Renting/leasing instrument options using satellite positioning system

• US 6,047,258 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Wei, Christopher Haosan, Allison, Michael Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US08/909,364
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/32, 705/44, 380/4, 380/23, 380/25, 380/29, 702/85, 702/107
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of purchasing or leasing the time dependent option of operation of an instrument are disclosed. An apparatus generates and uses a time dependent password configured to be matched with at least one time dependent parameter in order to activate the instrument. The apparatus includes a time-antispoof device in order to prevent spoofing the purchased time of operation of the instrument. The time-antispoof device includes a satellite navigation receiver in order to enforce the antispoof option.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a time dependent password useful in operating an instrument, said apparatus comprising:

an input device configured to receive at least one time dependent input parameter for operating said instrument;

an encryption device connected to said input device, wherein said encryption device is configured to encrypt said at least one time dependent parameter and is configured to generate said time dependent password;

an output device connected to said encryption device, wherein said output device outputs said time dependent password; and

wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for each rented or leased option for operating said instrument; and

an antispoof timing device coupled to said input device, coupled to said encryption device, and coupled to said output device;

wherein said antispoof timing device is configured to prevent the spoofing of said time dependent password by the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1;

wherein said input device further comprises;

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of reading the input data consisting of a magnetic floppy disk drive, a CD ROM drive, a PCMCIA PC card reader, a manual keyboard, a barcode scanner, and a modem connected to an internet server memory; and

wherein said input device is configured to receive an identification number of said instrument, at least one chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument, at least one start date to start the operation of said instrument and at least one stop date to stop the operation of said instrument; and

wherein said at least one start date and said at least one stop date comprise at least one time window for operation of said instrument, and

wherein said personal computer applies said algorithm to each said chosen-by-the-user option, to each said time window and to said identification number of said instrument in order to generate said time dependent password only once for each said chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of recording a time dependent password consisting of a magnetic floppy drive, CD ROM recorder, a PCMCIA PC card recorder, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output device further comprises:

a radio transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antispoof timing device further includes:

a SATPS receiver for determining a current time coordinate of said apparatus, wherein said time dependent password further depends on said current time coordinate.

6. An apparatus utilizing a time dependent password for its activation, said apparatus comprising:

an input device configured to receive said time dependent password for its activation;

and

a decryption device connected to said input device;

wherein said decryption device is configured to process said time dependent password and is configured to match said time dependent password with an identification number of said apparatus, with at least one chosen-by-the-user option for operating said apparatus, with at least one start date and with at least one stop date, in order to activate said apparatus, wherein said at least one start time and said at least one stop time define at least one time window of operation of said apparatus;

and wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for each said chosen-by-the-user option for operating said apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

an antispoof timing device configured to determine the current time coordinate of operation of said apparatus, and wherein said option is enabled if the current time coordinate is within said at least one time window of operation of said apparatus, and wherein said antispoof timing device is configured to prevent the spoofing of each said time window by the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a SATPS receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said apparatus by utilizing SATPS satellite signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a GPS receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said apparatus by utilizing GPS satellite signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a radio receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said apparatus by utilizing radio broadcast signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a TV receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said apparatus by utilizing TV broadcast signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said input device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of reading the input data consisting of a CD ROM drive, a PCMCIA PC card reader, a manual keyboard, a barcode scanner, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said input device further comprises:

a radio receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said decryption device further comprises:

a personal computer using a decryption algorithm.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a non-volatile memory unit configured to store the identification number of said apparatus, the chosen-by-the-user option of operation of said apparatus, and at least one chosen-by-the-user time window of operation of said apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said non-volatile memory unit further includes:

a battery backed-up Static RAM (SRAM) memory unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said non-volatile memory unit further includes:

an Electrically Erasable PROM (EEPROM/flash) memory unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said non-volatile memory unit further includes:

a hard drive memory unit.

