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US 7,444,516 B2Granted
Method, apparatus and article for off-line certification in mobile applications
AssigneeIntermec IP Corp.
InventorRobert D. Buck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tamper-resistant certification device receives a certified digital time stamp from a trusted third party, resets a time function and produces a time stamp receipt in an on-line mode; The tamper-resistant certification device receives a digital file from a mobile computing device, and produces a certified digitally signed digital file including a copy of the digital file, time stamp receipt and temporal offset in an off-line mode to evidence the content of the digital file within a defined tolerance of a day and/or time. A processor may be portioned into tamper and non-tamper resistant portions.
Claims21
A method of producing certifications of digital files, the method comprising:
- from time-to-time, while a tamper-resistant certification device is in an on-line mode,
- receiving a certified time stamp at the tamper-resistant certification device from a remote source remotely located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device, wherein the tamper-resistant certification receives at a time of receipt a last certified time stamp;
- in response to receiving the certified time stamp, providing a time stamp receipt to the remote source from the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- from time-to-time, while the tamper-resistant certification device is in an off-line mode,
- receiving a digital file for certification at the tamper-resistant certification device, the digital file from a local source locally located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device;
- determining a temporal offset from the time of receipt of the last certified time stamp received at the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- producing a certified digital file at the tamper-resistant certification device, the certified digital file comprising the contents of the digital file, the stamp receipt, and an indication of the determined temporal offset from the time of receipt of the last certified time stamp.
6 more elements
A method of producing certifications of digital files, the method comprising:
- b. From time to time, i. establishing remote communications with a remotely located trusted third party over a communications path extending between the trusted third party and a certification device;
- ii. receiving a certified time stamp from the trusted third party at the certification device;
- iii. verifying that the certified time stamp was created by the trusted third party as a precondition to resetting the timer function at the certification device;
- iv. in response to the verification of the certified time stamp, resetting the timer function at the certification device;
- v. providing to the trusted third party a time stamp receipt from the certification device upon at least one of receiving the certified time stamp receipt or a successful resetting of the timer function;
- vi. terminating the remote communications with the trusted third party over the communication path extending between the trusted third party and the certification device.
3 more elements
A method of producing certifications of digital files, the method comprising;
- from time-to-time,
- establishing remote communications with a remotely located trusted third party;
- receiving a certified time stamp from the trusted third party;
- in response to the receipt of the certified time stamp, resetting a timer function;
- providing a time stamp receipt to the trusted third party upon at least one of receiving the certified time stamp receipt or a successful resetting of the timer function;
- terminating the remote communications with the trusted third party;
- and
- temporarily disabling the producing of the certified digital files following a discharge of a battery below a defined threshold, until the timer function is reset in response to receipt of one of the certified time stamps.
5 more elements
A tamper-resistant certification device to produce certification of digital files, the tamper-resistant certification device comprising:
- a tamper-resistant housing, having an interior and an exterior;
- at least one communications port accessible from the exterior of the housing;
- a processor received in the housing and coupled to the at least one communications port, the processor configured to:
- from time-to-time in an on-line mode,
- receive a certified time stamp at a tamper-resistant certification device from a remote source remotely located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device;
- in response to receipt of the certified time stamp, provide a time stamp receipt to the remote source from the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- from time-to-time, in an off-line mode,
- receive a digital file for certification from a local source locally located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device;
- determine a temporal offset from a last receipt of one of the certified time stamps received at the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- produce a certified digital file comprising the contents of the digital file, the time stamp receipt, and an indication of the determined temporal offset from the last receipt of one of the certified time stamps.
9 more elements
A processor readable medium storing instructions for causing a processor in a tamper-resistant certification device to produce certification of digital files, by:
- from time-to-time in an on-line mode,
- receiving a certified time stamp at a tamper-resistant certification device from a remote source remotely located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device;
- in response to receiving the certified time stamp, providing a time stamp receipt to the remote source from the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- from time-to-time, in an off-line mode,
- receiving a digital file for certification from a local source locally located with respect to the tamper-resistant certification device;
- determining a temporal offset from a last receipt of one of the certified time stamps received at the tamper-resistant certification device;
- and
- producing a certified digital file comprising the contents of the digital file, the time stamp receipt, and an indication of the determined temporal offset from the last receipt of one of the certified time stamps.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.