Authenticating data units of a mobile communications device

• US 20070049250A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiessling, Michael, Chambers, Michael, Tuchman, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/108 Source integrity

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for authenticating a digital data unit of a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the invention provides for the capture of a digital data unit with a mobile communications device and generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of the digital data unit.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a digital data unit of a mobile communications device, comprising;

capturing said digital data unit with a mobile communications device; and

generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of said digital data unit.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing reference data corresponding to said digital data unit, said reference data selected from the group consisting of:

data representing the date and time said digital data was captured;

data representing the location said digital data unit was captured;

data identifying the owner of said mobile communications device;

data identifying the person who captured said digital data unit;

data identifying said mobile communications device;

data identifying a network operator of a mobile communications network to which said mobile communications device is connectable; and

data representing the position or distance of an object within a visually captured scene relative to the mobile communications device or relative to another object within said visually captured scene.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said digital data unit at least partly comprises said reference data.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said generating authentication data comprises generating a unique identifier with respect to said digital data unit by means of a pre-defined algorithm.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said generating authentication data comprises generating a unique identifier with respect to said reference data by means of a pre-defined algorithm.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said generating authentication data further comprises generating a hash value resulting from a hash function executed on said digital data unit.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating said authentication data includes cryptographically transforming or digitally signing said digital data unit by means of a cryptographic algorithm.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein digitally signing includes generating a digital signature from said digital data unit by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein generating authentication data includes generating a digital signature from the hash value by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

10. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said reference data further includes data representing the date and time the digital data unit was captured, said date and time being based on a time base provided by a network operator.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said time base is NITZ (Network Identity and Timezone) according to 3GPP TS 22.042 V6.0.0.

12. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said mobile communications device is connectable to a cell-based mobile communications network and said reference data includes information about neighboring cells of said mobile communications device at the time said digital data unit was captured.

13. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said mobile communications device is associated with a GPS receiver and said reference data includes information regarding the geographical location of said mobile communications device at the time said digital data unit was captured, said information based on GPS data received by said mobile communications device plus a time reference.

14. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said mobile communications device has an associated SIM card and said reference data includes data from said SIM card that unequivocally identifies the owner of said mobile communications device and/or the network provider of the mobile communications network to which said mobile communications device is connectable.

15. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising capturing fingerprint data of the person who operated said mobile communications device while capturing said digital data unit and including said fingerprint data in said reference data.

16. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising capturing at least two images of a visually captured scene from different viewpoints and determining information about the position or distance of at least one object within said scene relative to said mobile communications device or relative to another object within said scene and including said information in said reference data.

17. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said reference data includes a certificate that unequivocally identifies said mobile communications device.

18. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein data is transmitted to a database server, said data transmitted selected from the group consisting of:

a digital data unit;

reference data;

a unique identifier generated on the basis of said digital data unit and/or said reference data;

a hash value generated by executing a hash function on said digital data unit; and

a digital signature generated from said digital data unit by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising authenticating said digital data unit by means of said authentication data.

20. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a means for capturing a digital data unit; and

a means for generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of said digital data unit.

21. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a means for providing reference data corresponding to said digital data unit, said reference data selected from the group consisting of:

data representing a date and time said digital data unit was captured;

data representing a location said digital data unit was captured;

data identifying an owner of said mobile communications device;

data identifying the person who captured said digital data unit;

data identifying said mobile communications device;

data identifying a network operator of a mobile communications network to which said mobile communications device is connectable; and

data representing the position or distance of an object within a visually captured scene relative to the mobile communications device or relative to another object within said visually captured scene.

22. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 wherein said means for capturing a digital data unit is selected from the group consisting of:

a camera module adapted to capture digital images;

a camera module adapted to capture digital video sequences; and

an audio recording module adapted to capture digital audio sequences.

23. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 wherein said means for capturing a digital data unit includes a first camera module and a second camera module arranged to respectively capture a first digital image and a second digital image, said first digital image having a viewpoint that differs from said second digital image.

24. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 21 further comprising a means for generating a unique identifier from a digital data unit and/or from said reference data with a pre-defined algorithm stored in a memory of said mobile communications device.

25. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising an encryption means for cryptographically transforming a digital data unit adapted to at least one selected from the group consisting of:

generating a hash value by executing a pre-defined hash function on said digital data unit;

generating a digital signature from said digital data unit by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair; and

generating a digital signature from a hash value by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

26. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a means for providing the current date and time.

27. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 wherein mobile communications device is adapted to receive and utilize NITZ messages (Network Identity and Timezone) according to 3GPP TS 22.042 V6.0.0 sent by a network provider.

28. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a means for determining cell information of a cellular network.

29. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver for determining a geographical position of said mobile communications device.

30. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a SIM card with information stored thereon identifying the owner of said mobile communications device and/or a network provider for said mobile communications device.

31. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a fingerprint detector integrated in a shutter release means of a camera module associated with said mobile communications device.

32. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a means for providing a digital certificate that unequivocally identifies said mobile communications device.

33. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 32 wherein said digital certificate is issued by a manufacturer of said mobile communications device.

34. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 32 wherein said digital certificate includes a public key of an asymmetric key pair.

35. A communications system, comprising:

a communications network connectable to a mobile communications device and a database server;

said mobile communications device including a means for capturing a digital data unit and a means for generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of said digital data unit; and

said database server including a means for receiving and storing data regarding an item selected from the group consisting of;

a digital data unit including visual and/or audio data captured by means of said mobile communications device said digital data unit having optionally appended thereto reference data corresponding to said visual and/or audio data;

reference data corresponding to said visual and/or audio data;

a unique identifier generated on the basis of said digital data unit and/or said reference data;

a hash value generated by executing a hash function on said digital data unit; and

a digital signature generated by said digital data unit by means of an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

36. A digital storage medium, comprising:

electronically readable control instructions for controlling a mobile communications device adapted to execute a process that includes;

capturing a digital data unit; and

generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of said digital data unit.

37. A digital storage medium as recited in claim 36 further comprising providing reference data corresponding to said digital data unit.

38. A digital storage medium as recited in claim 36 further comprising providing control instructions that include a cryptographic algorithm adapted to generate a digital signature.