Patent · US Expired

System and method for user authentication employing dynamic encryption variables

US5937068A · kind A · utility

232Cited by
8References
53Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 1997
Grant dateAug 10, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07C9/215
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The system includes a first card-like unit adapted to communicate with a second unit giving only conditionally access to a function. Both units are capable of running software for generating a password by means of encryption of a plurality of dynamic variables produced separately but in concert (so as to have a predetermined relationship, such as identity, with one another) in the units. The encryption is carried out in each unit by a public algorithm using a dynamically varying encryption key. Each time an access request is issued by a card user, the key is modified as a function of the number of access requests previously formulated by the card user. Access to the function is granted when the passwords generated in the units have a predetermined relationship (such as identity) with each other. 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 authentication requests and executes an encryption algorithm, a smart card reader and a computer such as a personal computer. Either the smart card reader or the personal computer can generate the time dependent variable. In a "software…

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