Computer implemented method for generating a set of identifiers from a private key, computer implemented method and computing device

• US 8,699,705 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adrian Spalka, CompuGroup Medical SE
• Original Assignee: Compugroup Medical AG (CompuGroup Medical SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Spalka, Adrian, Lenhardt, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US12/904,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20110150212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3073 involving pairings, e.g. identity based encryption [IBE], bilinear mappings or bilinear pairings, e.g. Weil or Tate pairing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer implemented method for generating a set of identifiers from a private key, the method comprising the steps of: calculating a set of public keys, wherein the private key and each public key of the set of public keys form an asymmetric cryptographic key pair; and outputting the identifiers comprising the public keys.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a set of identifiers from a private key, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a private key, wherein generating the private key comprises;

receiving an input value, wherein the input value is a user-selected secret;

storing the user-selected secret in memory;

computing the private key by applying an embedding or randomizing function onto the user-selected secret; and

storing the private key in memory;

calculating a set of public keys using the private key, wherein the private key and each public key of the set of public keys form an asymmetric cryptographic key pair;

erasing the user-selected secret and the private key from memory; and

outputting the identifiers comprising the public keys.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the public keys are the identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifiers are database access keys.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising verifying the authenticity of the data using the identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising depositing data into a database using the identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a digital signature for the data using the private key, wherein the digital signature is deposited into the database with the data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifiers are used as pseudonyms by the database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of public keys is calculated from the private key using elliptic curve cryptography, wherein said calculation is performed by a variation of the domain parameters used for performing the elliptic curve cryptography.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said variation of the domain parameters is a variation of base points.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the embedding and randomizing function comprises:

applying a first one-way function on the user-selected secret to provide a first value,

providing a random number,

embedding the random number and the first value by combining them to provide a combination,

applying a second one-way function on the combination to provide a second value, wherein the second value constitutes the private key.

11. A computer system for generating a set of identifiers from a private key, the system comprising:

a processing unit being operable for;

calculating a set of public keys, wherein the private key and each public key of the set of public keys form an asymmetric cryptographic key pair;

generating the private key, wherein generating the private key comprises;

receiving an input value, wherein the input value is a user-selected secret;

storing the user-selected secret in memory;

computing the private key by applying an embedding or randomizing function onto the user-selected secret;

storing the private key in memory;

computing the set of public keys using the private key; and

erasing the user-selected secret and the private key from memory; and

an interface for outputting the identifiers comprising the public keys.