System and method for location assurance using passive computational tags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515836-B2
Application number	US-201313852238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

In implementations, a computer-implemented method for location assurance is disclosed. The method can include receiving, by an application executing on a mobile computing device, an electronic token from a server, wherein the electronic token comprises a timestamp signed using a cryptographic signing algorithm; providing, by the application, the electronic token to a passive computational tag, wherein the electronic token is countersigned by the passive computational tag; receiving, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned by the passive computational tag; and providing, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned to the server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for location assurance comprising:
receiving, by an application executing on a mobile computing device, an electronic token from a token server over a network, wherein the electronic token comprises a timestamp signed using a cryptographic digital signature algorithm by the token server, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a hardware processor;
providing, by the application, the electronic token to a passive computational tag based on an instruction from the hardware processor, wherein the electronic token is countersigned by the passive computational tag using the cryptographic digital signature algorithm;
receiving, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned by the passive computational tag;
providing, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned by the passive computational tag to the token server over the network;
creating, by the token server, an electronic log of activities associated with a physical proximity of the mobile computing device and the passive computational tag based on the electronic token that was countersigned;
providing, by the token server, access rights to a user of the mobile computing device associated with the passive computation tag based on the electronic token that was countersigned,
determining, by the token server, a continuous presence between the mobile computing device and a docketing station associated with the passive computational tag; and
receiving a stream of tokens from the token server based on the continuous presence that was determined,
wherein the electronic token provides a verifiable location assurance based on the electronic log that the mobile computing device and the passive computation tag were in communication range based on the timestamp and that the electronic token was countersigned by the passive computational tag.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the timestamp comprises timing information in coordinated universal time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptographic digital signature algorithm comprises an asymmetric encryption scheme and the timestamp is signed using a private key of the token server.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptographic digital signature algorithm comprises a symmetric encryption scheme and the timestamp is signed using a shared private key.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic token that was countersigned is countersigned by a private key of the passive computational tag.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic token that was countersigned comprises a first timestamp of when the electronic token was countersigned by the passive computational tag and a second timestamp of when the electronic token was received from the passive computational tag.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing, by the application, the electronic token to a passive computational tag comprises coupling the mobile computing device with the passive computational tag.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic token comprises information related any, or combinations of, a random identifier, a cryptographic salt, and a server identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic token that is countersigned by the passive computational tag comprises a timestamp in a countersignature.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic token received from the token server is cryptographically signed using a private key of the token server by applying the cryptographic digital signature algorithm to a cryptographic hash of contents of the electronic token and the timestamp.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the countersigned electronic token received from the passive computational tag is cryptographically signed using a private key of the passive computational tag by applying the cryptographic digital signature algorithm to a cryptographic hash of contents of the electronic token, the timestamp, and the electronic token that was signed by the token server.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing the electronic token that was countersigned to the token server provides location assurance that the mobile computing device has a location within a predetermined range of the passive computational tag.

13. A device comprising:
one or more hardware processors; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that cause the one or more hardware processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving, by an application executing on a mobile computing device, an electronic token from a token server, wherein the electronic token comprises a timestamp signed using a cryptographic digital signature algorithm;
providing, by the application, the electronic token to a passive computational tag, wherein the electronic token is countersigned by the passive computational tag;
receiving, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned by the passive computational tag;
providing, by the application, the electronic token that was countersigned to the token server over a network,
creating, by the token server, an electronic log of activities associated with a physical proximity of the mobile computing device and the passive computational tag based on the electronic token that was countersigned;
providing, by the token server, access rights to a user of the mobile computing device associated with the passive computation tag based on the electronic token that was countersigned,
determining, by the token server, a continuous presence between the mobile computing device and a docketing station associated with the passive computational tag; and
receiving a stream of tokens from the token server based on the continuous presence that was determined;
wherein the electronic token provides a verifiable location assurance based on the electronic log that the mobile computing device and the passive computation tag were in communication range based on the timestamp and that the electronic token was countersigned by the passive computational tag.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the countersigned electronic token received from the passive computational tag is cryptographically signed using a private key of the passive computational tag by applying the cryptographic digital signature algorithm to a cryptographic hash of contents of the electronic token, the timestamp, and the electronic token that was signed by the token server.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the providing the electronic token that was countersigned to the server provides location assurance that the mobile computing device has a location within a predetermined range of the passive computational tag.

16. A computer-implemented method for location assurance comprising:
receiving, by a hardware processor of a token server over a network, a request for an electronic token from a computing device;
generating, by the hardware processor, the electronic token based on the request that was received, wherein the electronic token comprises information related to an identification of the token server and information related to a time that the request was received;
signing, by the hardware processor of the token server, the electronic token using a cryptographic digital signature algorithm;
providing, by the hardware processor of the token server over the network, the electronic token that was signed to the computing device;
receiving, by the hardware processor of the to

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Tredoux Gavan L
• Sweet James M
• Kibler Wendell L

Classifications

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/3297 Primary

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

• H04L2209/80

  Wireless · 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

• H04W12/10

  Integrity · CPC title