US 7,398,398 B2 · Authenticated and metered flow control method

Abstract

An authenticated and metered flow control method provides a network interface with the capability to determine the authenticity of programs used to generate and send data packets, thereby ensuring that users who send data packets are well behaved. The method is based on using a hidden program that was obfuscated into the program used for generating and sending data packets. More specifically, the hidden program generates a pseudo random sequence of security signals that are included in the sequence of data packets that are sent from the user to the network interface. Only the network interface knows how the pseudo random sequence of security signals was generated, and therefore, the network interface is able to check the validity of the pseudo random sequence of security signals, and thereby verify the authenticity of the programs used to generate and send data packets.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A communications control system, the system comprising:

an access point for coupling data packets to a network;
a computing subsystem for executing a first software application;
wherein the first software application comprises a user operative portion and a hidden program portion;
wherein the user operative portion provides for sending data packets for controlled transmission through the access point;
wherein the hidden program portion provides a security signal representative of the hidden program portion that is coupled to a controller for controlling coupling of the data packets via the access point to the network responsive to the security signal from the hidden program portion;
wherein the access point couples to the hidden program portion, information about ordering of a current data packet comprising at least one of:
a secure time-stamp, a sequence number signal, a sequence of security tags, a UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) signal, a sequence time-stamp generated responsive to a UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) signal;
and
wherein the security signal is generated responsive to the ordering information about ordering of the current data packet and the hidden program portion.

6 more elements

A method of control of coupling of data packets via a network via an access point, the method comprising:

providing a first software application comprising a user operative portion and a hidden program portion;
executing the first software application on a computing subsystem;
utilizing the user operative portion of the first software application program on the computing subsystem for sending data packets for transmission via the access point;
utilizing the hidden program portion of the first software application on the computing subsystem for providing a security signal;
controlling coupling of the data packets via the access point responsive to the security signal from the hidden program portion;
coupling to the hidden program portion, information about ordering of a current one of the data packets, the information about ordering comprising at least one of a secure time-stamp, a sequence number signal, a sequence of security tags, a UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) signal, and a sequence time-stamp generated responsive to a UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) signal of the first software application from the access point, and
generating the security signal responsive to the information about ordering of the current data packet and the respective hidden program portion;
and
providing a security signal representative of the hidden program portion couple to the controller for controlling the access point for coupling of respective associated ones of the data packets via the network.

6 more elements

A communications control system comprising, the system comprising:

an access point for coupling data packets to a network;
a first computing subsystem for executing a first software application;
a second computing subsystem for executing a second software application;
wherein each of the first software application and the second software application respectively comprise a respective user operative portion for controlling transmission through the access point by providing respective security signals;
wherein the respective security signals of the first software application and the second software application are coupled to the access point;
wherein each of the first software application and the second software application have a respective hidden program portion for providing respective security signals coupled to the access point, for sending of data packets;
software application logic for sending the data packets between the respective first software application and the respective second software application responsive to the respective user operative portion;
and
a controller for controlling coupling of the respective data packets as between the respective first software application and the respective second software application via the access point, responsive to respective security signals from the respective hidden program portions of the respective first software application and the respective second software application.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Authenticated and metered flow control method

Life of this patent

Authenticated and metered flow control method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27