User authentication system employing encryption functions
First Claim
1. A communication system employing a two-way communication link (111 and 112), first means (10 and 20) connected to said link for initiating an authentication protocol and second means (30) connected to said link for responding to initiated authentication protocol, characterized in that:
- said communication system employs a public key encryption approach characterized by a pair of encryption functions, one being a public key and the other being a private key; and
said first means comprises;
a generator (10) for initiating a protocol by developing an essentially random authentication message, third means for sending a challenge signal over said link to said second means, and fourth means for comparing said authentication message with a response signal sent by said second means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system which employs a pair of encryption functions f and g in the "log on" protocol of a computer dial-up arrangement. The functions are inverses of each other and, hence, a random sequence when encrypted with f and then with g results in the original sequence. When a user wishes to "log on", the computer selects a random sequence and forms a challenge sequence. The user encrypts the challenge sequence with the function g and thus forms a response sequence. Encryption with the function f by the computer permits verification of the response sequence.
The secrecy of the user'"'"'s function is maintained by providing the user with an authenticating device having only two ports: a power port and an I/O port. The I/O port is connected to a microprocessor which accesses a memory that contains the secret encryption function g.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A communication system employing a two-way communication link (111 and 112), first means (10 and 20) connected to said link for initiating an authentication protocol and second means (30) connected to said link for responding to initiated authentication protocol, characterized in that:
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said communication system employs a public key encryption approach characterized by a pair of encryption functions, one being a public key and the other being a private key; and said first means comprises;
a generator (10) for initiating a protocol by developing an essentially random authentication message, third means for sending a challenge signal over said link to said second means, and fourth means for comparing said authentication message with a response signal sent by said second means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An authentication system comprising:
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first means for generating essentially random signal sequences (10); a two-way communication link (111 and
112);second means (30) for receiving signals from said communications link, coding said received signals with a private key to develop encrypted signals and applying said encrypted signals to said communication link; and third means (20) for controlling communications between said first means and said second means, for coding said encrypted signals with a public key to develop deciphered signals and for comparing said deciphered signals to said signal sequences.
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Specification