Decryption glasses

• US 20020101988A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/772,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101988A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/54
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 5/00 Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A pair of optical decryption glasses having lenses that modify incident light emitted from a display so as to render encrypted images appearing on the display that are undecipherable to the naked eye, readable when the screen is viewed through the lenses. The lenses include either diffractive elements such as grating or prisms, or refractive elements. The optical decryption glasses have a unique registration number, and the optical properties of each pair glasses are also unique to the glasses and associated with its registration number. In a related embodiment, a pair of decryption glasses with processing capabilities is provided. The decryption glasses include an optical sensor, a processor and a display screen. The optical sensor receives images appearing on an external screen that have been encrypted to be undecipherable to the naked eye, and converts the received images into digital data. This data is sent to the processor where it is decrypted, allowing underlying messages to be deciphered and shown on the display screen.

Claims

1. A pair of optical decryption glasses, comprising:

a pair of lenses, the lenses modifying incident light emitted from a display so as to render encrypted images appearing on the display that are undecipherable to a naked eye, readable when the screen is viewed through the lenses; and

a frame.

2. The optical decryption glasses of claim 1, further comprising:

a registration number printed on the frame by which the optical decryption glasses are identified.

3. The optical decryption glasses of claim 2, wherein the lenses include at least one of diffraction gratings and miniature prisms, each of the at least one of diffraction gratings and prism having different diffraction criteria.

4. The optical decryption glasses of claim 3, wherein a map of the diffraction criteria of the at least one of diffraction gratings and miniature prisms over a surface of the lens, is unique and associated with the registration number.

5. The optical decryption glasses of claim 2, wherein the lenses include variations in at least one of thickness and index of refraction.

6. The optical decryption glasses of claim 5, wherein a map of variations in at least one of thickness and index of refraction over a surface of the lens, is unique and associated with the registration number.

7. Decryption glasses, comprising:

an optical sensor;

a processor; and

a display screen;

wherein the optical sensor receives images appearing on an external screen that have been encrypted to be undecipherable to a naked eye, converts the received images into digital data and sends the data to the processor, the processor decrypts the data, and sends readable images to the display screen.

8. The decryption glasses of claim 7, wherein the processor includes:

an authentication module; and

a decryption module.

9. The decryption glasses of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory module;

wherein the memory module stores a parameter, the parameter determining an algorithm used by the encryption module to decrypt data received from the optical sensor.

10. The decryption glasses of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor is an optical character reader.

11. The decryption glasses of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor is a bar code reader.

12. The decryption glasses of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor measures color levels appearing on the external screen.

13. The decryption glasses of claim 8, further comprising:

a keypad;

wherein a code entered into the keypad is processed by the authentication module and used to calculate a password, the password providing access to the information displayed on the external screen.

15. The public kiosk system of claim 14, wherein the public kiosk system further includes an input device;

wherein a viewer using the decryption glasses registers with the public kiosk by entering authentication information into the input device, the authentication information being reviewed by the kiosk processor which determines whether to provide the viewer access to displayed information based on the authentication information.

16. The public kiosk system of claim 15, wherein the authentication information is a one-time password.

17. The public kiosk system of claim 16, wherein the one-time password is associated with a registration number inscribed on the decryption glasses.

18. The public kiosk system of claim 16, wherein an encryption algorithm used by the kiosk processor to encrypt displayed information corresponds to the one-time password entered by the viewer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a client is authenticated by inputting an appropriate one-time password into the public kiosk.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the decryption occurs due to optical properties of lenses of the decryption glasses.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the decryption is performed by a processor.

14. A system for providing secure and private transactions at public kiosks, comprising:

a public kiosk, including;

a processor; and

a display screen; and

a pair of decryption glasses;

wherein the processor of the public kiosk encrypts information that appears on the display screen so that the information is undecipherable to a naked eye, and the decryption glasses, when worn by a viewer, render the information readable for the viewer.

19. A method of providing secure and private transactions at public kiosks, comprising the steps of:

authenticating a prospective client attempting to use the public kiosk;

if the client is authenticated, encrypting image data appearing on a kiosk display so that they are undecipherable to a naked eye;

viewing the kiosk display using a pair of decryption glasses; and

decrypting the image data using the decryption glasses, rendering the image data readable for the viewer.