Personal certification authority device
First Claim
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1. A method for public key certification in a local network environment adapted to network a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a public key infrastructure (PKI) in any one of a plurality of devices, said any device being deemed a personal certification authority device, the personal certification authority device adapted to internally generate a private/public keypair at the moment the device becomes the personal certification authority device;
connecting the personal certification authority device associated only with the local network environment with any other of the plurality of devices, such devices being a first device to be certified; and
providing a certificate to the first device to be certified from the personal certification device upon request from such first device said certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the local network environment, wherein each of the plurality of devices adapted to be included in the local network environment are capable of internally generating and providing to other devices within such local network environment, certificates to said other devices upon request and wherein the providing step further comprises receiving an identifier of the first device to be certified and a public key at the personal certification authority device;
confirming the first device to be certified has a private key corresponding to the received public key; and
issuing the certificate from the personal certification authority device associated only with the local network environment to the first device to be certified.
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Abstract
A method for public key certification in a local network environment, wherein a personal certification authority associated with the local network environment is connected with a first device needing to be certified. Responsive to the connection, a certificate is provided to the device to be certified from the personal certification authority. The devices receiving a certificate may then use the certificate to carry out secure information exchange within the local network environment with other devices having a similar certificate.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for public key certification in a local network environment adapted to network a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a public key infrastructure (PKI) in any one of a plurality of devices, said any device being deemed a personal certification authority device, the personal certification authority device adapted to internally generate a private/public keypair at the moment the device becomes the personal certification authority device; connecting the personal certification authority device associated only with the local network environment with any other of the plurality of devices, such devices being a first device to be certified; and providing a certificate to the first device to be certified from the personal certification device upon request from such first device said certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the local network environment, wherein each of the plurality of devices adapted to be included in the local network environment are capable of internally generating and providing to other devices within such local network environment, certificates to said other devices upon request and wherein the providing step further comprises receiving an identifier of the first device to be certified and a public key at the personal certification authority device; confirming the first device to be certified has a private key corresponding to the received public key; and issuing the certificate from the personal certification authority device associated only with the local network environment to the first device to be certified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for public key certification in a personal network environment adapted to network a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a public key infrastructure (PKI) in any one of a plurality of devices, said any device being deemed a personal certification authority device, the personal certification authority device adapted to internally generate a private/public keypair at the moment the device becomes the personal certification authority device; connecting the personal certification authority device associated only with the personal network with any other of the plurality of devices, such device being a first device to be certified; receiving an identifier of the first device to be certified and a public key at the personal certification authority device; confirming the first device to be certified has a private key corresponding to the received public key; receiving a second public key from the personal certification authority device at the first device; confirming the personal certification authority device has a second private key corresponding to the received second public key; issuing a certificate from the personal certification authority device associated only with the personal network to the first device to be certified, upon request from such first device, said certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the personal network; and storing data associated with the first device to be certified responsive to providing the certificate at the personal certification authority device, wherein each of the plurality of devices adapted to be included in the local network environment are capable of internally generating and providing to other devices within the local network environment, certificates to said other devices upon request. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A personal communications device having a public key infrastructure (PKI) for performing as a personal certification device for a first device, comprising:
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a means within the personal communications device adapted to internally generate a private/public keypair; an interface for establishing a local connection in a personal network environment adapted to network a plurality of devices, with the first device to be certified; control logic adapted to connect the personal communications device with a first device to be certified and provide a certificate to the first device to be certified upon request of such first device, to enable secure data exchange within a personal network , wherein the control logic is further adapted to; receive an identifier of the first device to be certified and a public key at the personal communications device; confirm the first device to be certified has a private key corresponding to the received public key; and issue the certificate and a certificate authority root key to the first device to be certified; and a memory for storing data relating to the certificate provided to the first device to be certified. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A personal network, comprising:
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a plurality of personal communications devices, and a personal certification authority device being any one of the plurality of personal communications devices, said personal certification authority having a public key infrastructure (PKI) which internally generates a private/public keypair and issue, upon request, a certificate to a first personal communications device being any one of the other of the plurality of personal communications devices said certificate enabling the first personal communications device and any other personal communication device having a certificate to perform secure information exchanges locally in the personal network, wherein each of the plurality of personal communications devices adapted to be included in the personal network are capable of internally generating and providing to other personal communication devices within such personal environment, certificates to said other personal communication devices upon request, wherein the personal certification authority device further receives an identifier of the first personal communication device and a public key at the personal certification authority device;
confirms the first personal communications device has a private key corresponding to the received public key; and
issues the certificate from the personal certification authority device to the first personal communications device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification