Method and apparatus for secure measurement certification
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A device for secure measurement acquisition and certification, comprising:
- a sensor;
a time generator;
a computing device, including a computer processor and a memory, coupled to receive (i) a digital signal representative of a physical measurement from the sensor and (ii) a time signal from the time generator;
said computing device configured to form an augmented measurement including the digital signal and the time signal, and to perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to form a certified measurement; and
an output device, coupled to the computing device, configured to write the certified measurement in response to a certified measurement request;
wherein the sensor, the time generator, and the computing device are configured to be resistant to tampering.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for acquiring a physical measurement, and for creating a cryptographic certification of that measurement, such that its value and time can be verified by a party that was not necessarily present at the measurement. The certified measurement may also include corroborative information for associating the actual physical measurement process with the certified measurement. Such corroborative information may reflect the internal or external state of the measurement certification device, as well as witness identifiers of any persons that may have been present at the measurement acquisition and certification. The certification may include a signal receiver to receive timing signals from a satellite or other external source. The external timing signals may be used to generate the time included in the certified measurement, or could be used to determine the location of the measurement certification device for inclusion in the certified measurement.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A device for secure measurement acquisition and certification, comprising:
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a sensor;
a time generator;
a computing device, including a computer processor and a memory, coupled to receive (i) a digital signal representative of a physical measurement from the sensor and (ii) a time signal from the time generator;
said computing device configured to form an augmented measurement including the digital signal and the time signal, and to perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to form a certified measurement; and
an output device, coupled to the computing device, configured to write the certified measurement in response to a certified measurement request;
wherein the sensor, the time generator, and the computing device are configured to be resistant to tampering.
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2. A device for generating a secure location measurement, comprising:
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a location sensor;
a time device; and
a computing device coupled to receive (i) a first signal representative of a location from said location sensor and (ii) a second signal representative of a time from said time device, said computing device being configured to generate an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal, and to perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
an output device coupled to said computing device and configured to generate an output based on the certifiable measurement.
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18. The device of claim 17, wherein said output device comprises at least one of:
- (i) a printer;
(ii) a dot-based output device;
(iii) a facsimile machine;
(iv) a character-based output device;
(v) a device that outputs an ink which causes the output to be photocopied with less than full fidelity;
(vi) a device that outputs a pattern which causes the output to be photocopied with less than full fidelity;
(vii) a device that outputs to a magnetic medium;
(viii) a device that outputs to an optical medium;
(ix) a device that outputs to a semiconductor medium;
(x) a display device; and
(xi) a device configured to provide an output in response to a request.
- (i) a printer;
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19. A method of generating a secure location measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a location;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
providing an output based on the certifiable measurement.
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33. The method of claim 32, wherein said outputting uses at least one of:
- (i) a printer;
(ii) a dot-based output device;
(iii) a facsimile machine;
(iv) character-based output device;
(v) a device that outputs an ink which causes the output to be photocopied with less than full fidelity;
(vi) a device that outputs a pattern which causes the output to be photocopied with less than full fidelity;
(vii) a device that outputs to a magnetic medium;
(viii) a device that outputs to an optical medium;
(ix) a device that outputs to a semiconductor medium;
(x) a display device; and
(xi) a device configured to provide an output in response to a request.
- (i) a printer;
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34. A device, comprising:
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a processor; and
a storage device coupled to said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;
receive a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a location;
receive a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generate an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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35. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method for generating a secure location measurement, said method comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a location;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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36. A secure location measurement device, comprising:
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an input device configured to receive a certifiable measurement; and
a computing device coupled to receive the certifiable measurement and configured to (i) perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the certifiable measurement to generate an augmented measurement, and (ii) generate at least one of a first signal representative of a location and a second signal representative of a time based at least in part on the augmented measurement. - View Dependent Claims (37)
an output device coupled to said computing device and configured to provide an output based at least in part on at least one of the first signal and the second signal.
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38. A method of determining a secure location measurement, comprising:
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receiving a certifiable measurement;
performing a cryptographic operation on a least a portion of the certifiable measurement generate an augmented measurement; and
determining at least one of (i) a location and (ii) a time based at least in part on the augmented measurement.
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39. A method of generating a secure chemical measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a chemical parameter;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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40. A method of generating a secure quality measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a quality parameter;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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41. A method of generating a secure biometric measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a biometric measurement;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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42. A method of generating a secure physical measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a physical measurement;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
receiving a third signal, the third signal being based at least in part on a party identifier;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal and the third signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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43. A method of generating secure physical measurements, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a first physical measurement;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a second physical measurement;
receiving a third signal, the third signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal and the third signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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44. A method of generating a secure physical measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a physical measurement;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal;
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement; and
locally storing the certifiable measurement in a log along with other certifiable measurements.
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45. A method of generating a secure abnormal physical measurement, comprising:
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receiving a first signal, the first signal being based at least in part on an abnormal physical measurement;
receiving a second signal, the second signal being based at least in part on a time;
generating an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
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Specification