Value Transfer Center System

• US 20080109359A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Lang, Jurgen, Meyer, Bernd
• Application Number:
  US11/968,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00766 Digital signature, e.g. DSA, DSS, ECDSA, ESIGN
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00959 Cryptographic modules, e.g. a PC encryption board

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for the generation of checkable forgery-proof documents with an externally supplied cryptographic module, whereby the checking authenticity of the document is carried out without using key information belonging to the cryptographic module. According to the invention, the method and the device are characterized in that the cryptographic module is supplied with two types of data, even on supply from a communication partner which is cryptographically not trustworthy, which either remain in the cryptographic module or are attached to the document. The information remaining in the cryptographic module is used to secure the document information by means of a check value and the information transferred into the document serves to verify the securing of the document by the cryptographic module during a check of the authenticity of the document at a checkpoint.

Claims

1. A system comprising a value transfer center with an interface for loading monetary values and a cryptographic module, wherein the value transfer center comprises:

an interface to receive encrypted checking information and encrypted key information from a cryptographically reliable contact station and to temporarily store the encrypted information and encrypted key information;

a means of receiving value transfer requests from at least one cryptographic module; and

a means of forwarding the received encrypted checking information and encrypted key information to the cryptographic module at a different point in time from a transfer of information between the cryptographically reliable contact station and the interface,

and wherein the cryptographic module comprises;

at least one means for receiving and decrypting the key information;

at least one means for receiving a document or data record; and

at least one means for forming a check value for the document or for the data record using the key information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the checking information and the key information are is encrypted in such a way that the checking information and the key information cannot be decrypted in the value transfer center.