Authentication system
US4723284A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 14, 1983 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 14, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2129
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a hardware authentication system for a public key communications network. The public key network includes at least one user terminal and at least one hardware authentication terminal coupled by a communications medium. The authentication terminal generates and stores a plaintext message M, and generates from this message M a ciphertext message C by transforming the plaintext message M with the public key of the user terminal. The authentication terminal is further adapted to transmit the ciphertext message C by way of the medium to the user terminal. The user terminal is adapted to receive the enciphered or ciphertext message C from the hardware authentication terminal, and transform that ciphertext message with its private key to obtain a plaintext message M'. The user terminal is further adapted to transmit the plaintext message M' by way of the medium to the authentication terminal. The authentication terminal also is adapted to receive the plaintext message M' from the user terminal and compare that received plaintext message M' with the stored plaintext message M. Upon identifying that the messages M and M' match., the authentication termin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.