Personal certification authority device

• US 20030088772A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Smeets, Bernard, Haartsen, Jacobus, Gehrmann, Christian, Persson, Joakim
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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

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.

Claims

1. A method for public key certification in a local network environment, comprising the steps of:

connecting a personal certification authority device associated only with the local network environment with a first device to be certified; and

providing a certificate to the first device to be certified from the personal certification authority, said certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the local network environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of connecting at least, one other device to be certified with the personal certification authority device associated with the local network environment;

and

providing a second certificate to the at least one other device to be certified by the personal certification authority device associated with the local network environment, said second certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the local network environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local network environment comprises a personal area network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further comprises the steps of:

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.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the steps of:

receiving a second public key from the personal certification authority device at the first device; and

confirming the personal certification authority device has a second private key corresponding to the received second public key.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of storing data associated with the first device to be certified responsive to providing the certificate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data comprises a user ID of the first device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the data comprises the certificate provided to the first device.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of authenticating the connection between the first device and the personal certification authority device.

10. The method of claim 1, further including the step of storing the certificate at the first device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the certificate further includes at least one of the, public key, the identifier of the first device, a digital signature of the personal certification authority device, and a public root key of the personal certification authority device

12. A method for public key certification in a personal network environment, comprising the steps of

connecting a personal certification authority device associated only with the personal network with 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, 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.

13. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of:

connecting at least one other device to be certified with the personal certification authority device associated with the local network environment; and

providing a second certificate to the at least one other device to be certified with the personal certification authority associated with the local network environment, said second certificate enabling secure connection establishment with the personal network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the personal network comprises a personal area network

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the data comprises a user ID of the first device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the data comprises the certificate provided to the first device.

17. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of mutually authenticating the connection between the first device and the personal certification authority.

18. The method of claim 12, further including the step of storing the certificate at the first device

19. The method of claim 12, further including the step of storing a certificate authority root key at the first device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the certificate further includes at least one of the public key, the identifier of the first device, a digital signature of the personal certification authority device, and a public root key of the personal certification authority device.

21. A personal communications device for performing as a personal certification authority, comprising:

an interface for establishing a connection with a device to be certified, control logic configured to;

connect the personal communications device with a first device to be certified; and

provide a certificate to the first device to be certified to enable secure data exchange within a personal network,

a memory for storing data relating to the certificate provided to the first device to be certified.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the personal network comprises a personal area network.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the control logic is further configured 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.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the data comprises a user ID of the first device.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the data comprises the certificate provided to the first device.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the control logic is further configured to mutually authenticate the connection between the first device and the personal certification authority.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the certificate further includes at least one of the public key, the identifier of the first device, a digital signature of the personal certification authority, and a public root key of the personal certification authority

28. A personal network, comprising:

a plurality of personal communications devices, and

a personal certification authority device configured to issue a certificate to a first personal communications device responsive to connection to a first communication device, said certificate enabling the first personal communications device and any other personal communication device having a certificate to perform secure information exchanges in the personal network.

29. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the personal certification authority device is further configured to:

receive an identifier of the first personal communication device and a public key at the personal certification authority device;

confirm the first personal communications device has a private key corresponding to the received public key,

issue the certificate from the personal certification authority device to the first personal communications device.

30. The personal network of claim 29, wherein the personal certification authority device stores data associated with the first personal communications device responsive to issuing the certificate

31. The personal network of claim 30, wherein the data comprises a user ID of the first personal communications device.

32. The personal network of claim 30, wherein the data comprises the certificate provided to the first personal communications device.

33. The personal network of claim 29, wherein the personal certification authority device authenticates the connection between the first personal communications device and the personal certification authority device.

34. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the first personal communications device stores the certificate at the first personal communications device.

35. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the certificate further includes at least one of the public key, the identifier of the first device, a digital signature of the personal certification authority, and a public root key of the personal certification authority.

36. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the personal network comprises a personal area network.

37. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the personal network comprises a Bluetooth network.

38. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the personal network comprises a Bluetooth high rate network.

39. The personal network of claim 28, wherein the personal network comprises an IEEE 802.11 network.