Personal authentication system
OwnerPhilip Michael Daviesinventor
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Abstract
A device authentication system, for example for consumer electronic products, uses a portable authenticator or key fob (16) to respond to periodic broadcast challenges from protected devices (10,12). Public key cryptosystem technology is used, with the owner's public key being stored within each of the protected devices, and the corresponding private key within the key fob. Each challenge issued by a protected device is encrypted using the public key, and on receipt decrypted using the private key. If decryption is successful, a verification message is sent from the key fob to the protected device, authorising the protected device to continue operation. If a verification message is not received by the device, the device ceases to operate.
Claims32
A device authentication system comprising an authenticator in bi-directional communication with at least one protected device, the authenticator including memory means for storing an electronic key identifying a key owner, a receiver for receiving a challenge from a protected device, a challenge validator for checking whether the challenge is valid for the said key owner and a transmitter for transmitting to the device a verification message if so;
- the protected device including memory means for storing an electronic lock indicative of a valid key owner for the device, a transmitter for transmitting a challenge indicative of the valid key owner for the device, a receiver for receiving the verification message, and a device control which controls operation of the device in dependence upon receipt or otherwise of the verification message.
A device authentication system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the authenticator is in broadcast communication with the protected device.
A method of device authentication comprising storing at the device an electronic lock indicative of a valid key owner for the device, issuing a challenge indicative of the valid key owner for the device, receiving the challenge at a site remote from the device, checking whether the challenge is valid for the said key owner by reference to a stored electronic key identifying the key owner, sending back a verification message if the challenge is valid, receiving the verification message at the protected device and controlling the protected device in dependence upon receipt or otherwise of the verification message.
A method of device authentication comprising transmitting a challenge from a protected device to an authenticator, the challenge being encrypted by a cryptosystem public key, verifying the challenge at the authenticator by decrypting the challenge using the corresponding cryptosystem private key, transmitting a verification message back to the protected device if the validation is satisfactory, and controlling operation of the device in dependence upon receipt or otherwise of the verification message.
A device authentication system comprising at least one product to be protected within which is stored a public key of a public key cryptosystem identifying the product owner, and an authenticator remote from the device within which is stored the corresponding private key.
An electronic device for protection by a device authentication system, the device including a memory for storage of a public key of a public key cryptosystem, a transmitter for transmitting authentication challenges based on the public key, and a receiver for receiving responses to the challenges.
An authenticator for authenticating challenges received from a device to be protected, the authenticator including a memory for storage of a private key of a public key cryptosystem, a receiver for receiving challenges, and a transmitter for transmitting verification messages based on the private key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.