US6370629B1 — Controlling access to stored information based on…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 77 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; cryptographically signing said actual geographic position with a receiver encryption key; verifying the signature of said actual geographic position; determining that said actual geographic position is within a geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized; and permitting access to said stored information.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 77 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; cryptographically signing said actual geographic position with a receiver encryption key; verifying the signature of said actual geographic position; determining that said actual geographic position is within a geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized; and permitting access to said stored information.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiver comprises a GPS receiver.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein said information is stored on a computer-readable medium.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 3 , wherein said computer-readable medium is portable.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 14 words

The method of claim 3 , wherein said computer-readable medium comprises a high-capacity disk.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein said stored information comprises files and each of said files has an associated geographic region within which access is permitted, and further permitting access to said file if said actual geographic position is located within said authorized geographic region for said file.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 6 , further comprising denying access to said stored information if said actual geographic position does not match said authorized geographic region.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 6 , wherein said association of the files with the authorized geographic regions is stored as a policy file together with said stored information.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 1 , further comprising: encrypting said stored information using an encryption key; and providing a decryption key which permits decryption of said stored information if said actual geographic position is located within said authorized geographic region.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein said stored information is divided into subsets of information and wherein at least one the subsets has a different authorized region from the other subsets, so that access is authorized to the subset whose authorized geographic region is located within the actual geographic position, but not to the subsets whose authorized geographic region is not located within the actual geographic position.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 91 words

Apparatus for controlling access to stored information comprising: a receiver supplying reliable position information for determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located, wherein the receiver comprises a receiver encryption mechanism providing a receiver encryption key for cryptographically signing data comprising the actual geographic position; and a computer for comparing said actual geographic position with a geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized, wherein said computer permits access to said stored information if said actual geographic position is located within said authorized geographic region.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 91 words

Apparatus for controlling access to stored information comprising: a receiver supplying reliable position information for determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located, wherein the receiver comprises a receiver encryption mechanism providing a receiver encryption key for cryptographically signing data comprising the actual geographic position; and a computer for comparing said actual geographic position with a geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized, wherein said computer permits access to said stored information if said actual geographic position is located within said authorized geographic region.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said receiver is a GPS receiver.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 33 words

The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a reader for reading said stored information wherein said reader comprises a receiver decryption key for verifying the data comprising said cryptographically signed actual position.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said reader generates an initialization vector which is transmitted to the receiver and included in the signed data.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said signed initialization vector is verified by the reader before said computer permits access to said stored information.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 167 words

A method for controlling access to a subset of files belonging to a larger set of files of stored information comprising: associating a unique file encryption key with each file from the larger set of files and encrypting the files using the associated encryption keys; associating each of the files from the larger set of files with at least one authorized geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized; determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; cryptographically signing at least the actual geographic position at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual geographic position; comparing said actual geographic position with said authorized geographic region; and providing a file decryption key which authorizes access to and permits decryption of said files belonging to said subset of files, provided that the actual geographic position is located within the authorized geographic region for the files belonging to said subset of files.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 167 words

A method for controlling access to a subset of files belonging to a larger set of files of stored information comprising: associating a unique file encryption key with each file from the larger set of files and encrypting the files using the associated encryption keys; associating each of the files from the larger set of files with at least one authorized geographic region within which access to said stored information is authorized; determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; cryptographically signing at least the actual geographic position at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual geographic position; comparing said actual geographic position with said authorized geographic region; and providing a file decryption key which authorizes access to and permits decryption of said files belonging to said subset of files, provided that the actual geographic position is located within the authorized geographic region for the files belonging to said subset of files.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 16 , wherein said association of the files with the authorized geographic regions is stored as a policy comprising policy files wherein each policy file is accessible with a user password and authorizes, if the user password is valid, access to the files listed in said policy file, if the actual geographic position is located within the authorized geographic region associated with the files.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein said policy is stored with the stored information.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 97 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: determining an actual date or time at the location of said stored information based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable time information; cryptographically signing at least the actual date or time at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual date or time; comparing said actual date or time with a predetermined date or time interval at which access to said stored information is authorized; and permitting access to said stored information if said actual date or time occurs within said authorized date or time interval.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 97 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: determining an actual date or time at the location of said stored information based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable time information; cryptographically signing at least the actual date or time at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual date or time; comparing said actual date or time with a predetermined date or time interval at which access to said stored information is authorized; and permitting access to said stored information if said actual date or time occurs within said authorized date or time interval.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 19 , further comprising denying access to said stored information if said actual date or time does not occur within said authorized date or time interval.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 51 words

The method of claim 19 , wherein said information comprises files and each of said files has an associated authorized date or time interval within which access is permitted, and further permitting access to said file if said actual date or time occurs within said associated authorized date or time interval.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 75 words

The method of claim 19 , wherein said stored information is divided into subsets of information and wherein at least one of the subsets has a different authorized date or time interval from the other subsets, so that access is authorized to the subset whose authorized date or time interval matches the actual date or time, but not to the subsets whose authorized date or time interval does not match the actual date or time.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 148 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: forming a policy associating said information with authorized geographic regions and authorized time intervals; cryptographically signing said policy and said information; storing said signed policy together with said signed information; providing a password for unlocking said policy; determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; determining an actual time; cryptographically signing at least the actual geographic position and the actual time at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual geographic position and the actual time; comparing said actual geographic position and said actual time with said authorized geographic regions and authorized time interval of said policy; and permitting access to said stored information if said actual geographic position and actual time falls within said authorized geographic regions and authorized time interval of said policy.

Claim 28

Independent Claim 148 words

A method for controlling access to stored information comprising: forming a policy associating said information with authorized geographic regions and authorized time intervals; cryptographically signing said policy and said information; storing said signed policy together with said signed information; providing a password for unlocking said policy; determining an actual geographic position where said stored information is located based on signals received at a receiver supplying reliable position information; determining an actual time; cryptographically signing at least the actual geographic position and the actual time at the receiver; verifying the signature of the actual geographic position and the actual time; comparing said actual geographic position and said actual time with said authorized geographic regions and authorized time interval of said policy; and permitting access to said stored information if said actual geographic position and actual time falls within said authorized geographic regions and authorized time interval of said policy.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 23 , wherein position and time are determined through a Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 23 , wherein position is determined through an inertial navigation system.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 23 , wherein position is determined through a satellite based location determination system.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 69 words

A method for controlling access to stored information, the method comprising: (a) determining a position; (b) cryptographically signing data comprising at least a representation of the position; (c) verifying the signature of the data comprising at least a representation of the position; (d) determining that access to the stored information is authorized at the position; and (e) permitting access to the information based at least upon (c) and (d).

Claim 33

Independent Claim 69 words

A method for controlling access to stored information, the method comprising: (a) determining a position; (b) cryptographically signing data comprising at least a representation of the position; (c) verifying the signature of the data comprising at least a representation of the position; (d) determining that access to the stored information is authorized at the position; and (e) permitting access to the information based at least upon (c) and (d).

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 27 , further comprising (f) providing the cryptographically signed data to an information accessing device, wherein (c) and (e) are performed by the information accessing device.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 28 , further comprising: (g) identifying a token; (h) incorporating the token in the data that is cryptographically signed; and (i) verifying that the cryptographically signed data comprises the token.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 29 , wherein (g) and (i) are performed by the information accessing device.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 29 , wherein (a), (b), and (h) are performed by a position determining device.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 29 , further comprising (j) providing the token to the position determining device.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-04-08	2005-10-08	2006-04-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-04-08	2009-10-08	2010-04-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-04-08	2013-10-08	2014-04-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Controlling access to stored information based on geographical location and date and time

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