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US 5,671,285 AGranted
Secure communication system
OwnerBruce D. Newmaninventor
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OwnerBruce D. Newmaninventor
Estimating the term…
Encryption/decryption capable terminal units, such as FAX point-of-sale units, on non-secure telecommunications, use public keys for accessing selected target terminals, but make their messages secure by encryption according to private keys. Each subscriber terminal registers, with a central database controller, a unique public key code. Each terminal includes a quick-access storage for a finite number of telephone numbers and related public keys for other terminals. To send a message, the source FAX first queries its local storage for the public key of the target terminal. If the public key is present, it sends a message encrypted with the public key for the target terminal, along with a digital signature. When the message is transmitted, the encrypted public key for the target terminal, and the digital signature of the source terminal user's private key are combined to form a message packet for decryption by the target terminal. The target terminal queries its own key storage to permit decrypting using its own private key and the public key of the sender. The central database controller provides unknown telephone numbers and public keys, and archives, groups, forwards and timestamps messages, and authorizes credit card transactions, without forwarding credit card numbers and without capability to decrypt such message. Credit transactions require the central database controller to communicate separately with the credit provider, but these messages may be similarly encrypted using the public key and private key concept.
An encryption/decryption secure system for communication, via non-secure telecommunications, between a multiplicity of send/receive terminal units, comprising:
In a secure system for communication via non-secure telecommunications, between a multiplicity of terminal units a security subsystem which operates in a plurality of communication modes, such security subsystem comprising:
A security encryption/decryption system communicating via non-secure telecommunications, among a multiplicity of send/receive terminal units, comprising:
A security encryption/decryption system for communication between a multiplicity of FAX terminal units communicating via a non-secure communication system, characterized by a central database controller having stored a set of subscriber identifiers, each including the telephone numbers indexed to public keys for a full set of subscribers, said multiplicity of FAX terminal units including at least one source FAX unit at a source location and a multiplicity of potential target FAX units at other locations, including at least one selected target FAX unit, each potential target FAX unit including said target FAX unit having an associated public key and a private key respectively for access and encryption/decryption, all such source and potential target FAX units being connectable to each other and to said central database controller (2), said source FAX unit having a frequently-called-subscriber-list storage means for a subset of said set of subscriber identifiers, each including the telephone numbers for public keys of potential target FAX units, said source FAX unit having means to determine whether a selected target FAX unit subscriber identifier is stored in said frequently-called-subscriber-list storage means, and said source FAX unit having means to query said central database controller with the telephone number for the public key of a selected target FAX unit to provide the subscriber-identifier public key for a telephone number not present in said frequently-called-subscriber-identifier list storage means, further characterized by the deployment in the system of a plurality of levels of security including a encryption-level-of-security-identification when encryption is desired, each of said levels of security being identifiable by a level-of-security-identification signal, in which the source FAX unit transmits a level-of-security-identification signal along with a selection of target FAX unit and transmits a message to said selected target FAX unit according to said selected level-of-security-identification, in which said encryption-level-of-security-identification requires the message to be transmitted in encrypted mode, and in which said central database controller operates to provide additional services in the group of services comprising grouping, broadcasting, remote save, remote time stamping, archiving and billing, and forwarding an encrypted message without capability to encrypt such message.
The method for making a secure credit card transaction on a non-secure communication channel, including the following steps:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.