Method and apparatus for highly secure communication

• US 20060236121A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Urquhart, Robert John, Levine, Frank Eliot, Jones, Scott Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/105,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

A high security communication station delivers information to an authenticated user. The station receives encrypted information intended for a particular user. The station verifies the identity of the current user using the highly secure technology of retinal scan or iris scan in one embodiment. Once the station authenticates the current user, the station decrypts the received information and renders the information for secure delivery to the intended recipient, namely the authenticated current user. The station is configured such that the point of decryption is substantially co-located with the point of information delivery. By integrating the point of decryption, the point of information delivery as well as the point of user authentication in the same structure, the possibility of information interception by an unauthorized party is dramatically reduced.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system of communicating encrypted information to a recipient in a secure manner, the method comprising:

identifying, by an identifier, a recipient as an authorized recipient;

decrypting, by a decrypter, the encrypted information to provide decrypted information; and

rendering, by a rendering device, the decrypted information to the authorized recipient;

the identifying, decrypting and rendering steps being performed adjacent the recipient'"'"'s body such that the decrypted information is prevented from being perceived by other than the authorized recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying, decrypting and presenting steps are performed in a common structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the common structure comprises one of a goggles structure and a helmet structure.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the common structure includes a point of decryption and a point of presentation adjacent one another.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises performing one of a retinal scan and an iris scan on the recipient.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering step comprises projecting an image adjacent the recipient by a display panel positioned adjacent the recipient.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the rendering step comprises projecting an image on an eye of the recipient using a retinal projector integrated in the common structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering step comprises annunciating decrypted audio information to the authorized recipient via a bone conduction transducer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted information is encrypted using a first key of a key pair and the decrypting step includes employing a second key of the key pair to decrypt the encrypted information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the decrypting step is performed in response to identifying a recipient as the authorized recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering step is performed in response to identifying a recipient as the authorized recipient.

12. An information processing apparatus for presenting information to a recipient in a secure manner, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a receiver, situated in the housing, that receives encrypted information;

an identifier, situated in the housing, that identifies the recipient as an authorized recipient;

a decrypter, situated in the housing and coupled to the identifier, that decrypts the encrypted information to provide decrypted information;

a rendering device, situated in the housing, that renders the decrypted information to the authorized recipient; and

control logic, situated in the housing and coupled to the identifier and the decrypter, that disables the decrypter in response to the identifier identifying the recipient as an unauthorized recipient.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises one of a goggles structure and a helmet structure.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identifier comprises one of a retinal scanner and an iris scanner.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rendering device comprises a retinal projector.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encrypted information is encrypted using a first key of a key pair and the decrypter employs a second key of the key pair to decrypt the encrypted information.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the decrypter decrypts the encrypted information in response to the identifier identifying a recipient as the authorized recipient.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rendering device presents the decrypted information to the authorized recipient in response to the identifier identifying a recipient as the authorized recipient.

19. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for communicating encrypted information, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for identifying a recipient as an authorized recipient;

instructions for decrypting the encrypted information to provide decrypted information; and

instructions for rendering the decrypted information to the authorized recipient;

the instructions for identifying, decrypting and presenting being executed adjacent the recipient'"'"'s body when the computer program product is executed, such that the decrypted information is prevented from being perceived by other than the authorized recipient.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the identifying, decrypting and rendering are performed in a substantially co-located manner when the computer program product is executed.