table of algorithms, and the table of authorized resources include identical entries in each of the access controllers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 1 further including a communication pathway that interconnects at least one of the access controllers to a central access control system that communicates access control code information to the access controllers through the communication pathway.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for generating a table of authorized resources entry for use in a secure access control system, comprising: establishing a data communication dialog between first and second access controllers; storing in each access controller a table of encryption keys, a table of algorithms, and a table of authorized resources that associates pairs of access controllers with authorized access control codes; generating a base key associated with the first and second access controllers by using the data communication dialog to exchange data derived from selected ones of the stored encryption keys and algorithms; and associating the first and second access controllers with the base key in the table of authorized resources of the first and second access controllers.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for generating a table of authorized resources entry for use in a secure access control system, comprising: establishing a data communication dialog between first and second access controllers; storing in each access controller a table of encryption keys, a table of algorithms, and a table of authorized resources that associates pairs of access controllers with authorized access control codes; generating a base key associated with the first and second access controllers by using the data communication dialog to exchange data derived from selected ones of the stored encryption keys and algorithms; and associating the first and second access controllers with the base key in the table of authorized resources of the first and second access controllers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7 in which the table of encryption keys, the table of algorithms, and the table of authorized resources each include identical entries in each of the access controllers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 7 in which the first access controller is associated with a resource access control system that stores an ID number in the first access controller, the ID number being related to a production serial number of the first access controller.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 7 in which the communications dialog is established across an insecure communication medium during a predetermined time period.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
165 words
A method for generating and using encryption keys to authorize and encrypt data transferred between first and second computer system resources, comprising: providing a master access controller and a slave access controller each including a processor and a memory; storing in the memories tables of authorized resources and encryption key tables; generating in the master access controller and the slave access controller respective first and second numbers; selecting from the master access controller encryption key table and the slave access controller encryption key table a first encryption key; determining in the master access controller and the slave access controller a key A by processing the first encryption key with the first and second numbers; selecting from the master access controller encryption key table a second encryption key; determining a key B in the master access controller by processing the second encryption key with the first and second numbers; and encrypting key B with key A and sending encrypted key B to the slave access controller.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
165 words
A method for generating and using encryption keys to authorize and encrypt data transferred between first and second computer system resources, comprising: providing a master access controller and a slave access controller each including a processor and a memory; storing in the memories tables of authorized resources and encryption key tables; generating in the master access controller and the slave access controller respective first and second numbers; selecting from the master access controller encryption key table and the slave access controller encryption key table a first encryption key; determining in the master access controller and the slave access controller a key A by processing the first encryption key with the first and second numbers; selecting from the master access controller encryption key table a second encryption key; determining a key B in the master access controller by processing the second encryption key with the first and second numbers; and encrypting key B with key A and sending encrypted key B to the slave access controller.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 11 in which the encryption key tables in each of the access controllers include identical entries.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 11 in which the first and second numbers are randomly generated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 11 further including: determining in the slave access controller the second encryption key by processing key B with the first and second numbers; and verifying that key B exists by determining whether the second encryption key exists in the slave access controller encryption key table.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4475175A
Cited
US4546213A
Cited
US4679236A
Cited
US4679226A
Cited
US5131025A
Cited
US4897874A
Cited
US4905281A
Cited
US4956769A
Cited
US4995112A
Cited
US5003595A
Cited
US5018190A
Cited
US5204961A
Cited
US5173939A
Cited
US5315657A
Cited
US5153918A
Cited
US5253295A
Cited
US5297208A
Cited
US5297207A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-03-02 | 2001-09-01 | 2002-03-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-03-02 | 2005-09-01 | 2006-03-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-03-02 | 2009-09-01 | 2010-03-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |