METHODS AND DEVICES FOR MONITORING THE INTEGRITY OF AN ARTICLE DURING TRANSPORTING SAID ARTICLE

• US 20130080784A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Berlinger & Co. AG
• Original Assignee: Q-Tag, AG
• Inventors: Oertli, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• 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

The method for obtaining information relating to the integrity of an article (2) as assessed from an exposure of said article (2) to physical or environmental conditions during a time span during which said article (2) is transported comprises

• a) providing a device (1) to be located in proximity to said article (2) during said transport, digital certificate data (C) and first digital private key data (K1*) being stored in said device (1);
• d) storing in said device (1) data (I) related to said physical or environmental conditions, said data being referred to as integrity data (I);
• e) creating within said device (1) first digitally signed data (DS1) by digitally signing data comprising said integrity data (I) and said digital certificate data (C), using said first digital private key data (K1*);
• f) storing said first digitally signed data (DS1) in said device (1).

A high degree of security against malpractice and data falsification can be achieved. A corresponding device (1) is also presented.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information relating to the integrity of an article as assessed from an exposure of said article to physical or environmental conditions during a time span during which said article is transported, said method comprising the steps of

a) providing a device to be located in proximity to said article during said transport, digital certificate data and first digital private key data being stored in said device;

d) storing in said device data related to said physical or environmental conditions, said data being referred to as integrity data;

e) creating within said device first digitally signed data by digitally signing data comprising said integrity data and said digital certificate data, using said first digital private key data;

f) storing said first digitally signed data in said device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said integrity data are text-representing data.

3. The method according to claim 1, said device comprising at least one sensor for sensing said physical or environmental conditions, said method comprising the step of

g) by means of said sensor, creating data representative of said physical or environmental conditions at various times during said time span, a data set comprising said data being referred to as environmental data;

wherein said integrity data are identical with or different from said environmental data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said integrity data are different from said environmental data, and wherein said method comprises the step of

h) obtaining said integrity data from said environmental data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein step h) comprises the step of

h2) obtaining said integrity data from said integrity raw data;

the method comprising the step of

i) receiving in said device an indication that an end of said time span is reached;

wherein step h2) is carried out in reaction to said receiving of said indication.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein step h) comprises the step of

h1) obtaining data referred to as integrity raw data by processing said environmental data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein step h1) is carried out during said time span.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the processing mentioned in step h1) is carried out in dependence of predescribed limitations for the exposure of said article to said physical or environmental conditions.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of

j) obtaining said integrity data in dependence of predescribed limitations for the exposure of said article to said physical or environmental conditions.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step e) comprises the steps of

e1) creating first hash data by applying a first hash function to data comprising said integrity data and said digital certificate data;

e2) creating first signature data by encrypting said first hash data by means of said first digital private key data; and

e3) obtaining said first digitally signed data by joining said data comprising said integrity data and said digital certificate data with said first signature data.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of

p) digitally verifying said integrity data comprised in said first digitally signed data using said first digital public key data, said first digital public key data being associated with said first digital private key data.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said digital certificate data comprise second digitally signed data created by digitally signing first content data using second digital private key data, in particular wherein said first content data comprise first identification data, more particularly wherein said first identification data are text-representing data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said digitally signing said first content data comprises the steps of

x1) creating second hash data by applying a second hash function to said first content data;

x2) creating second signature data by encrypting said second hash data by means of said second digital private key data; and

x3) obtaining said second digitally signed data by joining said first content data with said second signature data.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising the step of

n) digitally verifying said first content data comprised in said first digitally signed data using second digital public key data, said second digital public key data being associated with said second digital private key data.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said first content data comprise first digital public key data, said first digital public key data being associated with said first digital private key data.

16. The method according to claim 13, comprising the step of

n) digitally verifying said first content data comprised in said first digitally signed data using second digital public key data, said second digital public key data being associated with said second digital private key data;

wherein step n) comprises the steps of

n1) applying said second hash function to said data comprising said first content data;

n2) decrypting said second signature data using said second digital public key data;

n3) comparing the data obtained in step n1) with the data obtained in step n2).

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said physical or environmental conditions comprise a temperature.

18. A device for obtaining information relating to the integrity of an article as assessed from an exposure of said article to physical or environmental conditions during a time span during which said article is transported, said device comprising a storage unit in which

digital certificate data;

and

first digital private key data;

are stored.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said digital certificate data comprise second digitally signed data created by digitally signing data comprising first digital public key data using second digital private key data, said first digital public key data being associated with said first digital private key data.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein said device comprises at least one sensor for sensing said physical or environmental conditions.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein said device comprises a control unit structured and configured for digitally signing data.

22. The device according to claim 18, wherein in said storage unit, predescribed limitations for the exposure of said article to said physical or environmental conditions are stored.

23. A device for obtaining information relating to the integrity of an article as assessed from an exposure of said article to physical or environmental conditions during a time span during which said article is transported, said device comprising a control unit structured and configured for digitally signing data.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein said control unit is structured and configured for carrying out said digitally signing of data in reaction to receiving an indication that an end of said time span is reached.

25. The device according to claim 23, wherein said device comprises at least one sensor for sensing said physical or environmental conditions, said sensing unit being structured and configured for creating data representative of said physical or environmental conditions at various times during said time span, a data set comprising said data being referred to as environmental data, said control unit being structured and configured for obtaining integrity data from said environmental data, wherein said integrity data are text-representing data related to said physical or environmental conditions, and wherein said integrity data are different from said environmental data.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein said control unit is structured and configured for digitally signing data comprising said integrity data.