Apparatus and method for authenticating the dispatch and contents of documents

• US 6,571,334 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RMail Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Authentix Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Feldbau, Ofra, Feldbau, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callahan, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US09/724,459
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 380/255, 380/259, 380/282, 380/28, 705/67, 713/150, 713/155, 713/156, 713/168, 713/169, 713/170, 713/200
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/30 Compression, e.g. Merkle-Damgard construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Apparatus and method for authenticating that a sender has sent certain information via a dispatcher to a recipient is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a set A comprising a plurality of information elements a1, . . . , an, said information element a1 comprising the contents of said dispatched information, and said one or more information elements a2, . . . , an comprising dispatch-related information and comprise at least the following elements: a2—a time indication associated with said dispatch; and a3—information describing the destination of said dispatch, and wherein at least one of said information elements is provided in a manner that is resistant or indicative of tamper attempts by said sender; (b) associating said dispatch-related information with said element a1 by generating authentication-information, in particular comprising a representation of at least said elements a1, a2 and a3, said representation comprising a set of one or more elements, each comprising a representation of one or more elements of said set A; (c) securing at least part of said authentication-information against undetected tamper attempts of at least said sender. The dispatch relates either to transmission or to manual delivery. The apparatus implements the operations of the method.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a dispatch and contents of the dispatch transmitted from a sender to a recipient, comprising the steps of:

sending content data representative of the contents of the dispatch, and, a destination of the dispatch associated with said recipient, to an authenticator functioning as a non-interested third party with respect to the sender and the recipient, to be forwarded to said destination;

receiving a representation of authentication data that has been generated by said authenticator, said authentication data comprising a representation of the following set A of information elements;

a₁—

comprising said content data, and dispatch record data elements a₂, . . . , a_n which includes at least an indicia a₂ relating to a time of the dispatch which is provided in a manner resistant to or indicative of tampering by either of the sender and the recipient, and an indicia a₃ relating to said destination of the dispatch,

wherein at least part of said authentication data is secured against tampering of the sender and the recipient, and

wherein said authentication data includes a set B comprising one or more information elements b₁, . . . ,b_m generated by respectively applying functions F₁, . . . ,F_m to subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m comprising selected portions of said set A, where said functions F₁, . . . ,F_m can be different from one another and said subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m can be different from one another, and

wherein said authentication data does not comprise an encrypted representation of said content data and said dispatch record data which is encrypted with a secret key, either symmetric or asymmetric, associated with said recipient.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said authenticator and said recipient do not share a secret key.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said securing of the authentication data is performed in a manner other than by encryption using a secret key associated with said recipient.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said authentication data is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said authentication data possesses the property that encrypted information, if any, that it consists of is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said dispatch record data comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of a delivery indication associated with said dispatch, the number of pages transmitted, page numbers, an indication of identification associated with said sender, said dispatch duration, integrity information, an indication of dispatch identification associated with said dispatch, an indication of identification associated with said authenticator, a heading message, a trailing message, and a link information element through which other selected elements of the authentication data or said set A are linked and associated to each other.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said delivery indication is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein said delivery indication comprises information returned by or associated with said recipient or an agent of said recipient.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said element a₃ comprises at least one element of the group consisting of an address associated with said dispatch, an address associated with said recipient, and an indication of identification associated with said recipient.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein said link information element comprises a dispatch identifier.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said securing of the authentication data includes storing a selected portion thereof in secure storage.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said storage is associated with a third party, thereby rendering it secure.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said authenticator comprises at least one element of the group consisting of a facsimile machine, a modem, a network interface card (NIC), a computer, a communication line, a communication network, an E-Mail system, an EDI system, and a message transmission forwarding service.

14. A method according to claim 1 or 8 wherein said dispatch is delivered to an agent of said recipient.

15. A method according to claim 1 or 6 wherein at least one of said functions F₁, . . . , F_m is selected from the group consisting of functions from the Hiding Class, functions unknown to the sender, one-way functions, symmetric or asymmetric digital signature functions, reversible or irreversible functions, compound functions and combinations thereof.

16. A method according to claim 1 or 6 wherein said authentication data comprises an element generated according to a Time-Stamping or a digital signature scheme.

17. A method according to claim 1 or 6 wherein said representation of the authentication data is in the form a paper printout, electronic information, microfiche, and combinations thereof.

18. Authentication data for authenticating a dispatch and contents of the dispatch electronically transmitted from or for a sender to a recipient, comprising a representation of the following set A of information elements:

content data a₁ representative of the contents of a dispatch; and

dispatch record data elements a₂, . . . ,a_n which include at least an indicia a₂ relating to a time of the dispatch and an indicia a₃ relating to the destination of the dispatch,

wherein said time related indicia a₂ being provided in a manner resistant to or indicative of tampering by either of the sender and the recipient, and

wherein at least part of said authentication data is secured against tampering of the sender and the recipient, and

wherein said authentication data are generated and secured by an authenticator functioning as a non-interested third party with respect to the sender and the recipient, and

wherein said authentication data includes a set B comprising one or more information elements b₁, . . . ,b_m generated by respectively applying functions F₁, . . . ,F_m to subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m comprising selected portions of said set A, where said functions F₁, . . . ,F_m can be different from one another and said subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m can be different from one another, and

wherein said authentication data does not comprise an encrypted representation of said content data and said dispatch record data which is encrypted with a secret key, either symmetric or asymmetric, associated with said recipient.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said authenticator and said recipient do not share a secret key.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein said securing of the authentication data is performed in a manner other than by encryption using a secret key associated with said recipient.

