Four-factor authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11968305-B2
Application number	US-202017129314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

Verifying that a user is using a device at a pre-specified location between a start time and an end time, including: calculating a challenge and an answer that is a function of the challenge; generating and storing in a blockchain, a commitment including an identity of the user, an identity of the device, the pre-specified location associated with the user, the start time of usage of the device, the end time of usage of the device, and the calculated challenge; generating a visual code of the device to carry the answer; encrypting the generated visual code with a public key of the device, wherein the encrypted visual code may only be decrypted with a private key of the device; and storing the encrypted visual code in the blockchain.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
calculating a challenge and an answer that is a function of the challenge,
wherein the challenge is a nonce and the function is non-reversible;
generating and storing in a blockchain, a commitment including an identity of a user, an identity of the device, a pre-specified location associated with the user, a start time of usage of the device, an end time of usage of the device, and the calculated challenge,
wherein the commitment is generated to verify that the user is committed to using the device as specified;
generating a visual code of the device to carry the answer;
encrypting the generated visual code with a public key of the device, wherein the encrypted visual code may only be decrypted with a private key of the device;
storing the encrypted visual code in the blockchain;
transferring the encrypted visual code to the device;
decrypting, by the device, the encrypted visual code using the private key of the device;
displaying an image of the visual code on a display of the device;
capturing the image of the visual code using a camera device;
extracting, by the camera device, the visual code that carries the answer corresponding to the challenge;
generating, by the camera device, a message including the commitment with a location of the camera device, the identity of the device obtained from the extracted visual code, and a current time;
transmitting, by the camera device, the message; and
verifying, using the message including the commitment, that the user is using the device at the pre-specified location between the start time and the end time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
signing the message with a private key of the user to generate a signature.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising
verifying the commitment when the message is received and the signature matches a public key of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
verifying the commitment when the message is received and a value of the extract visual code matches the calculated challenge.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
verifying the commitment when the message is received and the prespecified location is equal to the location of the camera device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
verifying the commitment when the message is received and the current time is within a time slot bounded by the start time and the end time.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
calculate a challenge and an answer that is a function of the challenge,
wherein the challenge is a nonce and the function is non-reversible;
generate and store in a blockchain, a commitment including an identity of a user, an identity of a device, a pre-specified location associated with the user, a start time of usage of the device, an end time of usage of the device, and the calculated challenge,
wherein the commitment is generated to verify that the user is committed to using the device as specified;
generate a visual code of the device to carry the answer;
encrypt the generated visual code with a public key of the device, wherein the encrypted visual code may only be decrypted with a private key of the device;
store the encrypted visual code in the blockchain;
transfer the encrypted visual code to the device; decrypt the encrypted visual code using the private key of the device;
display an image of the visual code on a display;
capture the image of the visual code using a camera device;
extract the visual code that carries the answer corresponding to the challenge;
generate a message including the commitment with a location of the camera device, the identity of the device obtained from the extracted visual code, and a current time;
transmit, by the camera device, the message; and
verify, using the message including the commitment, that the user is using the device at the pre-specified location between the start time and the end time.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
sign the message with a private key of the user to generate a signature.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
verify the commitment when the message is received and the signature matches a public key of the user.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
verify the commitment when the message is received and a value of the extract visual code matches the calculated challenge.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
verify the commitment when the messsage is received and the pre-specified location is equal to the location of the camera device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
verify the commitment when the message is received and the current time is within a time slot bounded by the start time and the end time.

13. A system comprising:
a blockchain;
a device to be authenticated,
wherein it is to be verified that a user is using the device at a pre-specified location between a start time and an end time,
wherein the device accesses the blockchain through a network connection,
wherein the blockchain stores a commitment including an identity of the device to authenticate, an identity of a user of the device, a pre-specified location associated with the user, the start time of usage of the device, the end time of usage of the device, and a challenge,
wherein the commitment is generated to verify that the user is committed to using the device as specified;
a public key and a private key of the device for encryption and decryption that are stored in the device and in the blockchain;
a public key and a private key of the user for encryption and decryption that are stored in the blockchain;
a scheduler to generate a visual code of the device to carry an answer to the challenge, to encrypt the generated visual code with the public key of the device, wherein the encrypted visual code may only be decrypted with the private key of the device, and to store the encrypted visual code in the blockchain, wherein the challenge is a nonce and the function is non-reversible; and
a camera device:
to capture an image of a decrypted visual code,
generate a message including the commitment with a location of the camera device, the identity of the device obtained from the extracted visual code, and a current time, and
to transmit the message,

wherein the extracted visual code carries the answer corresponding to the challenge,
wherein the transmitted message is used to verify that the user is using the device at the pre-specified location between the start time and the end time.

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc
• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Diehl Eric

Classifications

• H04L9/3228 Primary

  One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key · CPC title

• H04L9/0825

  using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates · CPC title

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/3271

  using challenge-response · CPC title

• H04L9/3297

  involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps · CPC title