Information authenticating apparatus and authenticating station

• US 7,093,131 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrón, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): GURSHMAN, GRIGORY
• Application Number:
  US09/676,347
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 380/258, 713/178, 713/176
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

The present invention provides an information authenticating apparatus and an authenticating station adapted to improve the probative value of data as evidence by ensuring a high objectivity of the data. The information authenticating apparatus comprises a digital camera and an authenticating information adding section which adds authenticating information to digital data entered by the digital camera. The authenticating station comprises, on the other hand, a communication unit which receives the digital data from the information authenticating apparatus, and a digital signature affixing section. The digital signature affixing section affixes the digital signature to the digital data received by the communication unit when authenticating that the digital data have been entered by the digital camera.

Claims

1. An information authenticating apparatus authenticating data by the use of an authenticating station which performs digital signing, comprising:

data input means for entering data;

authenticating information adding means for adding authenticating information for authenticating input of the data by the use of said data input means to the data entered by said data input means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the data containing the authenticating information by said authenticating information adding means to said authenticating station for further authentication of the data, wherein the authenticating station is physically separate from the authenticating apparatus and is connected to the authenticating apparatus only when authenticating data,

wherein said authenticating information adding means has environmental condition measuring means for measuring a plurality of different surrounding environmental conditions, generates environmental condition information for specifying the plurality of different environmental conditions at the point in time when the data was entered by said data input means on the basis of the plurality of different environmental conditions measured by said environmental condition measuring means, and adds the generated environmental condition information as authenticating information.

2. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means has time measuring means for measuring time, generates time information for specifying a point in time when the data were entered by said data input means on the basis of the time measured by said time measuring means, and adds the generated time information as authenticating information.

3. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means has position measuring means for measuring a position, generates positional information for specifying a point where the data were entered by said data input means on the basis of the position measured by said position measuring means, and adds the generated positional information as authenticating information.

4. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means has environmental condition measuring means for measuring the surrounding environmental conditions, generates environmental condition information for specifying the environmental conditions at the point in time when the data were entered by said data input means on the basis of the environmental conditions measured by said environmental condition measuring means, and adds the generated environmental condition information as authenticating information.

5. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

personal information storing means for storing first personal information; and

personal information input means for entering second personal information;

wherein when the first personal information entered by said personal information input means and the second personal information of said personal information storing means satisfy a prescribed relationship, said authenticating information adding means adds the first personal information of said personal information storing means as authenticating information.

6. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

apparatus information storing means for storing apparatus information intrinsic to said information authenticating apparatus,

wherein said authenticating information adding means adds the apparatus information of said apparatus information storing means as authenticating information.

7. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means generates inspection information for inspecting whether or not said data contain an error, by the use of the data entered by said data input means, and adds the generated inspection information as authenticating information.

8. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means generates inspection information by means of a hash function using the data entered by said data input means.

9. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means encrypts the data containing the added authenticating information.

10. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

said encryption is accomplished by the application of a public key encrypting method; and

said authenticating information adding means encrypts the data containing the added authenticating information with a secret key of said information authenticating apparatus.

11. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving the data containing the digital signature affixed by said authenticating station from the authenticating station; and

data storing means for storing the data received by said receiving means.

21. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said data includes at least one of image data, audio and music data, document data, and waveform data.

22. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said environmental condition information includes light intensity, photographic images, and at least one of humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, gas concentration, wind velocity, altitude, and sound volume.

23. An information authenticating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said personal information includes at least one of user ID information and password information.

12. An authenticating system comprising:

an information authenticating apparatus that authenticates data having;

data input means for entering data;

authenticating information adding means for adding authenticating information for authenticating input of the data by the use of said data input means to the data entered by said data input means, wherein positional information is added by an information authenticating apparatus-side position measuring means as authenticating information of the data; and

transmitting means for transmitting the data comprising the authenticating information; and

an authenticating station that affixes a digital signature to the data transmitted from the information authenticating apparatus, wherein the authenticating station is physically separate from the authenticating apparatus and is connected to the authenticating apparatus only when authenticating data, the authentication station having;

authenticating station-side receiving means for receiving transmitted data from said information authenticating apparatus; and

digital signature affixing means for affixing a digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means;

wherein when input of the data by said data input means is authenticated, said digital signature affixing means affixes the digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means on the basis of the authenticating information added to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means, and

wherein said digital signature affixing means has authenticating station-side position measuring means and when the position specified by the positional information added as authenticating information of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means and the position measured by said authenticating station-side position measuring means satisfy a prescribed relationship, affixes the digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means.

13. An authenticating system according to claim 12, wherein:

said digital signature affixing means has authenticating station-side time measuring means for measuring time, and when the time specified by time information added as authenticating information of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means and the time measured by said authenticating station-side time measuring means satisfy a prescribed relationship, affixes the digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means.

14. An authenticating system according to claim 12, comprising:

an authenticating station-side apparatus information storing means for storing apparatus information intrinsic to said information authenticating apparatus,

wherein when the apparatus information added as authenticating information of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means and the apparatus information of said authenticating station-side apparatus information storing means satisfy a prescribed relationship, said digital signature affixing means affixes the digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means.

15. An authenticating system according to claim 12, wherein:

said digital signature affixing means generates inspection information by the use of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means, adds the generated inspection information as authenticating information, and when the generated inspection information and the inspection information added as authenticating information of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means satisfy a prescribed relationship, affixes the digital signature to the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means.

16. An authenticating system according to claim 15, wherein:

said digital signature affixing means generates inspection information with a hash function by the use of the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means.

17. An authenticating system according to claim 12, wherein:

said authenticating information adding means encrypts the data comprising the added authenticating information; and

said digital signature affixing means deciphers the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means by a deciphering method corresponding to the encrypting method of the authenticating information adding means.

18. An authenticating system according to claim 17, wherein:

said digital signature affixing means deciphers the data received by said authenticating station-side receiving means by a public key of the information authenticating apparatus serving as the transmitting source of said data.

19. An authenticating system according to claim 12, further comprising:

authenticating station-side transmitting means for transmitting data bearing the digital signature affixed thereto by said digital signature affixing means to said information authenticating apparatus.

20. An authenticating system according to claim 12, further comprising:

authenticating station-side data storing means for storing the data containing the digital signature affixed thereto by said digital signature affixing means.