# US 2014/0195812 A1 · Cryptographically secure authentication device, system and method

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- Number: US 2014/0195812 A1
- Document ID: US20140195812A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/156,765
- Filed: 2014-01-16
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-25
- Assignees: Aclara Technologies LLC
- Applicants: Aclara Technologies LLC
- Inventors: Glenn A. Emelko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195812A1

## CPC

- H04L 9/0897: {involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB}
- H04L 9/006: {involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models (network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04L 9/08: Key distribution {or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06)}
- H04L 9/0861: {Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords}
- H04L 9/3236: {using cryptographic hash functions}
- H04L 9/3297: {involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps}
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04L 9/007: {involving hierarchical structures}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- H04L 2209/80: Wireless
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

An electronic device generates identifying values which are used in authenticating the electronic device. The device comprises an interface, a private key generator for generating a private key, a non-volatile memory for storing at least the private key, an index source, a hash engine, and a logical interconnection between the private key generator, the non-volatile memory, the index source, the hash engine and the interface. The hash engine generates identifying values provided to the interface via the logical interconnection. The identifying values are provided to a verifying device for use in authenticating the electronic device. Alternatively or in addition, devices may be paired to share a root key to cryptographically communicate between each other and/or to authenticate each other.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-10. (canceled)

### Claim 11

A device comprising:
a processor;
a non-volatile memory connected to the processor;
a private key generator generating a private key, said private key generator connected to the processor, said processor storing the private key in the non-volatile memory;
an index source indicating an index number to the processor;
said processor performing a number of hashes on the private key to generate an identifying value, the number of hashes based on the index number stored in the non-volatile memory, said processor providing the identifying value for use in authenticating said device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11:
wherein the processor, the private key generator, and the non-volatile memory comprise a unitary, integrated device;
wherein the unitary, integrated device is configured such that the processor stores the private key only in the non-volatile memory; and
wherein the unitary, integrated device is configured such that the private key stored in the non-volatile memory is inaccessible by other devices so that other devices cannot obtain the private key.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 wherein an identifier of the device, the index number and the identifying value are stored in the non-volatile memory and wherein the processor provides the index number and the identifier for use in authenticating said device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 wherein the number of hashes is based on the difference between the index number and a reference number or wherein the index number is the current date/time and the number of hashes is based on the difference between the current date/time and a future date/time.

### Claim at position 6

-17. (canceled)

### Claim 18

A system for authenticating a secure authentication device having a device identifier, the system comprising:
a memory to store a prior timestamp and a prior hash value associated with the device identifier;
a logical interconnection operatively connected to the memory, the logical interconnection operative to communicate with the device; and
a processor operatively connected to the memory and the logical interconnection, the processor operative to receive, via the logical interconnection, the device identifier, a current hash value and a current timestamp,
said processor retrieving from the memory the prior timestamp and the prior hash value associated with the device identifier,
said processor determining an amount of time between the current timestamp and the prior timestamp,
said processor performing a number of hashes on the current hash value to generate an identifying value, wherein the number of hashes is based on the amount of time between the current timestamp and the prior timestamp, and
said processor determining whether the identifying value equals the prior hash value, wherein the device is authenticated if the identifying value equals the prior hash value, otherwise the device is not authenticated.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein the number of hashes equals the number of seconds between the prior timestamp and the current timestamp.

### Claim 20 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 for use by a device for providing authenticating information to a verifying device, comprising:
generating a random number;
determining a reference number;
storing the random number and the reference number;
determining a difference between an index number and the reference number;
performing a number of hashes on the random number to generate an identifying value, the number of hashes based on the determined difference; and
providing the identifying value and the index number to the verifying device for use in authenticating the device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 further comprising providing an identifier of the device to the verifying device for use in authenticating the device.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein the reference number comprises an end date/time, wherein the index number comprises a current date/time, wherein said performing comprises performing a number of hashes on the random number to generate the identifying value, the number of hashes based on the determined difference between the current date/time and the end date/time; and wherein said providing comprises providing the identifying value and the current date/time to the verifying device for use in authenticating the device.

### Claim 23

A method for authenticating a secure identification device, comprising:
receiving a device identifier, a hash value and a current timestamp;
retrieving a prior timestamp and a prior hash value associated with a prior authentication of a device identified by the device identifier;
determining an amount of time between the current timestamp and the prior timestamp;
performing a number of hashes on the hash value, the number of hashes based on the amount of time between the current timestamp and the prior timestamp; and
determining whether a resulting value of the performing the number of hashes equals the prior hash value, wherein the device is authenticated if the resulting value equals the prior hash value, otherwise the device is not authenticated.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 wherein the number of hashes equals the number of seconds between the prior timestamp and the current timestamp.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 for use by a device for providing authenticating information to a verifying device, said information including a random number and a reference number stored in a memory of the device, said method comprising:
retrieving the random number and the reference number from the memory;
determining a difference between an index number and the reference number;
performing a number of hashes on the random number to generate an identifying value, the number of hashes based on the determined difference; and
providing the identifying value and the index number to the verifying device for use in authenticating the device.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25 further comprising providing an identifier of the device to the verifying device for use in authenticating the device.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 for pairing secure authentication devices, comprising:
identifying a first device and a second device;
connecting the first device and the second device; and
generating, by the connected first and second devices, a common root key;
wherein the common root key is used by a hash engine of the first device and by a hash engine of the second device to cryptographically communicate between each other and/or to authenticate each other.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second devices communicate with each other by using identical crypto-keys for symmetric key cryptography by sharing only a common index number with each other.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 wherein the first device provides a random private key to the second device, wherein the first device uses the common root key to compute a first identifying value based on the provided random private key, wherein the second device uses the common root key to compute a second identifying value based on the provided random private key, wherein the computed second identifying value is provided to the first device, and wherein the first device compares the computed first identifying value to the second identifying value to authenticate the second device.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 for cryptographically pairing a first device having a first hash engine and a first private key generator for generating a first private key to a second device, said method comprising:
identifying a second device having a second hash engine and a second private key generator for generating a second private key;
connecting the first device and the second device;
generating, by the connected first and second devices, a common root key;
disconnecting the first device and second device;
wherein the common root key and the first private key are used by the first hash engine of the first device to cryptographically communicate with the second device and wherein the common root key and the second private key are used by the second hash engine of the second device to cryptographically communicate with the first device.

### Claim at position 20

-34. (canceled)