21. A method according to claim 18 wherein said authentication data is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

22. A method according to claim 18 wherein said authentication data possesses the property that encrypted information, if any, that it consists of is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

23. A method according to claim 18 wherein said dispatch record data comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of a delivery indication associated with said dispatch, the number of pages transmitted, page numbers, an indication of identification associated with said sender, said dispatch duration, integrity information, an indication of dispatch identification associated with said dispatch, an indication of identification associated with said authenticator, a heading message, a trailing message, and a link information element through which other selected elements of the authentication data or said set A are linked and associated to each other.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein said delivery indication is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein said delivery indication comprises information returned by or associated with said recipient or an agent of said recipient.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein said link information element comprises a dispatch identifier.

27. A method according to claim 18 wherein said securing of the authentication data includes storing a selected portion thereof in secure storage.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein said storage is associated with a third party, thereby rendering it secure.

29. A method according to claim 18 wherein said authenticator comprises at least one element of the group consisting of a facsimile machine, a modem, a network interface card (NIC), a computer, a communication line, a communication network, an E-Mail system, an EDI system, and a message transmission forwarding service.

30. A method according to claim 18 or 25 wherein said dispatch is delivered to an agent of said recipient.

31. A method according to claim 18 wherein said element a3 comprises at least one element of the group consisting of an address associated with said dispatch, an address associated with said recipient, and an indication of identification associated with said recipient.

32. A method according to claim 18 or 23 wherein at least one of said functions F₁, . . . , F_m is selected from the group consisting of functions from the Hiding Class, functions unknown to the sender, one-way functions, symmetric or asymmetric digital signature functions, reversible or irreversible functions, compound functions and combinations thereof.

33. A method according to claim 18 or 23 wherein said authentication data comprises an element generated according to a Time-Stamping or a digital signature scheme.

34. A method according to claim 18 or 23 wherein said representation of the authentication data is in the form a paper printout, electronic information, microfiche, and combinations thereof.

35. A method for verifying the authenticity of a dispatch sent from a sender to a recipient, comprising the steps of:

providing a representation of a selected portion of a group A′

of data elements purported authentic, said elements including a content data, and dispatch record data comprising at least a time and destination relating to the dispatch;

comparing said representation for match with a representation of at least part of authentication data, that has been generated by an authenticator functioning as a non-interested third party with respect to the sender and the recipient, said authentication data comprising a representation of the following set A of information elements;

a₁—

comprising a content data, and dispatch record data elements a₂, . . . ,an which includes at least an indicia a₂ relating to a time of the dispatch which is provided in a manner resistant to or indicative of tampering by either of the sender and the recipient, and an indicia a₃ relating to said destination of the dispatch,

wherein at least part of said authentication data is secured against tampering of the sender and the recipient, and

wherein said authentication data includes a set B comprising one or more information elements b₁, . . . ,b_m generated by respectively applying functions F₁, . . . ,F_m to subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m comprising selected portions of said set A, where said functions F₁, . . . ,F_m can be different from one another and said subsets S₁, . . . ,S_m can be different from one another, and

wherein said authentication data does not comprise an encrypted representation of said content data a₁ and said dispatch record data elements a₂, . . . ,a_n which is encrypted with a secret key, either symmetric or asymmetric, associated with said recipient.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein said authenticator and said recipient do not share a secret key.

37. A method according to claim 35 wherein said securing of the authentication data is performed in a manner other than by encryption using a secret key associated with said recipient.

38. A method according to claim 35 wherein said authentication data is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

39. A method according to claim 35 wherein said authentication data possesses the property that encrypted information, if any, that it consists of is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

40. A method according to claim 35 wherein said dispatch record data comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of a delivery indication associated with said dispatch, the number of pages transmitted, page numbers, an indication of identification associated with said sender, said dispatch duration, integrity information, an indication of dispatch identification associated with said dispatch, an indication of identification associated with said authenticator, a heading message, a trailing message, and a link information element through which other selected elements of the authentication data or said set A are linked and associated to each other.

41. A method according to claim 40 wherein said link information element comprises a dispatch identifier.

42. A method according to claim 35 or 40 wherein said representation of the authentication data is in the form a paper printout, electronic information, microfiche, and combinations thereof.

43. A method according to claim 40 wherein said delivery indication is generated using no secret key associated with said recipient.

44. A method according to claim 40, wherein said delivery indication comprises information returned by or associated with said recipient or an agent of said recipient.

45. A method according to claim 35 wherein said securing of the authentication data includes storing a selected portion thereof in secure storage.

46. A method according to claim 45 wherein said storage is associated with a third party, thereby rendering it secure.

47. A method according to claim 35 wherein said authenticator comprises at least one element of the group consisting of a facsimile machine, a modem, a network interface card (NIC), a computer, a communication line, a communication network, an E-Mail system, an EDI system, and a message transmission forwarding service.

48. A method according to claim 35 or 44 wherein said dispatch is delivered to an agent of said recipient.

49. A method according to claim 35 wherein said element a3 comprises at least one element of the group consisting of an address associated with said dispatch, an address associated with said recipient, and an indication of identification associated with said recipient.

50. A method according to claim 35 or 40 wherein at least one of said functions F₁, . . . , F_m is selected from the group consisting of functions from the Hiding Class, functions unknown to the sender, one-way functions, symmetric or asymmetric digital signature functions, reversible or irreversible functions, compound functions and combinations thereof.

51. A method according to claim 35 or 40 wherein said authentication data comprises an element generated according to a Time-Stamping or a digital signature scheme.