Method, Apparatus, Device, System, Program, for Calibrating

1 . A method ( 100 ) for calibrating a device ( 101 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ), the method comprising:

the device ( 101 ) probing ( 103 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with a calibration challenge ( 104 ),

obtaining ( 105 ) a response ( 106 ) from the physical token ( 102 ),

matching ( 107 ) the response obtained ( 106 ) against a retrieved response ( 108 ),

signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated in case of a match.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

modifying ( 110 ), if the matching failed, a parameter ( 111 ) that influences the calibrating,

repeating ( 112 ) the steps of claim 1 with the parameter ( 111 ) modified.

3 . A method according to claim 2 , the method further comprising:

deriving ( 113 ), from the calibrating, a target value ( 114 ) for the parameter ( 111 ), and

modifying ( 110 ) the parameter ( 111 ) by setting ( 115 ) it to the target value ( 114 ).

4 . A method according to claim 3 , the method further comprising:

correlating ( 116 ) the response obtained ( 106 ) with the retrieved response ( 108 ) for determining correlations, and

setting ( 115 ) the target value ( 114 ) in dependence of the correlations for increasing the correlation determined after the repeating.

5 . A method according to claim 3 , the method further comprising:

comparing ( 117 ) the response obtained ( 106 ) to each response in a plurality ( 118 ) of response-target pairs, and

selecting ( 119 ) a pair ( 120 ) out of the plurality, the pair having a response that compares most to the response obtained ( 106 ), and

setting ( 115 ) the target value ( 114 ) equal to the target of the pair selected.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

retrieving ( 121 ), previously to the calibrating, the calibration challenge ( 104 ) and the retrieved response ( 108 ) from a memory ( 122 ) associated with the physical token ( 102 ).

7 . A method according to claim 2 , the method further comprising:

modifying ( 110 ) at least one out of the set of an angle, a position, a wavelength, a spot size, a spot shape, a resolution, a temperature, a force, a pressure, a stress, a distortion, a pixel.

8 . A method ( 200 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ) at a device ( 101 ) using an authentication challenge, the method comprising:

calibrating ( 201 ) the device ( 101 ) and the physical token ( 102 ) with the steps of claim 1 , and

only if signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated:

probing ( 202 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with the authentication challenge,

obtaining ( 203 ) a further response from the physical token ( 102 ),

matching ( 204 ) the further response obtained against a stored further response,

signaling ( 205 ) the authenticity of the physical token ( 102 ) in case of a match.

9 . A method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:

comparing ( 206 ) the authentication challenge to each challenge in a plurality ( 207 ) of challenge-response pairs, and

selecting ( 208 ) a pair ( 209 ) out of the plurality, the pair having a calibration challenge ( 104 ) that compares most to the authentication challenge, and

using ( 210 ) the calibration challenge ( 104 ) and the response of the pair selected for the calibrating.

10 . A method for enabling calibrating ( 301 ) a device ( 101 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ), the method comprising:

generating ( 302 ) a calibration challenge ( 104 ) for the calibrating,

probing ( 103 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with the calibration challenge ( 104 ),

obtaining a response from the physical token ( 102 ),

storing ( 303 ) the calibration challenge ( 104 ) generated and the response obtained ( 106 ) for retrieval for the calibrating ( 100 ).

11 . An apparatus ( 401 ) for calibrating a device ( 101 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ), the apparatus comprising:

an input ( 402 ) for receiving a trigger ( 403 ) for starting the calibrating,

probing means ( 404 ) for probing ( 103 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with a calibration challenge ( 104 ),

means ( 405 ) for obtaining the response from the physical token ( 102 ),

matching means ( 406 ) for matching the response obtained ( 106 ) against a retrieved response ( 108 ),

an output ( 407 ) for signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated, the apparatus being arranged for, in response to receiving the trigger ( 403 ) at the input ( 402 ), signalling ( 109 ) on the output ( 407 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated in case of a match.

12 . A device ( 501 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ) using an authentication challenge, the device ( 501 ) comprising:

an apparatus ( 401 ) for calibrating the device ( 501 ) according to claim 11 ,

triggering means ( 502 ) for providing a trigger at the input of the apparatus,

authenticating means ( 503 ) for authenticating the physical token ( 102 ) with the authentication challenge,

a further output ( 504 ) for signaling the authenticity of the physical token ( 102 ), the device ( 501 ) being arranged for:

triggering the apparatus ( 401 ), and

only if the apparatus ( 401 ) signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 501 ) is calibrated:

authenticating the physical token ( 102 ) with the authentication challenge,

signaling the authenticity of the physical token ( 102 ) on the further output in dependence of the authenticating.

13 . A verifier ( 601 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ) at a device ( 101 ) using an authentication challenge, the verifier comprising:

an apparatus ( 401 ) for calibrating the device ( 101 ) according to claim 11 ,

triggering means for providing a trigger at the input of the apparatus,

authenticating means for authenticating the physical token ( 102 ) with the authentication challenge,

a further output ( 602 ) for signaling the authenticity of the physical token ( 102 ), the verifier being arranged for:

triggering the apparatus ( 401 ), and

only if the apparatus ( 401 ) signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated:

authenticating the physical token ( 102 ) at the device ( 101 ) with the authentication challenge,

signaling the authenticity of the physical token ( 102 ) at the device ( 101 ) on the further output ( 602 ) in dependence of the authenticating.

14 . A system ( 701 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ) at a device ( 702 ), the system comprising:

an apparatus ( 401 ) according to claim 11 , for calibrating the device ( 702 ),

a device ( 702 ) for probing ( 103 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with a calibration challenge ( 104 ) and obtaining a response,

a verifier ( 703 ) for matching the response obtained ( 106 ) against a retrieved response ( 108 ), the system arranged such that the verifier provides an authentication challenge to the device only if the apparatus ( 401 ) signaled ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated.

15 . A computer program product ( 801 ) for, when being executed on a processor ( 802 ), calibrating a device ( 101 ) for authenticating a physical token ( 102 ), the computer program product being arranged for causing the processor to perform the steps of:

probing ( 103 ) the physical token ( 102 ) with a calibration challenge ( 104 ),

obtaining ( 105 ) a response ( 106 ) from the physical token ( 102 ),

matching ( 107 ) the response obtained ( 106 ) against a retrieved response ( 108 ),

signaling ( 109 ) that the device ( 101 ) is calibrated in case of a match.