DATA CARD VERIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110016324A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Vanstone, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3066 involving algebraic varieties, e.g. elliptic or hyper-elliptic curves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3249 using RSA or related signature schemes, e.g. Rabin scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3252 using DSA or related signature schemes, e.g. elliptic based signatures, ElGamal or Schnorr schemes

Abstract

A method of verifying a pair of correspondents in electronic transaction, the correspondents each including first and second signature schemes and wherein the first signature scheme is computationally more difficult in signing than verifying and the second signature scheme is computationally more difficult in verifying than signing. The method comprises the step of the first correspondent signing information according to the first signature scheme and transmitting the first signature to the second correspondent, the second correspondent verifying the first signature received from the first correspondent, wherein the verification is performed according to the first signature scheme. The second correspondent then signs information according to the second signature scheme and transmits the second signature to the first correspondent, the first correspondent verifies the second signature received from the second correspondent, wherein the verification is performed according to the second signature algorithm; the transaction is rejected if either verification fails. The method thereby allows one of the correspondents to participate with relatively little computing power while maintaining security of the transaction.

Claims

1. A method of generating a certificate for a correspondent comprising:

obtaining identification data and public information associated with said correspondent, said public information related to a private key associated with a first signature scheme; and

signing a second set of data related to said identification data and said public information according to a second signature scheme that is different than said first signature scheme to obtain a signature for said certificate.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said second signature scheme utilizes an RSA algorithm.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said second set of data comprises said identification data and said public information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said certificate comprises said identification data, a public key corresponding to said private key and said signature.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said public information comprises a public key related to said private key.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first signature scheme utilizes an ECC algorithm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second signature scheme is computationally more difficult in signing than verifying, while said first signature scheme is computationally more difficult in verifying than signing.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second set of data is signed by a certificate authority.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said correspondent is a device.

10. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for causing a processor to carry out the step of claim 1.

11. An apparatus configured to carry out the step of claim 1.

12. A certificate embodied as a data structure in a computer readable medium comprising:

a signature obtained by signing a second set of computer readable data signed according to a second signature scheme, wherein said second set of data is related to identification data and public information associated with a correspondent, said public information related to a private key associated with a first signature scheme that is different than said second signature scheme.

13. The certificate according to claim 12 wherein said second signature scheme utilizes an RSA algorithm.

14. The certificate according to claim 12 wherein said first signature scheme utilizes an ECC algorithm.