Data processing apparatus and method

An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the data store is a first data store, the cryptographic key is a first cryptographic key, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

• a second data store for storing a secure key and a public key, wherein the secure key comprises one of a second cryptographic key and a number required to generate the second cryptographic key, and wherein the public key is associated with the first cryptographic key by an asymmetric encryption algorithm;
• an access controller operable to allow access to the secure key stored in the second data store only to an access request accompanied by a digital signature generated using the first cryptographic key;
• and
• an access request signal generator operable to generate a digital signature using the first cryptographic key and to transmit an access request, including the generated digital signature, to the access controller in order to retrieve the secure key.

An apparatus for generating a mapping key associating an intermediate key representative of data from an analogue source with a cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive data representative of an analogue source;
• a number generator operable to process the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• a cryptographic key generator operable to generate a cryptographic key;
• a data processor operable to process the intermediate key and the cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate a mapping key.

An apparatus for generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the apparatus comprising:

• a data store operable to store process data, determined by a training process, for controlling the processing of the data representative of the analogue source;
• a data processor operable to process the data representative of the analogue source, using the stored process data, to identify at least one attribute value of at least one feature within the data;
• and
• a number generator operable to generate said number from the or each determined attribute value.

A data processing apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive one or more training data sets, each training data set representative of the analogue source;
• a data processor operable to process the or each received training data set to identify at least one attribute of at least one feature;
• and
• a process data generator operable to generate process data indicative of the identified at least one attribute.

An apparatus for generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the apparatus comprising:

• means for processing the data to determine at least one attribute value of at least one feature within the data;
• means for storing value adjustment data;
• means for modifying the at least one attribute value using said stored value adjustment data;
• and
• means for generating said number from the modified at least one attribute value.

An apparatus for generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the apparatus comprising:

• means for storing process data indicative of at least one attribute of at least one feature within the data;
• means for processing the data, using the stored process data, to identify the at least one attribute of the at least one feature within the data;
• means for determining an attribute value for the or each identified attribute;
• and
• means for generating said number from the or each determined attribute value.

A system for generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the system comprising a training apparatus and a number generating apparatus,

• the training apparatus comprising:
• i) means for receiving a plurality of training data sets, each training data set representative of the analogue source;
• ii) means for processing the received training data sets to identify at least one attribute value of at least one feature;
• iii) means for generating process data indicative of the identified at least one attribute value of at least one feature,
• and the number generating apparatus comprising:
• i) means for storing the process data generated by the training apparatus;
• ii) means for receiving data representative of the analogue source;
• iii) means for processing the data, using the stored process data, to identify the at least one attribute of the at least one feature within the data;
• iv) means for determining an attribute value for the or each identified attribute;
• and v) means for generating said number from the or each determined attribute value.

A system for generating a cryptographic key using a received external key, the system comprising:

• a first data store for storing an authorisation key;
• a second data store for storing a secure key and a public key, wherein the secure key comprises one of the cryptographic key and a number required to generate the cryptographic key, and wherein the public key is associated with an associated private key by an asymmetric encryption algorithm;
• an access controller operable to allow access to the secure key stored in the second data store only to an access request accompanied by a digital signature generated using the private key corresponding to the stored public key;
• a key generator operable to generate the private key using the received external key and the stored authorisation key using a mapping function;
• and
• an access request signal generator operable to generate a digital signature using the private key and to transmit an access request, including the generated digital signature, to the access controller in order to retrieve the secure key.

An apparatus for generating a cryptographic key, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving data representative of an analogue source;
• means for processing the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• means for storing a mapping key, said mapping key being a number;
• and
• means for combining the intermediate key and the mapping key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate the cryptographic key.

A method of generating a cryptographic key, the method comprising:

• receiving data representative of an analogue source;
• processing the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• retrieving a stored mapping key, said mapping key being a number;
• and
• combining the intermediate key and the mapping key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate the cryptographic key.

An apparatus for generating a mapping key associating an intermediate key representative of data from an analogue source with a cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving data representative of an analogue source;
• means for processing the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• means for generating a cryptographic key;
• means for combining the intermediate key and the cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate a mapping key.

A method of generating a mapping key associating an intermediate key representative of data from an analogue source with a cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function, the method comprising:

• receiving data representative of an analogue source;
• processing the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• generating a cryptographic key;
• combining the intermediate key and the cryptographic key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate a mapping key.

An apparatus for generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the apparatus comprising:

• means for storing process data, determined by a training routine, operable to control the processing of the data representative of the analogue source;
• means for processing the data representative of the analogue source, using the stored process data, to identify at least one attribute value of at least one feature within the data;
• and
• means for generating said number from the or each determined attribute value.

A method of generating a number from data representative of an analogue source, the apparatus comprising:

• storing process data, determined by a training routine, operable to control the processing of the data representative of the analogue source;
• processing the data representative of the analogue source, using the stored process data, to identify at least one attribute value of at least one feature within the data;
• and
• generating said number from the or each determined attribute value.

A data processing apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving one or more training data sets, each training data set representative of the analogue source;
• means for processing the or each received training data set to identify at least one attribute of at least one feature;
• and
• means for generating process data indicative of the identified at least one attribute.

A data processing method comprising:

• receiving one or more training data sets, each training data set representative of the analogue source;
• processing the or each received training data set to identify at least one attribute of at least one feature;
• and
• generating process data indicative of the identified at least one attribute.

An apparatus for generating a private key corresponding to a known public key, the public key being associated with a user, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive data representative of an analogue source associated with the user;
• a number generator operable to process the received data to generate an intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• a data store for storing a mapping key, said mapping key being a number predetermined to combine with the intermediate key generated from data representative of said analogue source, in accordance with a monotonic mapping function, to generate the private key;
• and
• a key generator operable to combine the intermediate key and the stored mapping key in accordance with the monotonic mapping function to generate the private key.

A registration apparatus for generating a mapping key associating a private key, corresponding to a public key associated with a user, with an intermediate key representative of data from an analogue source, the analogue source being associated with the user, in accordance with a monotonic mapping function, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive data representative of the analogue source;
• a number generator operable to process the received data to generate the intermediate key representative of the received data, said intermediate key being a number;
• and
• a data processor operable to process the intermediate key and the private key in accordance with the monotonic mapping function to generate the mapping key.