Authentication Processor Using a Signature Encoded in a Number of Data Portions

• US 20080313467A1
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/199,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313467A1
• 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, the object being associated with a surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data having a number of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding: an identity of the object; and, a fragment of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least part of the identity. The method including, in the processor: receiving from a sensing device, indicating data, the indicating data being generated in response to sensing of a plurality of coded data portions, the indicating data being indicative of: the identity of the object; and, a plurality of signature fragments; determining, from the indicating data, a received identity and a plurality of received signature fragments; determining, using the plurality of signature fragments and a secret key, a determined identity; comparing the determined identity to the received identity; and, authenticating the object using the results of the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an object using a processor, the object being associated with a surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data having a number of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding:

an identity of the object; and

,

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

the method including, in the processor;

receiving from a sensing device, indicating data, the indicating data being generated in response to sensing of a plurality of coded data portions, the indicating data being indicative of;

the identity of the object; and

,

a plurality of signature fragments;

determining, from the indicating data, a received identity and a plurality of received signature fragments;

determining, using the plurality of signature fragments and a secret key, a determined identity;

comparing the determined identity to the received identity; 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 each signature fragment, and wherein the method includes, in the processor:

determining, using the indicating data, a received signature fragment identity for each received signature fragment; and

,

determining, using the received signature fragment identity for each received signature fragment, a determined signature; and

,

determining, using the determined signature and the secret key, the determined identity.

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 fragments; and

,

the digital signature.

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

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 signature fragments, the determined identity.

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 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 fragment;

an identity of a signature fragment;

units of indicated locations;

redundant data;

data allowing error correction;

Reed-Solomon data; and

,

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) data.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indicating data is indicative of the entire signature.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines the determined identity by communicating with a second processor which generates the determined identity using the received signature fragments 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 object being associated with a surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data having a number of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding:

an identity of the object; and

,

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

the method including, in a sensing device;

sensing a plurality of coded data portions;

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

the identity of the object; and

,

a plurality of signature fragments;

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

determine, from the indicating data, a received identity and a plurality of received signature fragments;

determine, using the plurality of signature fragments and a secret key, a determined identity;

compare the determined identity to the received identity; 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 having a number of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding:

an identity of the object; and

,

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

wherein the processor;

receives indicating data from a sensing device, the sensing device generating the indicating data in response to sensing a plurality of coded data portions, the indicating data being indicative of;

the identity of the object; and

,

a plurality of signature fragments;

determines, from the indicating data, a received identity and a plurality of received signature fragments;

determines, using the plurality of signature fragments and a secret key, a determined identity;

compares the determined identity to the received identity; and

,

authenticates the object using the results of the comparison.