Patent EP0735722A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0735722A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Cryptographic key management and validation system
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1996-04-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-04-01
Abstract
Abstract A Key Management System (10) for generating, distributing and managing cryptographic keys used by an information transaction system that employs cryptographic means to produce evidence of information integrity. The system comprises a plurality of functionally distinct secure boxes operatively coupled to each other. Each of the secure boxes performs functions for key generation, key installation, key verification or validation of tokens. Computers (24, 30), operatively coupled to the secure boxes, provide system control and facilitate communication among the secure boxes. A plurality of separate logical security domains provide domain processes for key generation, key installation, key verification and validation of tokens produced by the transaction evidencing device within the domain using the key management functions. A plurality of domain archives, corresponding respectively to each of the security domains, securely and reliably record key status records and master keys for each domain. The Key Management System installs the master keys in the transaction evidencing device (36) and validates the tokens. The secure boxes include a key generation box for generating, encrypting and signing a master key; a key installation box (32) for receiving, verifying and decrypting the signed master key and for installing the master key into the transaction evidencing device (36), a key verification box for verifying the installation of the master key in the transaction evidencing device, a token verification box for verifying the tokens, and at least one manufacturing box for generating domain keys and distributing the domain keys among the secure boxes for each of the domains.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter J. Baker
- 👤 Feliks Bator
- 👤 Robert A. Cordery
- 👤 Kevin D. Hunter
- 👤 Kathryn V. Lawton
- 👤 Louis J. Loglisci
- 👤 Steven J. Pauly
- 👤 Leon A. Pintsov
- 👤 Frederick W. Ryan, Jr.
- 👤 Monroe A. Weiant, Jr.
- 👤 Gary M. Heiden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 16:06
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/08; H04L9/0816; H04L9/0819; H04L9/083; G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00733; H04L9/0825; H04L9/32; H04L9/321; H04L9/3213; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B2017/00846; G07B2017/00854; G07B2017/00862; G07B2017/0087; G07B2017/00895; G07B2017/00959; G07B2017/00967
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
A Key Management System for generating, distributing and managing cryptographic keys used by an information transaction system that employs cryptographic means to produce evidence of information integrity, the system comprising: a plurality of functionally distinct secure boxes operatively coupled to each other, each of said secure boxes including means for performing one of key management functions for key generation, key installation, key verification and validation of tokens; computer means for providing system control, said computer means being operatively coupled to said secure boxes and including means for facilitating communication among said secure boxes; a plurality of separate logical security domains, each of said security domains providing domain processes for key generation, key installation, key verification and validation of tokens produced by a transaction evidencing device within said domain using said key management functions; a plurality of domain archives operatively coupled to said computer means and corresponding respectively to each of said security domains, said domain archives including means for securely and reliably recording key status records and master keys for each domain; means for installing said master keys in the transaction evidencing device; and means for validating said tokens.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
The Key Management System of claim 1 wherein said secure boxes comprise: a key generation box including means for generating, encrypting and signing a master key when a request for said master key is received from said computer means; and a key installation box operatively couple to said key generation box and said transaction evidencing device, said key installation box including means for receiving, verifying and decrypting said signed master key and means for installing said master key into said transaction evidencing device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The Key Management System of claim 2 wherein said secure boxes further comprise: a key verification box operatively coupled to said key generation box and said key installation box, said key verification box including means for verifying the installation of said master key in said transaction evidencing device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The Key Management System of claim 3 wherein said secure boxes further comprise: a token verification box operatively coupled to said key verification box, said token verification box including means for verifying the tokens
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein said secure boxes further comprise: at least one manufacturing box operatively coupled to said secure boxes, said manufacturing box including means for generating domain keys and distributing said domain keys among said secure boxes for each of said domains.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein said computer means comprises a first key management computer located at a first data center and operatively coupled to said secure boxes, said first key management computer controlling communications among said secure boxes and said domain archives.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The Key Management System of claim 6 wherein said computer means further comprises a key distribution computer located at a manufacturing site and operatively coupled to said secure boxes and said first key management computer, said key distribution computer controlling distribution or said master keys for installation into said transaction evidencing device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
The Key Management System of claim 7 wherein said computer means further comprises a second key management computer located at a second data center and operatively coupled to said secure boxes, said first key management computer and said key distribution computer, said second key management computer monitoring the Key Management System and controlling said token verification box located at said second data center.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The Key Management System of claim 7 wherein said computer means further comprises a distributed key management computer operatively coupled to said first key management computer and located at a verification site, and wherein said secure boxes further comprise a distributed token verification box, said distributed key management computer controlling verification by said distributed token verification box of tokens produced by said transaction evidencing device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein a subset of said logical security domains exists in each of said secure boxes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein said transaction evidencing device produces temporal keys for generation of tokens, and one of said secure boxes generates identical temporal keys and one of said key management computers distributes said temporal keys to said distributed key management computer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The Key Management System of claim 2 wherein said key generation box assigns a unique key identifier and a key installation box to said master key, said key installation box verifying that said key identifier is fresh and said master key is assigned to said key installation box.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein said transaction evidencing device includes at least two of said master keys from at least two of said security domains, said transaction evidencing device generating tokens for each of said two domains.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The Key Management System of claim 2 wherein said key generation box includes means for producing evidence of master key integrity and said key installation box verifies said master keys installed in said transaction evidencing device using said evidence of master key integrity.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
The Key Management System of claim 3 wherein said transaction evidencing device includes means for producing evidence of master key integrity and said key verification box verifies said master keys installed in said transaction evidencing device are identical to said master keys recorded in said domain archive using said evidence of master key integrity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The Key Management System of any preceding claim wherein said transaction evidencing device is a postage meter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
188 words
A Key Management System for generating, distributing and managing cryptographic keys used by a digital postage meter that employs cryptographic means to produce evidence of postage payment, the system comprising: a plurality of functionally distinct secure boxes operatively coupled to each other, each of said secure boxes including means for performing one of key management functions for key generation, key installation, key verification and validation of tokens; computer means for providing system control, said computer means being operatively coupled to said secure boxes and including means for facilitating communication among said secure boxes; a plurality of separate logical security domains, each of said security domains providing domain processes for key generation, key installation, key verification and validation of tokens produced by the digital meter within said domain using said key management functions; a plurality of domain archives operatively coupled to said computer means and corresponding respectively to each of said security domains, said domain archives including means for securely and reliably recording key status records and master keys for each domain; means for installing said master keys in the digital postage meter; and means for validating said tokens.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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