GPS-Crypto Device File Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively prevent digital forgery and control file access, as they cannot reliably authenticate the creation time and date of files or restrict access to authorized locations and times.
Innovation Solution
The GPS-Crypto device integrates a global positioning system (GPS) with cryptography to timestamp and location-stamp files, using a private key to authenticate and encrypt files, ensuring they can only be accessed under specific geographical and temporal conditions, and includes anti-spoofing mechanisms to prevent tampering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If digital files are stored and transmitted without authentication mechanisms, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of file creation time and location is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by embedding GPS coordinates and timestamp data into the file header at the moment of creation. This preliminary action ensures that the file's origin information is captured and authenticated before any transmission or access occurs, resolving the contradiction by maintaining reliability without compromising ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that acts as a mediator between the file creation process and the file access process. The GPS-Crypto device serves as this intermediary, providing cryptographic verification of file origin information without requiring complex authentication procedures during file access, thus maintaining both reliability and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If GPS-Crypto authentication is implemented for all files, then reliability of file source is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The GPS-Crypto device is designed to perform multiple functions including GPS location tracking, timestamp generation, cryptographic signing, and file header manipulation. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional device, the system improves file source reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is designed to operate automatically without requiring user intervention. The GPS-Crypto device self-manages the authentication process by automatically capturing GPS coordinates, generating timestamps, creating cryptographic signatures, and embedding this information into file headers, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the complexity burden on users.
3Reliability
If file access is restricted to specific locations and times, then security is improved, but ease of operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes access restrictions preliminarily by embedding location and timestamp data into the file header during creation. These preliminary restrictions are automatically enforced during file access attempts, improving security while maintaining ease of operation for authorized users who simply need to present their GPS-Crypto device without manual authentication steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A set of security templates is maintained including first and second templates. The first template specifies time and location stamp authentication for a file, and contextual security conditions that must be met before the file can be accessed. The second template specifies the time and location stamp authentication, but not the contextual security conditions. One of the first or second security templates is applied to the particular file. When the second security template is applied, a GPS-crypto device adds a time and location stamp to the particular file. The particular file is signed using a private key associated with the GPS-crypto device to generate an authentication signature based on the time and location stamp. The authentication signature is added to the particular file to allow a recipient to verify the time and location stamp of the particular file using a public key corresponding to the private key.