System and method for user authentication having clock synchronization
US5887065A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 2, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 2, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L9/3234
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The system includes a first unit adapted to communicate with a second unit. The second unit grants conditional access to a function or service in accordance with an authentication operation. Both units are capable of running software for generating passwords by means of encryption of several dynamic variables as for example a time dependent variable and/or a variable representing the number of formulated authentication requests. The encryption may be performed using a dynamic key. In order to synchronize the values of the variables generated in concert but independently in the units, only some of the least significant digits of the variables are transferred from the card-like unit to the other unit, with the transfer being performed by adding the digits to the password. This synchronization information is combined with corresponding variables in the second unit and used to calculate therein a value which has to match with the password calculated in the second unit in order to gain access to the function or service. In a "virtual token" implementation, the first unit can be a smart card, which stores the dynamic key and the variable representing the number of formulated authenticati…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.