Authentication Processor Using a Signature Part

• US 20080016364A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/20 Manipulating the length of blocks of bits, e.g. padding or block truncation
• 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 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method of authenticating an object using a processor that receives indicating data generated in response to sensing of coded data. The indicating data is indicative of an identity of the object and, at least part of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least a part of the identity. The processor determines from the indicating data, a received identity and at least one received signature part, and then uses the received identity and a secret key, to determine a determined signature. The determined signature is then compared to the at least one received signature part to authenticate the object.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an object using a processor, the method including, in the processor:

receiving indicating data, the indicating data being generated in response to sensing of coded data provided on or in a surface associated with the object, the indicating data being indicative of;

an identity of the object; and

,

at least part of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least a part of the identity;

determining from the indicating data, a received identity and at least one received signature part;

determining, using the received identity and a secret key, a determined signature;

comparing the determined signature to the at least one received signature part; and

,

authenticating the object using the results of the comparison.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processor:

generating authentication data indicative of success or failure of the authentication; and

,

transferring the authentication data to a user.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method includes, in the processor, transferring the authentication data to a sensing device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indicating data is further indicative of an identity of the signature part, and wherein the method includes, in the processor:

determining, using the indicating data, a received signature part identity;

selecting, using the received identity, a part of the determined signature; and

,

authenticating the object by comparing the determined signature part and the at least one received signature part.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processor, retrieving from a data store, using the received identity, stored data indicative of the digital signature, the stored data including at least one of:

padding associated with the signature;

a private key;

a public key;

one or more digital signature parts; and

,

the digital signature.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the method includes, in the processor, generating the determined signature part using the stored data and the received identity.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed on the surface using at least one of an invisible ink and an infrared-absorptive ink, and wherein the method includes, sensing the coded data using an infrared detector.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signature is a digital signature of at least part of the identity and at least part of predetermined padding, and wherein the method includes, in the processor:

determining, using the received identity, the predetermined padding; and

,

determining, using the predetermined padding and the received identity, the determined signature part.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor forms part of a sensing device, and wherein the method includes, receiving the indicating data from a sensor in the sensing device.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor communicates with a sensing device which generates the indicating data, and wherein the method includes, receiving the indicating data from the sensing device.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the method includes, in the processor, communicating with the sensing device via at least one of:

a communications network;

the Internet;

a mobile phone network; and

,

a wireless connection.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indicating data is further indicative of at least one of:

a location of the respective data portion;

a position of the respective data portion on the surface;

a size of the data portions;

a size of the signature;

a size of the signature part;

an identity of a signature part;

units of indicated locations;

redundant data;

data allowing error correction;

Reed-Solomon data; and

,

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) data.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital signature includes at least one of:

a random number associated with the identity;

a keyed hash of at least the identity;

a keyed hash of at least the identity produced using a private key, and verifiable using a corresponding public key;

cipher-text produced by encrypting at least the identity;

cipher-text produced by encrypting at least the identity and a random number; and

,

cipher-text produced using a private key, and verifiable using a corresponding public key.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity includes an identity of at least one of:

the object;

the surface; and

,

a region of the surface.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity includes at least one of:

an Electronic Product Code (EPC);

a National Drug Code (NDC) number;

a serial number of a pharmaceutical item;

a currency note attribute including at least one of;

currency;

issue country;

denomination;

note side;

printing works; and

serial number;

a check attribute including at least one of;

currency;

issuing institution;

account number;

serial number;

expiry date;

check value; and

limit; and

a card attribute including at least one of;

card type;

issuing institution;

account number;

issue date;

expiry date; and

limit.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines the determined signature by communicating with a second processor which generates the determined signature using the received identity and the secret key.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is arranged in accordance with at least one layout having n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout including n identical sub-layouts rotated 1/n revolutions apart about a centre of rotation, at least one sub-layout including rotation-indicating data that distinguishes that sub-layout from each other sub-layout.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is arranged in accordance with at least one layout having n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout encoding orientation-indicating data comprising a sequence of an integer multiple m of n symbols, where m is one or more, each encoded symbol being distributed at n locations about a centre of rotational symmetry of the layout such that decoding the symbols at each of the n orientations of the layout produces n representations of the orientation-indicating data, each representation comprising a different cyclic shift of the orientation-indicating data and being indicative of the degree of rotation of the layout.

19. A method of authenticating an object using a processor, the method including, in a sensing device:

sensing coded data provided on or in a surface associated with the object;

determining, from the sensed coded data, indicating data indicative of;

an identity of the object; and

,

at least part of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least a part of the identity;

providing the indicating data to the processor, the processor being responsive to the indicating data to;

generate, using the identity and a secret key, the signature;

compare the determined signature to the at least part of the signature; and

,

authenticate the object using the results of the comparison.

20. A processor for authenticating an object, the object being associated with a surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data indicative of:

an identity of the object; and

,

at least part of a signature, the signature being indicative of a digital signature of at least part of the identity.

wherein the processor;

receives indicating data, the indicating data being generated in response to sensing of the coded data, the indicating data being indicative of the identity and at least part of the signature;

determines, using the indicating data, the identity and the at least part of the signature;

generates, using the determined identity and a secret key, a determined signature;

compares the determined signature to the at least part of the signature; and

,

authenticates the object using the results of the comparison.