Auditable security system for the generation of cryptographically protected digital data

• US 5,949,879 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Bernobich, Elizabeth, Violante, Anthony F., Potoczek, Richard A., Heiden, Richard W., Berson, William, Sisson, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/706,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 380/9, 380/21, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/29, 380/30, 380/49, 380/50, 380/51, 380/55, 380/59, 380/18, 380/54, 235/379, 235/380, 340/825, 340/31, 340/34
• US Class Current: 713/179
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00798 using timestamps, i.e. recording time in message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

A secure system for Authentication information. The system includes a scanner for reading the information contained in a document, a timing mechanism for entering the time the document was read, an encryptor for encrypting the read and timed information and a counter for counting the number of documents processed.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating information, said system comprising:

means for reading the information contained in a document;

means coupled to said reading means for securely time stamping read information;

means coupled to said reading means for securely coding the information read from the document;

means coupled to said coding means for securely counting the number of documents coded by said coding means; and

means for printing program updates on the documents.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded information is an encrypted bar code.

3. The system claimed in claim 1 further including a means for printing wherein the print means prints the represented information as a digital signal.

4. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded information is an authentic symbol.

5. The system claimed in claim 4, wherein the authentication symbol is printed with an invisible ink.

6. The system claimed in claim 4, wherein the authentication symbol is a binary data stream.

7. The system in claim 1, wherein the means for printing program updates further includes a certificate of revocation.

8. The system in claim 1, wherein the means for printing prints client updates.

9. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for printing further includes:

concatenated header information; and

update information.

10. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for printing comprises:

a computer that generates a key distribution certificate by creating a master distribution public key pair and a session distribution key pair;

a encryptor/decryptor coupled to said computer, said encryptor/decryptor encrypts the session distribution public key with the master distribution private key and encrypts the master distribution public key with the session distribution private key;

means coupled to said encryptor/decryptor for producing symbols that represent the information encrypted by said encryptor/decryptor.

11. The system claimed in claim 10, wherein said symbol means comprises:

a bar code generator.