19. An apparatus utilizing a time dependent password for remotely operating an instrument, said apparatus comprising:

an input device configured to receive at least one time dependent input parameter for operating said instrument including an identification number of said instrument, chosen-by-the-user at least one option of operation of said instrument, at least one start date and at least one stop date of operation of said instrument, wherein said start date and said stop date comprise at least one time window;

an encryption device connected to said input device, wherein said encryption device is configured to encrypt said at least one time dependent parameter and is configured to generate said time dependent password; and

wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for each said chosen-by-the-user option of operation of said instrument;

an output device connected to said encryption device, wherein said output device outputs said time dependent password to the user of said instrument;

an input-output device configured to transmit said at least one time dependent input parameter for operating said instrument to said input device, and configured to receive said time dependent password from said first output device;

a decryption device connected to said input-output device, wherein said decryption device is configured to process said time dependent password and is configured to match said time dependent password with said at least one time dependent parameter;

and

an antispoof timing device configured to determine the current time coordinate of operation of said apparatus, and wherein said antispoof timing device is configured to prevent the spoofing of said time dependent password.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of reading the input data consisting of a CD ROM drive, a PCMCIA PC card reader, a manual keyboard, a barcode scanner, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input device further comprises:

a radio receiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said output device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of recording a time dependent password consisting of a magnetic floppy drive, CD ROM recorder, a PCMCIA PC card recorder, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said output device further comprises:

a radio transmitter.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said encryption device further comprises

a personal computer using an encryption algorithm.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input-output device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of reading the input data consisting of a CD ROM drive, a PCMCIA PC card reader, a manual keyboard, a barcode scanner, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input-output device further comprises:

a radio receiver.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input-output device further comprises:

a personal computer including an interface selected from a class of interfaces capable of recording a time dependent password consisting of a magnetic floppy drive, CD ROM recorder, a PCMCIA PC card recorder, and a modem connected to an internet server memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said input-output device further comprises:

a radio transmitter.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said decryption device further comprises

a personal computer using a decryption algorithm.

30. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a communication link.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said communication link further comprises:

a radiowave frequency band.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said communication link includes:

an internet coupled to a conventional telephone line.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said communication link includes:

a microwave frequency band.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said communication link is selected from a class of radiowave communication links consisting of a cellular telephone communication link, a paging signal receiving link, a wireless messaging link, a wireless application link, a wireless WAN/LAN station link, and an earth-satellite-earth communication link that uses at least one satellite to relay a radiowave signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

an antispoof clock for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument.

36. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a SATPS receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument by utilizing SATPS satellite signals.

37. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a GPS receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument by utilizing GPS satellite signals.

38. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a pseudolite receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument by utilizing pseudolite signals.

39. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a radio receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument by utilizing radio broadcast signals.

40. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said antispoof timing device comprises:

a TV receiver for determining the current time coordinate of said instrument by utilizing TV broadcast signals.

41. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a non-volatile memory unit configured to store said identification number of said instrument, each said option of operation of said instrument, and each said time window of operation of said instrument.

42. A method of generating a time dependent password for operating an instrument, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification number of said instrument;

receiving at least one chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument;

receiving at least one start date to start the operation of said instrument;

receiving at least one stop date to stop the operation of said instrument;

wherein said at least one start date and said at least one stop date comprise at least one time window for operation of said instrument;

and

encrypting at least one said time dependent parameter to generate said time dependent password;

wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for each said chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of encrypting further includes the step of:

applying an encryption algorithm to said at least one chosen-by-the-user option, to said at least one time window and to said identification number of said instrument in order to generate said time dependent password.

44. A method of leasing an instrument using a time dependent password;

said method comprising the steps of;

receiving said time dependent password; and

processing said time dependent password to match said time dependent password with at least one time dependent parameter;

wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for each said leasing option for operating said instrument.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said step of processing said time dependent password further includes the steps of:

matching said time dependent password with an identification number of said instrument;

matching said time dependent password with said at least one chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument;

determining the current time coordinate of operation of said instrument by using an antispoof timing device; and

matching the current time with each said time window for operation of said instrument;

wherein said at least one option of operation of said instrument is enabled when the current time of said instrument is within said at least one time window of operation of said instrument.

46. A method for remotely operating an instrument using a time dependent password, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one time dependent input parameter for operating said instrument;

encrypting said at least one time dependent parameter;

generating said time dependent password;

wherein said time dependent password is generated only once for a chosen-by-the-user option for operating said instrument;

transferring said time dependent password to the user of said instrument;

receiving said time dependent password by the user of said instrument; and

processing said time dependent password to match said time dependent password with said at least one time dependent parameter.