US 2023/0308291 A1Published application

Embedded Device Authentication System

AssigneeDevvio, Inc.

InventorsNicholas Williams, Thomas G Anderson

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Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method of cryptographically identifying and authenticating embedded devices through interaction with a distributed ledger. The device begins with a manufacturer root key and a globally unique identifier. It registers by signing a registration transaction that includes its identifier using its private root key with a digital signature algorithm and sending the resultant transaction to the distributed ledger. The ledger generates a registration root key and responds by sending this second root key back to the device. The device then uses the manufacturer root key and the registration root key to generate a child key that it uses to sign its response to the challenge proving that it possesses both the manufacturer key and the registration key. Thereafter, the device can non-interactively identify and authenticate itself to the distributed ledger by signing transactions with the derivative key.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of distributed authentication of smart devices comprising:

(a) providing a secure processor or co-processor embedded in the device with the capabilities to generate key pairs, sign binary data, and validated signed data using any well-defined digital signature algorithm;
(b) providing a system of distributed ledgers partitioned into shards that can store and retrieve immutable data over public or private networks;
(c) generating a manufacturer root key unique to the processor or co-processor suitable for use with the chosen digital signature algorithm;
(d) generating a registration message that uniquely identifies the device to the distributed ledger system;
(e) providing a challenge response from the distributed ledger system that:
(e)(i) assigning the device to a single shard;
(e)(ii) providing the device with a registration root key
(f) generating a derivative key by combining the manufacturer root key and the registration root key;
(g) cryptographically signing the challenge response using the derivative key and thereby proving that the secure processor possesses both the manufacturer root key and the registration root key.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/324,802Filed 26 May 2023
Priority: 9 Dec 2020
Published: 28 Sep 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 9/50
Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols: using hash chains, e.g.…
G06F 21/31
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: user authentication
H04L 9/0866
Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords: involving user or device identifiers,…
H04L 9/3236
Including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity…: using…

Family

Application63/123,434Us provisional application · filed 9 Dec 2020
Application63/123,436Us provisional application · filed 9 Dec 2020
Application18/324,802Continuation
US 12,418,428 B2Related patent
US 2023/0308291 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.