Method and device for the generation of checkable forgery-proof documents

• US 7,409,062 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Lang, Jürgen, Meyer, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US10/506,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20050226422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,975 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00766 Digital signature, e.g. DSA, DSS, ECDSA, ESIGN
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00959 Cryptographic modules, e.g. a PC encryption board

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for the generation of checkable forgery-proof documents with an externally supplied cryptographic module, whereby the checking of authenticity of the document is carried out without using key information belonging to the cryptographic module. According to the invention, the method and the device are characterised in that the cryptographic module is supplied with two types of data, even on supply from a communication partner which is cryptographically not trustworthy, which either remain in the cryptographic module or are attached to the document. The information remaining in the cryptographic module is used to secure the document information by means of a check value and the information transferred into the document serves to verify the securing of the document by the cryptographic module during a check of the authenticity of the document at a checkpoint.

Claims

1. A method for the generation of forgery-proof documents or data records, whereby key information is generated and whereby encrypted checking information is formed from the key information and from a transaction indicator,

comprising;

generating key information in a contact station;

forming encrypted checking information from the key information and from the transaction indicator in the contact station,

encrypting the key information in the contact station,

transmitting the encrypted checking information and the encrypted key information to an intermediate station,

storing the encrypted key information and the encrypted checking information in the intermediate station and subsequently transmitting the encrypted key information and the encrypted checking information to a cryptographic module at a different time from the transfer between the contact station and the intermediate station,

decrypting the encrypted key information with a key contained in the cryptographic module,

irreversibly linking document data to the key information,

combining the document data and the key information that is irreversibly linked to the document data to form at least one of a document and a data record, and

transmitting the document or data record to a checking station.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising randomly generating the key information.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring at least one of the encrypted key information and the encrypted checking information in such a way that it cannot be decrypted in the intermediate station.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising entering the document data into the cryptographic module.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising irreversibly linking the document data and the key information by forming a check value from the key information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the document or data record transmitted to the checking station is transmitted at least partially in plain text.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising entering the encrypted checking information into the document or data record that is transmitted to the checking station.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising encrypting information remaining in the cryptographic module in such a way that it can be decrypted in the cryptographic module.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising supplying the cryptographic module with the information from a cryptographically reliable station that can be relied on by the checking station.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising using cryptographic encryptions that the checking station can reverse.

11. The method according to claim 9, comprising supplying the cryptographic module via communication partners that are cryptographically non-reliable and forwarding information to the cryptographic module at a different point in time from the transfer of information between the contact station and the intermediate station.

12. The method according to claim 9, comprising supplying the cryptographic module via communication partners that are cryptographically not reliable in such a way that an exchange of information within a dialog is not necessary.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising cryptographically linking the key information and the encrypted checking information to each other, such that said linking cannot be discovered by means of crypto-analysis.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cryptographic linking of the key information and the encrypted checking information is such that non-linear fractions are added tat are known only to the reliable contact station and to the checking station.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated forgery-proof documents or data records contain monetary value information.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising cryptographically connecting the monetary value information to the document or data record, and forming a check value by comparing the monetary value information to the document or data record.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the monetary value information contains proof of the payment of postage amounts.

18. The method according to claim 17, comprising linking the monetary value information to identification data.

19. The method according to claim 17, comprising linking the monetary value information to address data.