Method and apparatus for controlling release of time sensitive information

• US 6,603,857 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1997
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Entrust Incorporated (Entrust Corp.), Entrust Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Entrust Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Batten-Carew, Mark Christopher, Wiener, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEISLAHN, DOUGLAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/892,355
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: 380/48, 380/44, 380/273, 380/260, 380/45, 380/46
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling release of time-sensitive information is accomplished by a server that establishes access information for a specific future time which only becomes active once the specific future time has passed. When the specific future time has passed, the server releases the access information such that an end-user or end-users may utilize the access information to obtain time-sensitive information. The access information may be a random number which can be used to calculate a decryption key and an encryption key. The encryption key can be released by the server at any time such that an end-user may encrypt time sensitive information for release at the specific future time, but the random number is not released until the specific future time has passed. When the random number is released, end-users may generate the decryption key and subsequently decrypt the time-sensitive information.

Claims

1. A method for controlling release of time sensitive information, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing, by a server, access information for a specified future point in time, wherein the access information is derived for the specified future point in time based on a specific future time and a specific random number using a random number generation process, wherein the specified future point in time is chronologically prior to the specific future time;

b) releasing, by the server, the access information when the specified future point in time has passed; and

c) utilizing the access information by an end-user to decipher the time sensitive information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

establishing the accessing information to be a random number; and

generating, by the server, an encryption key based on the random number, wherein the time sensitive information is encrypted based on the encryption key.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises, within step (c), utilizing the random number to generate a unique decryption key and utilizing the decryption key to decipher the time sensitive information.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

releasing, by the server, the encryption key; and

encrypting the time sensitive information based on the encryption key by another end-user, prior to the specified point in time.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises establishing the access information to be a lock combination.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

calculating, by the server, the random number for the specified point in time based on a one-way function, the specific future time, and the specific random number, wherein the specified point in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time; and

releasing, by the server, the random number when the point in time has passed.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

calculating, by the server, a plurality of corresponding secret numbers for a plurality of points in time based on a one-way function, the specific future time, and the specific random number, wherein each of the plurality of points in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time and wherein the plurality of points in time are time sequenced; and

releasing, by the server, one of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers that corresponds to one of the plurality of points in time which is most current in time.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises, within step (c),

calculating, based on the one-way function, a previous secret number of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers from the one of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers;

and

generating a unique decryption key from the previous secret number.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprises utilizing a plurality of secret number components to calculate each of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises utilizing different one-ways functions to obtain the plurality of secret number components.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprises, within step (b), releasing the access information when a request for the access information has been received and the request was received after the specified future point in time has passed.

12. A method for controlling release of access information that is used to decipher time sensitive information, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a random number for a specific future time;

b) calculating a corresponding secret number for a point in time based on the random number, a one-way function, and the specific future time, wherein the point in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time;

c) generating an encryption key based on the corresponding secret number;

d) providing the encryption key when a request is received for the encryption key; and

e) providing the corresponding secret key when the point in time has passed, wherein the access information is at least partially based on the corresponding random number.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises, within step (e), providing the corresponding secret number when a request for the corresponding secret number is received and the point in time has passed.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprises:

calculating a plurality of corresponding secret numbers for a plurality of points in time based on the one-way function, the specific future time, and the random number, wherein each of the plurality of points in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time and wherein the plurality of points in time are time sequenced; and

releasing one of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers that corresponds to one of the plurality of points in time which is most current in time.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprises utilizing a plurality of secret number components to calculate each of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprises utilizing different one-ways functions to obtain the plurality of secret number components.

17. A method for processing time sensitive information, the method comprising the steps of:

a) from time to time, requesting an encryption key, wherein the encryption key is based on a random number corresponding to a specified point in time, wherein the random number is derived based on a specific random number that corresponds to a specific future time, and wherein the specified point in time occurs prior to the specified point in time;

b) encrypting the time sensitive information based on the encryption key to produce encrypted time sensitive information;

c) providing the encrypted time sensitive information to a recipient;

d) from time to time, requesting the random number;

e) receiving the random number when the specified point in time has passed; and

f) generating a decryption key from the random number.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises:

calculating a previous secret number based on the random number, the specified point in time, and a one-way function; and

calculating a previous decryption key based on the previous secret number.

