Method for digital signing of a message

• US 7,386,727 B1
• Filed: 10/24/1998
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FDGS Group LLC (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Mobile Holdings Ltd. (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Groffman, Hans-Dieter, Rover, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US09/530,334
• Time in Patent Office: 3,517 Days
• Field of Search: 705/70, 705 17- 18, 713/176, 713/172, 713/182, 380/247, 380/270, 235/380, 455/410
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the digital signing of a message to be signed, the message to be signed is transmitted via a communication network to a mobile radio telephone to be used as a signing unit. A message to be signed is transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver and then from the receiver to the mobile radio telephone via a telephone network. The mobile radio telephone user indicates that the message to be signed should be signed, and the mobile radio telephone generates a signed message. The signed message is then transmitted from the mobile radio telephone to the receiver and from the receiver to an addressee.

Claims

1. A method for digital signing of a message which is transmitted via a communication network to a signing unit, comprising:

initiating a transmission from a transmitter external to a network, the network including a first receiver and a mobile radio telephone, a message to be signed to the first receiver;

transmitting the message to be signed from the first receiver via a telephone network to the mobile radio telephone comprising a signing unit, the telephone network comprising a mobile radio telephone network, the mobile radio telephone associated with the telephone network;

signing the message to be signed via the mobile radio telephone, thereby forming a signed message, the signed message signifying a user'"'"'s intent to deliver the signed message and its content;

transmitting the signed message to the first receiver or at least one other receiver; and

communicating the signed message to an addressee.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a public-key process is used for signing, particularly a public-key process in which said signing unit has an associated secret key and, in particular, the receiver has a corresponding public key so that the signed message transmitted to the receiver can, optionally, be compared with the original message and identified as authentic.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the secret key required for signing is inputted via keyboard on the mobile radio telephone.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the secret key required for signing is stored on a chip card of the mobile radio telephone, the secret key being activated by a personal identification number (PIN) adapted to be inputted via a keyboard on the mobile radio telephone.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the chip card performs said signing step.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the mobile radio telephone performs said signing step and wherein the secret key is read from the chip card.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message to be signed is transmitted between the receiver and the mobile radio telephone by means of a short-message service (SMS).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to signing, the message to be signed is displayed by means of a display provided in the mobile radio telephone.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signed message is created.

10. A method for digitally signing, by means of a signing apparatus, a message to be transmitted to a receiving device, characterized in that the message to be signed is initiated to be transmitted from a transmitting device external to a network, the network including the receiving device and the signing apparatus, to the receiving device, this message is then transmitted from the receiving device via a telephone network to the signing apparatus associated with the transmitting device, this message is then signed in the signing apparatus and transmitted back to the receiving device as a signed message.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the signing apparatus is a mobile telephone.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the telephone network is a mobile telephone network.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the messages between the receiving device and the mobile telephone are transmitted by means of a short message service (SMS).

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein a public key process is used for signing, especially a public key process in which the signing apparatus has a private key allocated to it and the receiving device has the corresponding public key associated with the private key.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the private key necessary for the signing is input via a keypad device of the signing apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the message is represented before signing by means of a display device provided in the signing apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the private key necessary for the signing is deposited in a chip card of the signing apparatus, and the private key is enabled by means of a private number (PIN) which can be input via a keypad device of the signing apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the chip card generates the signed message.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the signing apparatus generates the signed message and wherein the private key is read from the chip card.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the signing apparatus serves in addition as a transmitter to transmit the signed message to the receiving device.

21. A chip card for a mobile telephone, wherein the chip card incorporates a signing device which has a memory unit for storing a private key necessary for producing a signed message, characterized in that the signing device generates the signed message from a message to be signed, which is initiated from a transmitter external to a network, the network including a first receiver and the mobile telephone, which is received by the mobile telephone via a telephone network.

22. A method for transport via a communication network of a message to a mobile phone and transport of a corresponding signed message, said method comprising:

initiating a transmission from a transmitter external to a network, the network including a first receiver and a mobile radio telephone, a message to be signed to the first receiver;

transmitting the message to be signed from the first receiver via a telephone network to the mobile radio telephone whereat the message to be signed may be signed, and when signed, generates a corresponding signed message;

transmitting the corresponding signed message from the mobile radio telephone to the first receiver or at least one other receiver; and

communicating the corresponding signed message to an addressee.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a public key process with a secret key and a public key is used, the secret key being used to produce a signed message and the receiver optionally using the public key to authenticate the signed message, said authentication being done by obtaining the message to be signed from the signed message for comparison to the original message to be signed that was sent to the mobile radio telephone.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the message to be signed is transmitted between the receiver and the mobile radio telephone by means of a short message service (SMS).

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiver provides a gateway function for interoperability between a protocol for the transmitting from a transmitter a message to be signed to a receiver and a protocol for the transmitting the message to be signed from the receiver via a telephone network to a mobile radio telephone.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one receiver provides a gateway function for interoperability between a protocol for transmitting the corresponding signed message from the mobile radio telephone to the some other receiver and a protocol for the communicating the corresponding signed message to an addressee.

27. A method, comprising:

a mobile radio telephone user receiving a message from a telephone network, the message being initiated from a transmitter external to a network, the network including a first receiver and a mobile radio telephone;

the user using the mobile radio telephone to generate a signed message corresponding to the received message; and

the user initiating transmission of the signed message via the use of the mobile radio telephone into the telephone network so as to communicate the signed message to an addressee.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the generating of a corresponding signed message employs a secret key of a public key process to produce the signed message.