Claims
- 1. A digital time notarization device for enabling a user to digitally notarize digital information without regard to any particular recipient of said digital information comprising:
- a clock module for generating clock signals indicative of time;
- input means for receiving a digital input value to be notarized;
- a digital storage device, said storage device storing a private key associated with the notarization device, said private key having a corresponding device public key; and
- a digital processor device for performing a digital signature operation on said clock signals and said digital input value using said private key corresponding to the device public key for generating a notarization time stamp, whereby a holder of said device public key may verify that said notarized time stamp is authentic.
- 2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising random number generator means, coupled to said processor device for generating a relatively unpredictable output value, said processor device creating said notarized time stamp using said unpredictable output value.
- 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said clock module includes a plurality of digital clocks.
- 4. A device according to claim 3, further including averaging means coupled to receive the outputs of said plurality of digital clocks for generating a time output signal which is the average of the outputs of said plurality of digital clocks.
- 5. A device according to claim 3, further including threshold detecting means for generating an error signal if the difference between the outputs of said plurality of clocks exceeds a predetermined threshold.
- 6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said input value represents at least one digital message.
- 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said digital input value is a hash value.
- 8. A method of digitally time notarizing a digital message comprising the steps of:
- receiving a digital message to be date/time notarized by a digital notarization device;
- generating clock signals indicative of time within said device;
- accessing a private key created for said device and stored in a tamper proof storage device in said notarization device, said private key having a corresponding device public key;
- performing a digital signature operation on said digital message, and said clock signals, using said private key, whereby a notarized time stamp is generated by said notarization device; and
- generating a digital time stamp notarization packet including said notarized time stamp and digital data identifying said device public key.
- 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said device public key is certified by a trusted authority and wherein said notarization packet includes at least a notarized time stamp and a digital certificate by the trusted authority certifying the device's public key.
- 10. A method according to claim 8, further including the steps of:
- generating a relatively unpredictable value, and
- crating said notarized time stamp using said unpredictable value.
- 11. A method according to claim 8, wherein said receiving step includes the step of receiving said digital message from a data processing system.
- 12. A method according to claim 8, further including the steps of initializing said notarization device; and
- storing an indication in said notarization device that the initialization has been completed.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/421,104, filed Oct. 13, 1989, now U.S Pat. No. 5,001,752 issued Mar. 19, 1991.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
421104 |
Oct 1989 |
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