Electronic identifiers for network terminal devices
US6005943A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 29, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 29, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L9/0877
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The generation of electronic identifiers for network interface units connected to a data network for use in detecting unauthorized decryption of encrypted data transmitted over the data network. A random number is generated for use as a private key decryption code and is stored in memory in each network interface unit. A public key is calculated from the stored private key using a non-invertible mathematical formula. If the calculated public key is unique, then a portion of the public key (e.g. a subset of its bits) is stored in a data provider database as an electronic identifier for use in detecting unauthorized decryption of data by the interface unit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.