Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for encryption key creation

US5850450A · kind A · utility

100Cited by
15References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 19, 1996
Grant dateDec 15, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 19, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S257/922
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A portable electronic data module for secure transactions, the electronic data module having a random number generator and an optimized co-processor for producing unbreakable key sets for a two-key cryptosystem. A real-time clock is sampled depending upon an external random event series such as power-ups of the data module by a host apparatus, and based upon the contents of the sample thus obtained, the entropy of a previously-loaded accumulator is further enhanced to achieve a pool of true random numbers. By repeatedly requesting random bytes of information from said pool of random numbers, large random numbers are created which are then rendered prime and used for key set creation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.