Method and apparatus for secure measurement certification
View Patent ↗The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for acquiring a physical measurement, and for creating a cryptographic certification of that measurement, such that its value and time can be verified by a party that was not necessarily present at the measurement. The certified measurement may also include corroborative information for associating the actual physical measurement process with the certified measurement. Such corroborative information may reflect the internal or external state of the measurement certification device, as well as witness identifiers of any persons that may have been present at the measurement acquisition and certification. The certification may include a signal receiver to receive timing signals from a satellite or other external source. The external timing signals may be used to generate the time included in the certified measurement, or could be used to determine the location of the measurement certification device for inclusion in the certified measurement.
1. A device for secure measurement acquisition and certification, comprising:
(a) a sensor;
(b) a time generator;
(c) a computing device, including a computer processor and a memory, coupled to receive (i) a digital signal being based at least in part on a physical measurement from the sensor and (ii) a second signal being based at least in part on a time from the time generator; said computing device configured for generating an augmented measurement based on the digital signal and the second signal, and for performing a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certified measurement; and
(d) an output device, coupled to the computing device, for writing the certified measurement in response to a certified measurement request;
wherein the sensor, the time generator, and the computing device are configured to be resistant to tampering.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the time generator includes a clock.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic operation includes a one-way function.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein the one-way function is associated with a cryptographic key.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein the one-way function includes a representation of a previously produced certifiable measurement.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic operation includes encryption with an encryption key.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the encryption incorporates a representation of a previously produced certifiable measurement.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a printer.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the output device includes means for writing to a magnetic substrate.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein the output device includes means for writing to a semiconductor substrate.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein the output device includes a display.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein the tamper resistance means is a secure enclosure.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure enclosure encapsulates at least one of the sensor, the time generator and the computing device.
14. An apparatus comprising:
an input device configured to receive a first signal and a second signal, the first signal being based at least in part on a physical measurement, and the second signal being based at least in part on a time; and
a processor in communication with the input device and configured to:
generate an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal, and
perform a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the physical measurement comprises a GPS location.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the physical measurement comprises a biometric measurement.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the physical measurement comprises a chemical measurement.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the physical measurement comprises an abnormal physical measurement.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 ,
the input device being further configured to receive a third signal, third signal being based at least in part on a time; and
wherein generating the augmented measurement comprises generating the augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal and the third signal.
20. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device via an input device, a first signal that is based at least in part on a physical measurement;
receiving, by the computing device via the input device, a second signal that is based at least in part on a time;
generating, by the computing device, an augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and
performing, by the computing device using a cryptographic processor, a cryptographic operation on at least a portion of the augmented measurement to generate a certifiable measurement.
21. The method of claim 20 , in which the physical measurement comprises a GPS location.
22. The method of claim 20 , in which the physical measurement comprises a biometric measurement.
23. The method of claim 20 , in which the physical measurement comprises a chemical measurement.
24. The method of claim 20 , in which the physical measurement comprises an abnormal physical measurement.
25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device via the input device, a third signal that is based at least in part on a time; and
wherein generating the augmented measurement comprises:
generating the augmented measurement based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal and the third signal.