Apparatus and method for depositing encryption keys
First Claim
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1. An encryption key depositing apparatus, comprising:
- a unit that generates an encryption key for a user;
a unit that starts a process in response to the generation of said encryption key, said process allowing a depositary, with which said generated encryption key was deposited, to store said key in a subsequently recoverable manner; and
a server and a plurality of clients, wherein recovery information, usable to recover said encryption key, is encrypted by a public key of said depositary and is retained in said server, wherein said server, in response to a recovery request from the depositary, sends to said depositary said recovery information encrypted by said public key of said depositary, and acquires from said depositary said recovery information decrypted by a private key of said depositary and then encrypted by a public key of said server.
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Abstract
An encryption key depositing apparatus comprising a unit that generates an encryption key for a user; and a unit that starts a process in response to the generation of the encryption key, the process allowing a depositary deposited with the generated encryption key to store the key in question in a subsequently recoverable manner.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An encryption key depositing apparatus, comprising:
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a unit that generates an encryption key for a user;
a unit that starts a process in response to the generation of said encryption key, said process allowing a depositary, with which said generated encryption key was deposited, to store said key in a subsequently recoverable manner; and
a server and a plurality of clients, wherein recovery information, usable to recover said encryption key, is encrypted by a public key of said depositary and is retained in said server, wherein said server, in response to a recovery request from the depositary, sends to said depositary said recovery information encrypted by said public key of said depositary, and acquires from said depositary said recovery information decrypted by a private key of said depositary and then encrypted by a public key of said server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13)
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11. A method for depositing an encryption key, comprising:
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generating an encryption key for a user;
starting a process in response to generating said encryption key, said process allowing a depositary, with which the generated encryption key was deposited, to store said key in a subsequently recoverable manner;
encrypting recovery information using a public key of the depositary, the recovery information usable to recover the encryption key;
sending the encrypted recovery information to the depositary in response to a recovery request from the depositary; and
acquiring from the depositary the recovery information decrypted by a private key of the depositary and then encrypted by a public key. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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12. A computer storage medium having executable software code, the executable software code:
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instructions for generating an encryption key for a user;
instructions for starting a process in response to generating said encryption key, said process allowing a depositary, with which the generated encryption key was deposited, to store the key in a subsequently recoverable manner;
instructions for encrypting recovery information using a public key of the depositary, the recovery information usable to recover the encryption key;
instructions for sending the encrypted recovery information to the depositary in response to a recovery request from the depositary; and
instructions for acquiring from the depositary the recovery information decrypted by a private key of the depositary and then encrypted by a public key. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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14. An encryption key recovering method, comprising:
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receiving recovery request from a depositary for recovering an encryption key, the encryption key associated with recovery information, the recovery information encrypted with a public key of the depositary and retained at the server;
sending the encrypted recovery information to the depositary; and
acquiring from the depositary the encrypted recovery information that is decrypted by a private key of the depositary and then encrypted by a public key of the server.
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Specification