System and method for providing trusted time in content of digital data files
First Claim
1. A system for maintaining trust in a vote entered on an electronic voting machine, comprising:
- a trusted time source to provide a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of a vote'"'"'s options, creation, receipt, or transmission;
means for receiving a request to enter the vote from a voter;
first means for saving the vote at a moment in time;
means for retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially a current time at said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request;
first means for appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said saved vote;
first means for signing said saved vote with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto;
means for hashing said signed vote to produce a digest;
second means for signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate;
second means for appending said certificate to said saved vote; and
second means for saving said saved vote with said certificate appended thereto.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A personal computer (PC) system and methods for proving dates of digital data files, which are accessed, created, modified, received, or transmitted by the PC includes a trusted time source in a tamperproof environment, a first subsystem for saving the file at a moment in time, a second subsystem for retrieving from the trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to the moment in time, a third subsystem for appending the date and the time retrieved from the trusted time source to the saved file, a fourth subsystem for signing the saved file with the date and the time retrieved from the trusted time source appended thereto, a fifth subsystem means for hashing the signed file to produce a digest, a sixth subsystem for signing the digest with a key to produce a certificate, a seventh subsystem for appending the certificate to the saved file, and an eighth subsystem for saving the file with the certificate appended thereto. The trusted time source is a real time clock, which is not resettable, is independent of any system clock of the PC, and is installed locally relative to the PC.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A system for maintaining trust in a vote entered on an electronic voting machine, comprising:
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a trusted time source to provide a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of a vote'"'"'s options, creation, receipt, or transmission;
means for receiving a request to enter the vote from a voter;
first means for saving the vote at a moment in time;
means for retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially a current time at said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request;
first means for appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said saved vote;
first means for signing said saved vote with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto;
means for hashing said signed vote to produce a digest;
second means for signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate;
second means for appending said certificate to said saved vote; and
second means for saving said saved vote with said certificate appended thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification