Methods and apparatus to certify digital signatures

• US 8,972,735 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Novack, Brian M., Dunmire, David L., Madsen, Daniel L., Cheaney, Michael D., Thompson, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US14/244,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to certify digital signatures are disclosed. An example method includes retrieving, from a first database, a first geographical location associated with an identification number associated with a network device and identified in a request to certify a digital signature, comparing the first geographical location associated with the identification number to a second geographical location to verify the second geographical location, determining that the first geographical location matches the second geographical location, and certifying the digital signature to indicate an authenticity of the digital signature based on the verification of the second geographical location and a comparison of (a) biometric information associated with a user associated with the request and (b) stored biometric information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising;

a processor; and

a memory to store machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

a data transceiver to receive a request to certify a digital signature from a user and to receive first information about a first physical characteristic of the user;

a location authenticator to verify a second geographical location identified in the request by retrieving a first geographical location associated with an identification number identified in the request and associated with a network device from a first database, comparing the first geographical location associated with the identification number to the second geographical location, and determining that the first geographical location matches the second geographical location; and

a certificate issuer to certify the digital signature to indicate an authenticity of the digital signature based on a comparison of first information about the first physical characteristic of the user to first stored physical characteristic information and the verification of the second geographical location.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first stored physical characteristic information is stored in a database that is external to the apparatus.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the first database is associated with at least one of a telephone service provider, an internet access provider, a cable television service provider, a satellite television service provider, a credit card service provider, or a bank.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the data transceiver is further to request the identification number associated with the network device.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first database is at least one of an accounting database, an equipment inventory database, or a customer records database.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first geographical location is stored in a database associated with at least one of a telephone service provider, an internet access provider, a cable television service provider, a satellite television service provider, a credit card service provider, or a bank.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first information about the first physical characteristic is biometric information.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the biometric information is at least one of information about a fingerprint, information about a voice, information about an eye, information about a handprint, information about facial features, information about a signature, information about a typing pattern, or information about a writing style.

9. A method to certify a digital signature, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a first database, a first geographical location associated with an identification number associated with a network device and identified in a request to certify a digital signature;

comparing the first geographical location associated with the identification number to a second geographical location to verify the second geographical location;

determining that the first geographical location matches the second geographical location; and

certifying the digital signature to indicate an authenticity of the digital signature based on the verification of the second geographical location and a comparison of (a) biometric information associated with a user associated with the request and (b) stored biometric information.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising supplying a service other than digital signature certification when the digital signature is certified as authentic.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising obtaining the biometric information associated with the user when the user requests the service other than the digital signature certification.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising requesting the identification number associated with the network device.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the first database is at least one of an accounting database, an equipment inventory database, or a customer records database.

14. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the first database is associated with at least one of a telephone service provider, an internet access provider, a cable television service provider, a satellite television service provider, a credit card service provider, or a bank.

15. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the biometric information of the user is at least one of information about a fingerprint, information about a voice, information about an eye, information about a handprint, information about facial features, information about a signature, information about a typing pattern, or information about a writing style.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital signature is certified at a location different than a location of the user.

17. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

retrieving, from a first database, a first geographical location associated with an identification number associated with a network device and identified in a request to certify a digital signature;

comparing the first geographical location associated with the identification number to a second geographical location to verify the second geographical location; and

determining that the first geographical location matches the second geographical location; and

certifying the digital signature to indicate an authenticity of the digital signature based on the verification of the second geographical location and a comparison of biometric information associated with a user associated with the request to stored biometric information.

18. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprises supplying a service other than digital signature certification.

19. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 18, wherein the operations further comprises obtaining the biometric information associated with the user when the user requests the service other than the digital signature certification.

20. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprises requesting the identification number associated with the network device.

21. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the first database is at least one of an accounting database, an equipment inventory database, or a customer records database.

22. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the first database is associated with at least one of a telephone service provider, an internet access provider, a cable television service provider, a satellite television service provider, a credit card service provider, or a bank.

23. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the biometric information of the user is at least one of information about a fingerprint, information about a voice, information about an eye, information about a handprint, information about facial features, information about a signature, information about a typing pattern, or information about a writing style.

24. The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 17, wherein the digital signature is certified at a location different than a location of the user.