Patent · US Expired

Methods and systems for establishing a shared secret using an authentication token

US6173400A · kind A · utility

146Cited by
9References
73Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 31, 1998
Grant dateJan 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2103
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for establishing a shared secret between a plurality of devices using an authentication token. An authentication token is used to establish a shared secret between a local device and a remote device to provide user authentication, data encryption, and integrity protection. The authentication token may be used in a variety of ways to authenticate a user. First, a time-synchronized authentication token can generate a first character string that is communicated to a workstation. The workstation can manipulate the first character string to generate a second character string and send the second character string to a server. The server then compares the second character string with a plurality of possible matching character string values and determines the first character string. In another implementation, a challenge from a server can be received and processed by a challenge-response authentication token to generate a character string. The generated character string is then communicated to the workstation to establish a shared secret. A smart card may also be used to establish a shared secret between a local device and a remote device using similar techniques.

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