19. A method for controlling release of time sensitive information, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a specific random number that corresponds to a specific future

b) calculating a plurality of secret numbers based on the specific random number, points in time, the specific future time, and a plurality of one-way functions, wherein the points in time occur, in time, prior to the specific future time;

c) generating encryption keys based to the plurality of secret numbers; and

d) releasing the encryption keys to encrypt data for distribution to facilitate a controlled release of time sensitive information.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprises releasing at least one of the plurality of secret numbers when a corresponding point in time has passed.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprises:

receiving a request for release of the plurality of secret numbers; and

responding to the request after the point in time has passed.

22. A digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to control release of access information that is used to decipher time sensitive information, the digital storage medium comprising:

first storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to establish a specific random number for a specific future time;

second storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to calculate a corresponding secret number for a point in time based on the specific random number, a one-way function, and the specific future time, wherein the point in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time;

third storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to generate an encryption key based on the corresponding secret number;

fourth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to provide the encryption key when a request is received for the encryption key; and

fifth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to release the corresponding secret number when the point in time has passed, wherein the access information is at least partially based on the corresponding random number.

23. The digital storage medium of claim 22 further comprises, within the fifth storage means, programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to release the corresponding secret number when a request for the corresponding secret number is received and the point in time has passed.

24. The digital storage medium of claim 22 further comprises, within the first storage means, programming instruction that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to:

calculate a corresponding secret numbers for a plurality of points in time based on the one-way function, the specific future time, and the random number, wherein each of the plurality of points in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time and wherein the plurality of points in time are time sequenced; and

release one of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers that corresponds to one of the plurality of points in time which is most current in time.

25. The digital storage medium of claim 24 further comprises, within the first storage means, programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to utilize a plurality of secret number components to calculate each of the plurality of corresponding random numbers.

26. A digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to control release of time sensitive information, the digital storage medium comprising:

first storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to, from time to time, request an encryption key, wherein the encryption key is based on a random number corresponding to a specified point in time, wherein the random number is derived based on a specific random number that corresponds to a specific future time, and wherein the specified point in time occurs prior to the specific future time;

second storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to encrypt the time sensitive information based on the encryption key to produce encrypted time sensitive information;

third storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to provide the encrypted time sensitive information to a recipient;

fourth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to, from time to time, request the random number;

fifth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to receive the random number when the specified point in time has passed; and

sixth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to generate a decryption key from the random number.

27. The digital storage medium of claim 26 further comprises means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to:

calculate a previous secret number based on the random number, the specified point in time, and a one-way function; and

calculate a previous decryption key based on the previous secret number.

28. A server comprising:

a processing unit; and

memory that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to control release of time sensitive information, the memory includes;

first storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to establish a random number for a specific future time;

second storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to calculate a corresponding secret number for a point in time based on the random number, a one-way function, and the specific future time, wherein the point in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time;

third storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to generate an encryption key based on the corresponding secret number;

fourth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to release the encryption key when a request is received for the encryption key; and

fifth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to release the corresponding secret number when the point in time has passed.

29. The server of claim 28 further comprises, within the fifth storage means, programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to release the corresponding secret number when a request for the corresponding secret number is received and the point in time has passed.

30. The server of claim 28 further comprises, within the first storage means, programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to:

calculate a plurality of corresponding secret numbers for a plurality of points in time based on the one-way function, the specific future time, and the random number, wherein each of the plurality of points in time occurs, in time, prior to the specific future time and wherein the plurality of points in time are time sequenced; and

release one of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers that corresponds to one of the plurality of points in time which is most current in time.

31. The server of claim 30 further comprises, within the first storage means, programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to utilize a plurality of secret number components to calculate each of the plurality of corresponding secret numbers.