Method and system for message delivery utilizing zero knowledge interactive proof protocol

• US 6,044,463 A
• Filed: 08/25/1997
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Kanda, Masayuki, Takashima, Youichi, Yamanaka, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAYADIAN, HRAYR
• Application Number:
  US08/944,025
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/30, 380/28, 380/49, 713/168, 713/170, 713/171
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3221 interactive zero-knowledge proofs

Abstract

A message delivery system which can guarantee the authenticity of a user, the reliability of a message delivery, and the authenticity of the message delivery, while preventing an illegal act, and which can prove them at a later time. The system has an information provider terminal including a user authentication unit for carrying out a user authentication of the user according to a zero knowledge interactive proof protocol using check bits E generated according to a work key W, and a transmission unit for transmitting to the user a ciphertext C in which a message M to be delivered to the user is enciphered according to a secret key cryptosystem by using the work key W, and the check bits E. The system also has a user terminal including a message reception unit for taking out the work key W by using at least the check bits E, and obtaining the message M by deciphering the ciphertext C according to the secret key cryptosystem by using the work key W.

Claims

1. A message delivery system for delivering a message M from an information providing terminal to a user terminal, comprising:

a user terminal including;

a user communication control unit for controlling a communication with the information provider terminal,

a user secret information storage unit for storing a secret information S that is kept in secret by a user,

a random number generation unit for generating a random number, and

a user computation unit for generating a preresponsive message X and a responsive message Y according to the secret information S and the random number, the preresponsive message X being a message transmitted from the user terminal to the information provider terminal prior to a response by the user to the message M and the response message Y being a message transmitted from the user terminal to the information provider terminal in response to receiving of the message M; and

an information provider terminal including;

an information provider communication control unit for controlling the communication with the user terminal,

a message database for storing the message M to be provided to the user by the communication through the information provider communication control unit, and

a verification unit for carrying out a user authentication of the user according to a zero knowledge interactive proof protocol using the preresponsive message X and the responsive message Y received from the user terminal through the information provider communication control unit and check bits E, the check bits E being information generated at the information provider terminal from a work key W and transmitted to the user terminal such that the responsive message Y is produced at the user terminal from the preresponsive message X, the check bits E, and the secret information S, the work key W being a key used in enciphering the message M at the time of transmitting the message M from the information provider terminal to the user terminal, and the user authentication checks whether the responsive message Y is a correct response corresponding to the preresponsive message X, the check bits E, and a public information of the user, and authenticates that the user knows the secret information S without leaking the secret information S of the user, while certifying that the user has surely received the check bits E.

2. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein the user terminal also includes a message storage unit for storing the message delivered from the information provider terminal through the user communication control unit.

3. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein both the user terminal and the information provider terminal also include a cryptosystem unit for carrying out a secret communication according to either a secret key cryptosystem or a public key cryptosystem, or both.

4. The message delivery system as described in claim 3, wherein the information provider terminal also includes an information provider secret information storage unit for storing an information to be kept in secret by the information provider which is to be utilized by the cryptosystem unit in carrying out the secret communication.

5. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein both the user computation unit of the user terminal and the verification unit of the information provider terminal carry out a function computation according to either a hush function or a one-way random function, or both.

6. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein the information provider terminal also includes a logfile for carrying out a record management of a log data for the zero knowledge interactive proof protocol.

7. The message delivery system as described in claim 6, further comprising:

an arbitration terminal for checking an authenticity of the log data, so as to determine whether the information provider has provided the message to the user or not, including;

an arbitration computation unit for generating the preresponsive message and the check bits, and

an arbitration verification unit for checking the authenticity of the log data according to the check bits in the log data and the check bits generated by the arbitration computation unit.

8. The message delivery system as described in claim 7, wherein the arbitration terminal also has a verification unit for verifying whether a signature of a signed work key in the log data is authentic.

9. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein

the information provider terminal also includes a message division unit for dividing the message to be delivered to the user through the information provider communication control unit into a plurality of blocks in sizes of arbitrary bit lengths, and

the user terminal also includes a message reconstruction unit for reconstructing the message divided by the message division unit into an original form.

10. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein the information provider terminal also includes a random number generation unit for generating a random number to be utilized by the verification unit.

11. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein both the user terminal and the information provider terminal also include a public key cryptosystem unit for carrying out a secret communication according to a public key cryptosystem.

12. The message delivery system as described in claim 1, wherein

the user terminal also includes a digital signature unit for making a digital signature, and

the information provider terminal also includes a digital signature verification unit for verifying the digital signature.

13. A message delivery system in which a user receives a message from an information provider, the system comprising:

an information provider terminal including;

a user authentication unit for carrying out a user authentication of the user according to a zero knowledge interactive proof protocol using check bits E generated from a work key W; and

a transmission unit for transmitting to the user a ciphertext C and the check bits E, the ciphertext C containing a message M to be delivered to the user which is enciphered according to a secret key cryptosystem by using the work key W; and

a user terminal including;

a message reception unit for taking out the work key W by using at least the check bits E, and obtaining the message M by deciphering the ciphertext C according to the secret key cryptosystem by using the work key W;

wherein the user terminal transmits to the information provider terminal a preresponsive message X prior to a response by the user to the message M, and a response message Y produced from the preresponsive message X, the check bits E, and a secret information S of the user in response to receiving of the message M, and the user authentication checks whether the responsive message Y is a correct response corresponding to the preresponsive message X, the check bits E, and a public information of the user, and authenticates that the user knows the secret information S, without leaking the secret information S of the user, while certifying that the user has surely received the check bits E.