A METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR VALIDATING A SUCCESSION OF EVENTS EXPERIENCED BY A DEVICE

• US 20110047200A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oridao
• Original Assignee: Oridao
• Inventors: Reffe, Nicolas
• Application Number:
  US12/990,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/422
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/28 by checking the correct order of processing G06F11/08 - G06F11/26 take precedence; monitoring patterns of pulse trains H03K5/19

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of validating a succession of events in the life of a device (10) relative to a predefined succession of events, including the following steps: for each event of the succession: calculating a current value of a traceability mark by applying to an identifier of the event a cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by the preceding value of the traceability mark; storing this current value on the device; after the succession of events, a checking system obtaining the latest value of the traceability mark stored on the device; this system generating the value of a theoretical mark by applying the hashing function successively to identifiers taken in the order of the events of the predefined succession; and if the latest value of the traceability mark is equal to the theoretical mark, validating that the predefined succession of events has been experienced by the device.

Claims

1. A method of validating a succession of events in the life of a device (10) relative to a predefined succession of events, said method being characterized in that it includes:

for each event (EV_j) of said succession experienced by the device;

a step (F32) of calculating a current value of a traceability mark by applying to an identifier (ID_j) of the event a cryptographic hashing function (H) with parameters set by the value of the traceability mark calculated for the preceding event;

a step (F33) of storing this current value on the device;

after the succession of events, a step (G10) of a checking system obtaining the latest value of the traceability mark stored on the device;

a step (G20) of this checking system generating the value of a theoretical mark by applying the hashing function successively to identifiers taken in the order of the events of the predefined succession; and

if the latest value of the traceability mark is equal to the value of the theoretical mark (G30, G40), a step (G50) of validating that the predefined succession of events has been experienced by the device.

2. A validation method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier is managed by a module (20_j) external to the device and associated with the event (20_j).

3. A validation method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes, for each event, before the calculation step (F32):

a step of a module (20_j) associated with the event obtaining the value of the traceability mark calculated for the preceding event stored on the device; and

a step of said module calculating the identifier of this event by applying to an initial identifier of this event a second hashing function with parameters set by this value.

4. A system for validating a succession of events in the life of a device (10) relative to a predefined succession of events, said system being characterized in that it includes:

means (11A) for obtaining an identifier of each event of the succession;

calculation means (11C) for calculating for each event (EVE) of said succession a current value of a traceability mark by applying to the identifier of the event a cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by the value of the traceability mark calculated for the preceding event; and

storage means (11D) for storing this current value on the device;

a checking system (30) including;

means (33) for obtaining the latest value of the traceability mark stored on the device after the succession of events;

means (31) for generating a value of a theoretical mark by applying the hashing function successively to identifiers taken in the order of the events of the predefined succession; and

means (31) for validating that the predefined succession of events has been experienced by the device if the latest value of the traceability mark is equal to the value of the theoretical mark.

5. A validation system according to claim 4, wherein said identifier is managed by a module (20_j) external to the device and associated with the event (20_j).

6. A validation system according to claim 4, wherein said validation system further includes a module (20j) associated with each event of the succession and including:

means for obtaining from the device the value of the traceability mark calculated for the preceding event; and

calculation means for calculating the identifier of this event by applying to an initial identifier of this event a second cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by this value.

7. A validation system according to claim 4, wherein the means for obtaining an identifier of each event of the succession, the calculation means, and the storage means are implemented on the device.

8. A validation system according to claim 4, wherein the means for obtaining an identifier of each event of the succession, the calculation means, and the storage means are implemented on a RFID chip (11) carried by the device.

9. A validation system according to claims 4, wherein the storage means store the current value of the traceability mark on the device by replacing the value of the traceability mark stored for the preceding event.

10. A checking method for determining whether a predefined succession of events has been experienced by a device, characterized in that it comprises:

a step (G10) of obtaining a value of a traceability mark stored on the device;

a step (G20) of generating a value of a theoretical mark by applying a cryptographic hashing function successively to identifiers taken in order of the events of the predefined succession; and

a step (G50) of validating that the predefined succession of events has been experienced by the device if the value of the traceability mark is equal to the value of the theoretical mark.

12. A computer program including instructions for executing the steps of the checking method according to claim 10 when it is executed by a computer.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing the steps of the checking method according to claim 10.

11. A checking system (30) adapted to determine whether a predefined succession of treatments of events has been experienced by a device, wherein the system includes:

means for obtaining a value of a traceability mark stored on the device;

means for generating a value of a theoretical mark by applying a cryptographic hashing function successively to identifiers taken in order of the events of the predefined succession;

means for comparing the value of the traceability mark with the value of the theoretical mark; and

means for determining that the predefined succession of events has been experienced by the device if the value of the traceability mark is equal to the value of the theoretical mark.

14. A method of marking a device, wherein the method includes, for each event of a succession of events experienced by the device:

a step (F31) of obtaining an identifier of this event;

a step (F32) of calculating a current value of a traceability mark by applying to the identifier of this event a cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by the value of the traceability mark calculated for the preceding event; and

a step (F33) of storing this current value on the device.

15. A calculation device (10) that includes:

means for obtaining an identifier of each event of a succession of events in the life of the device;

calculation means for calculating for each event of the succession a current value of a traceability mark by applying to the identifier of the event a cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by the value of the traceability mark calculated for a preceding event; and

storage means for storing this current value.

16. An RFID chip (11) adapted to be mounted on a device (10), wherein said RFIF chip (11) includes:

means for obtaining an identifier of each event of a succession of events in the life of the device;

calculation means for calculating for each event of the succession a current value of a traceability mark by applying to the identifier of the event a cryptographic hashing function with parameters set by the value of the traceability mark calculated for a preceding event; and

storage means for storing this current value.

17. An RFID chip (11) according to claim 16, wherein said RFID chip (11) further includes:

means (11A) for receiving a proprietor code (K); and

means for protecting this code adapted to render it inaccessible to an unauthorized third party by reading said chip; and

said calculation means are further adapted to calculate an initial value of the traceability mark by applying said hashing function to at least said proprietor code.