METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL ATTESTATION

• US 20110087887A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schmidt, Andreas, Bienas, Maik, Luft, Achim
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing proof of multiple entities being co-located at a specific time and location. An attestor transmits an attestation message via short range communication; the attestation message includes a time stamp, a location stamp, and a verifiable digital signature. An attestee that stores the attestation message can produce the attestation message at a later time to any interested party, as proof of co-location with the attestor at the specified time and location. In one exemplary embodiment, the methods and apparatus are substantially “open” for public implementation. Such public implementation enables attestors and attestees without prior affiliation, to provide attestation. Furthermore, the device-agnostic methods and apparatus can provide attestation capabilities even in previously deployed systems and devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted to generate a digital attestation, the apparatus comprising:

a radio interface;

apparatus for providing a time reference;

apparatus for providing a location reference;

a processing device; and

computer readable apparatus comprising a medium adapted to store a computer program, the computer program which is configured to, when executed by the processing device, generate a digital attestation by;

determination of a location stamp from the apparatus for providing a location reference;

determination of a time stamp from the apparatus for providing a time reference; and

generation of a digital attestation, wherein the digital attestation comprises the location stamp, the time stamp, and a secure signature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program is further configured to, when executed;

transmit the digital attestation to the first device; and

record an attestation event.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital attestation is generated responsive to the receipt of a request for digital attestation from a first device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus for attestation is configured to communicate with other devices via a common open protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the common open protocol is device-agnostic.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the radio interface comprises a standardized air interface compatible with the common open protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio interface comprises a near-field communication (NFC) interface compliant with ISO/IEC Standard 18092:

2004.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secure signature comprises a digital signature generated by a cryptographic hashing algorithm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secure signature comprises a signature generated based at least in part on one or more physical radio frequency channel parameters.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more physical radio frequency channel parameters comprise(s) a channel impulse response (CIR).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio interface comprises a WLAN or Bluetooth interface, the apparatus comprises a cellular smartphone, and the computer program comprises an application program added to the medium after the purchase of the smartphone by a user.

12. A method for securely recording the co-location of a first device and a second device at a time and a location, comprising:

determining a location stamp of the second device;

determining a time stamp of the second device

generating an attestation comprising a secure signature of the second device, the location stamp, and the time stamp; and

transmitting the attestation to the first device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the second device receiving a request for attestation from the first device, and at least the generating of the attestation being in response to the request.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving at the second device a beacon or probe signal from the first device;

responsive to the receiving of the probe or beacon, causing a negotiation between the first device and second device; and

upon the successful completion of the negotiation, causing at least the act of generating.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising causing the first device to:

determine a location stamp of the first device;

determine a time stamp of the first device;

generate a second attestation comprising a secure signature of the first device, the location stamp, and the time stamp; and

transmit the second attestation to the second device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising comparing at least one attribute of the attestation and the second attestation to determine the level of similarity.

17. An apparatus configured to receive a digital attestation from a second arbitrary device, the apparatus comprising:

a radio interface;

a processing device; and

computer readable apparatus comprising a medium adapted to store a computer program, the computer program which is configured to, when executed by the processing device, receive and stores a digital attestation from the second arbitrary device, the digital attestation comprising a location stamp, a time stamp, and a digital signature generated by the second arbitrary device;

wherein the apparatus and the second arbitrary device do not have any prior affiliation with one another.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer program is further configured to determine if the digital signature is valid, and if the digital signature is valid, record the digital attestation.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receipt of the digital attestation comprises receipt of a message formatted according to an open standard protocol.

20. A computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, the medium containing at least one computer program which, when executed by a computerized device:

obtains a current location reference;

obtains a current time reference;

generates a cryptographic signature element based on one or more cryptographic algorithms; and

transmits the location reference, time reference, and cryptographic element to another computerized device via a wireless interface and according to a non-device specific attestation protocol.

21. A method of doing business, comprising charging at least one of a shipper or recipient of goods consideration for a digital attestation, the digital attestation providing substantially unequivocal proof of delivery of the goods at a particular location and a particular time based at least in part on a digital cryptographic element.