Method and apparatus for real-time digital certification of electronic files and transactions using entropy factors

• US 7,231,044 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Authentication Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Authentication Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Dube, Roger R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/948,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20020199103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 380/258, 713/168
• US Class Current: 380/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• 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

An invention for digital authentication is provided. A first timing signal is received from a remote source using a receiver. Next, a delay number is stored. The delay number is based on a first delay time period between when the first timing signal was transmitted and when the first timing signal was received. A digital transaction is then authenticated using the delay number. In one aspect, a digital certificate is created using the delay number. The remote source can be any source capable of generating timing signals, such as a global positioning satellite (GPS) system or a cell tower system. The delay in the timing signal can be caused by free electrons in a line of sight between the remote source and the receiver, such as by variations in atmospheric conditions or by an object within the line of sight such as bird or tree branch. Optionally, the delay number can be stored on a User Card and a System Card. In this aspect, a transaction between the User Card on a client computer and the System Card on a server computer can be authenticating by comparing the delay number stored on the User Card to the delay number stored on the System Card.

Claims

1. A method for digital authentication, comprising the operations of:

receiving a first timing signal from a remote source using a receiver;

receiving a second timing signal from the remote source using the receiver;

storing a delay number, the delay number being a measure of a variation between arrival times of the first timing signal and the second timing signal at the receiver; and

authenticating a digital transaction using the delay number.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operation of creating a digital certificate using the delay number.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote source is a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote source is a cell tower system.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the variation between arrival times of the first timing signal and the second timing signal is caused by free electrons in a line of sight between the remote source and the receiver.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the variation between arrival times of the first timing signal and the second timing signal is further caused by variations in atmospheric conditions.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operation of calculating a location of the client computer based on at least the first timing signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operations of:

storing the delay number on a User Card and a System Card;

authenticating a transaction between the User Card on a client computer and the System Card on a server computer by comparing the delay number stored on the User Card to the delay number stored on the System Card; and

allowing the transaction to occur if the authentication is successful.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the operations of:

updating the delay number stored on the User Card based on a second delay time period between when a second timing signal from the remote source was transmitted and when the second timing signal was received; and

updating the delay number stored on the System Card based on the updated delay number stored on the User Card.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the transaction is further authenticated by comparing the location of the client computer with data from a profile stored on the server computer.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the operation of receiving a mobile access code when the location of the client computer does not match location data in the profile.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the transaction is further authenticated by comparing the received mobile access code with a mobile access code data from the profile.

13. A method for digital authentication, comprising the operations of:

storing a profile on a System Card, the profile including a first delay number, the first delay number being a measure of a first variation between arrival times of a first timing signal and a second timing signal received from a remote source;

transmitting a digital token from a User Card to the System Card, the digital token including the first delay number;

sending a new server public encryption key from the System Card to the User Card if the digital token matches the profile;

communicating summary data from the User Card to the System Card, the summary data including a second delay number, the second delay number being a measure of a second variation between arrival times of a third timing signal and a fourth timing signal received from the remote source, the second summary data being encrypted via the new server public encryption key; and

updating the profile on a System Card, the profile including the second delay number.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the digital token is encrypted for transmission using a default server public encryption key.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the new server public encryption key is encrypted for transmission using the default server public encryption key.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the remote source is a cell tower system.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the remote source is a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the first variation and the second variation are caused by free electrons in a line of sight between the remote source and the receiver.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the profile further includes location data for the User Card.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising the operation of calculating a location of the User Card based on the second timing signal.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the digital token includes the calculated location of the User Card.

22. A system for digital authentication, comprising:

a client computer having a User Card capable of receiving a first timing signal and a second timing signal from a remote source, wherein the User Card includes a stored delay number that is a measure of a variation between arrival times of the first timing signal and the second timing signal at the User Card; and

a server computer having a System Card that includes the delay number, the System Card including logic to compare the delay number stored on the User Card to the delay number stored on the System Card to authenticate a transaction.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the System Card includes logic to allow the transaction to occur if the authentication is successful.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the User Card includes logic to update the delay number stored on the User Card based on a measure of a variation between arrival times of a third timing signal and a fourth timing signal received from the remote source.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the System Card includes logic to update the delay number stored on the System Card based on the updated delay number stored on the User Card.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the remote source is a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

27. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein the variations between arrival times of the timing signals are caused by variations in atmospheric conditions.

28. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the User Card includes logic to calculate a location based on at least the first timing signal.

29. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the System Card includes logic to compare the location of the User Card with data from a profile stored on the System Card.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein the User Card includes logic to prompt the client computer to request a mobile access code from a user when the location of the User Card does not match location data in the profile.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the System Card includes logic to compare the mobile access code with a mobile access code data from the profile.

32. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein public key encryption is used to encrypt the transaction.

33. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein a user must physically interact with a device attached to the client computer to authenticate the transaction.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the device is a biometric scanner.

35. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the device is a keypad.