Mobile system and method for improving safety of impromptu meetings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9306753-B1
Application number	US-201414516716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for enabling safety in and for initial impromptu meetings facilitated by electronic devices. Prior to the meeting, participants each download a same generated event ticket and the public key of the other meeting participant. At the meeting location, each individual's electronic device via a mobile application initiates close-proximity communication with the other mobile application; signs the ticket with its stored private key; exchanges signed tickets; verifies the received signed ticket using the downloaded public key; and compares the verified signed ticket with the downloaded ticket to authenticate the other individual.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for enabling safety in and for initial impromptu meetings facilitated by electronic devices, said system comprising:
a database of public keys of participants including a first participant and a second participant, with each public key associated with a private key that is in the possession of the associated participant;
a server that maintains said database and which generates and signs a ticket with a private key associated with said server, said private key being associated with a public key, and which sends a signed ticket to said first and second participants, wherein when said first and said second participants meet each other with respective first and second electronic devices for a meeting;
wherein said public key associated with said server is downloaded to each of said first and second electronic devices if not already done and said public key associated with said first participant and said public key associated with said second participant are obtained by said second and said first electronic devices respectively if not already done and said public key associated with said server is employed by each of said first and second electronic devices to verify that said signature associated with said signed ticket is valid if not already done;
wherein said first and second electronic devices electronically sign said signed ticket again with said first participant's private key and said second participant's private key respectively to generate a newly signed ticket which is then sent from each of said first and second electronic devices to the other, whereupon when each of said first and second electronic devices receive said newly signed ticket from the other, said public keys associated with said first and second participants are used to verify that said signed tickets sent by said first and second participants respectively are valid to ensure that said meeting is safe;
wherein said first and second electronic devices communicate with and transfer data to and from each other via close-proximity communications; and
wherein each of said first and second electronic devices sends a multipart message to one another, wherein a first part of said multipart message activates an associated app on the other device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said database is publicly searchable.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said database communicates electronically with said server, wherein said server comprises a meeting control server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise Bluetooth wireless communications.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise WiFi wireless communications.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise sound waves.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise NFC.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said database communicates electronically with said server, wherein said server comprises a meeting control server.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise at least one of the following: NFC, sound waves, WiFi wireless communications and Bluetooth wireless communications.

10. A system for enabling safety in and for initial impromptu meetings facilitated by electronic devices, said system comprising:
a database of public keys of participants including a first participant and a second participant, with each public key associated with a private key that is in the possession of the associated participant;
a server that maintains said database and which generates and signs a ticket with a private key associated with said server, said private key being associated with a public key, and which sends a signed ticket to said first and second participants, wherein when said first and said second participants meet each other with respective first and second electronic devices for a meeting;
wherein said public key associated with said server is downloaded to each of said first and second electronic devices if not already done and said public key associated with said first participant and said public key associated with said second participant are obtained by said second and said first electronic devices respectively if not already done and said public key associated with said server is employed by each of said first and second electronic devices to verify that said signature associated with said signed ticket is valid if not already done;
wherein said first and second electronic devices communicate with and transfer data to and from each other via close-proximity communications; and
wherein each of said first and second electronic devices sends a multipart message to one another, wherein a first part of said multipart message activates an associated app on the other device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said first and second electronic devices electronically sign said signed ticket again with said first participant's private key and said second participant's private key respectively to generate a newly signed ticket which is then sent from each of said first and second electronic devices to the other, whereupon when each of said first and second electronic devices receive said newly signed ticket from the other, said public keys associated with said first and second participants are used to verify that said signed tickets sent by said first and second participants respectively are valid to ensure that said meeting is safe.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said database is publicly searchable.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said database communicates electronically with said server, wherein said server comprises a meeting control server.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise Bluetooth wireless communications.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise WiFi wireless communications.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise sound waves.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise NFC.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said close-proximity communications comprise at least one of the following: NFC, sound waves, WiFi wireless communications and Bluetooth wireless communications.

19. A method for enabling safety in and for initial impromptu meetings facilitated by electronic devices, said method comprising:
providing a database of public keys of participants including a first participant and a second participant, with each public key associated with a private key that is in the possession of the associated participant;
instructing a server to maintain said database and to generate and sign a ticket with a private key associated with said server, said private key being associated with a public key, and to further send a signed ticket to said first and second participants, wherein when said first and said second participants meet each other with respective first and second electronic devices for a meeting;
wherein said public key associated with said server is downloaded to each of said first and second electronic devices if not already done and said public key associated with said first participant and said public key associated with said second participant are obtained by said second and said first electronic devices respectively if not already done and said public key associated with said server is employed by each of said first and second electronic devices to

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Vandervort David R
• Gaucas Dale Ellen

Classifications

• H04L9/3247 Primary

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L2209/80

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04W4/21

  for social networking applications · CPC title

• H04L9/3234

  involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853) · CPC title

• H04L9/14

  using a plurality of keys or algorithms · CPC title