WO2008142236A2

WO2008142236A2 - Method for proving the occurrence of an event and/or the existence of a good in a given place and/or at a given time

Info

Publication number: WO2008142236A2
Application number: PCT/FR2008/000422
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pascal Campagne; Alexandre Allien
Original assignee: France Developpement Conseil Sarl
Priority date: 2007-04-03
Filing date: 2008-03-27
Publication date: 2008-11-27
Also published as: WO2008142236A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for proving the existence of a good (15) and/or the occurrence of an event in a given place and/or at a given time. The present invention is characterised in that the method comprises the following steps: the step (10) of obtaining integral time and/or position information using signals transmitted from at least four satellites; the step of using an asymmetrical ciphering method for generating a ciphered digital token (12) including the integral information obtained from the satellite signals; the step (21, 22, 23) of using the ciphered digital token for associating the reception time and/or location of the satellite signals with a good and/or an event in order to prove subsequently the existence of the good and/or the occurrence of the event at that time and/or in that place.

Description

"A process to prove the occurrence of an event and / or the existence of a good, at a place and / or at a given time (s)"

The present invention relates to a method for proving the realization of an event and / or the existence of a good, at a given place and / or time, and a device implementing this method. .

Many applications require the establishment of evidence relating to the occurrence of an event and / or the existence of a property in a place and / or at a given time (s).

For example, the establishment of intellectual property rights, such as patent rights or copyrights, is directly associated with the time and location of these events.

Indeed, it may be necessary to prove that a first invention is prior to a second invention in order to avoid certain disputes or to establish rights as a possible prior personal possession right.

In addition, the applicable fees are generally a function of the country in which the invention was made, which makes the location of the place of the invention essential.

To prove the anteriority of an invention, the laboratory notebook is a privileged tool of the inventors. More specifically, a laboratory notebook is a "handrail", that is to say a continuous support, allowing to put a date to new ideas, to experimental results and more generally to all intellectual creation.

His role is to date the origin and nature of a research work. The laboratory notebook must prove that, at a certain date, the operator had the information reported there for various purposes such as:

- Continue the industrial exploitation of the product or process based on the idea as it is stated in the laboratory notebook even if a third party has filed a patent application, provided of course that this patent application is filed after the date of inscription of the idea in the laboratory notebook (prior right of possession);

- Demonstrate the origin of an idea in the case of technical or industrial cooperation;

- Determine the ownership of rights in the event of non-compliance with a confidentiality agreement.

But laboratory notebooks using the traditional paper format do not meet the challenges of modern research laboratories. In particular, they do not make it possible to record in a simple and practical way experimental results such as modelizations, complex calculations, DNA sequences, etc ...

In fact, the laboratory notebook is generally in the form of a register linked to numbered pages, filled in as and when the research progresses in a handwritten manner, dated and signed by the researchers and countersigned by a witness able to understand the text content.

Handwriting of the laboratory notebook is a major problem for companies and public laboratories. In fact, researchers are forced to copy by hand the inventions or experimental results that most often exist in electronic format. Other practical constraints are the insertion of images that must be cut, pasted and countersigned manually. In addition, any erasures on the laboratory notebook must be countersigned.

To overcome this problem of handwriting, a new type of laboratory notebook has been developed, based on detachable sheets for the report from a printer. To ensure no leaf substitution, a transparent hologram seals and authenticates the page and notebook number.

Although this new laboratory notebook offers researchers a relative comfort, its paper size is no longer adapted to meet the needs of modern research.

Indeed, it is also difficult to record complex data such as the results of a DNA sequencing or electronic schema.

To improve the sharing of knowledge within the same company, digital laboratory notebooks have been developed on a software basis. But these digital laboratory notebooks do not prove the date of an invention in a practical way.

Indeed, in general, there are two internal or external systems for setting the time on a digital document, this setting being also referred to as time stamp or dating. a) Time stamping with an internal time source allows to associate with an invention, or its description on a support, the time indicated by a device controlled by the inventor himself, such as a computer.

In case of dispute, proof of the date thus associated with an invention is open to criticism insofar as the inventor can knowingly modify the time associated with his invention. b) Time stamping with an external time source consists in associating with an invention the time indicated by an apparatus beyond the control of the inventor himself.

In case of dispute, the proof of the date thus associated with an invention is difficult to criticize because the inventor could not knowingly modify the time associated with his invention.

But known timestamping solutions that use an external time source require data transmission to be dated so that the time stamp provider associates their time stamp with them.

However, this transmission is not acceptable for many inventors because access to a transmission network, such as the Internet, can be blocked or prohibited for reasons of security and / or confidentiality.

In addition, no service provider proposes to locate the realization of an invention to implement the legislation specific to the country where the invention took place.

The invention thus results from the observation that there is a need for laboratories, private or public, in order to have an autonomous system for signing and / or dating the digital data produced as part of the research activities.

The present invention, which aims to remedy at least one of the disadvantages mentioned above, relates to a method to prove the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event, at a place and / or at a given time (s), characterized in that the following steps are performed: the step of obtaining integrated information of time and / or position using signals transmitted by at least four satellites,

the step of using an asymmetric encryption method to generate an encrypted digital token comprising the integrated information obtained from the satellite signals, the step of using the encrypted digital token to associate the time and / or the location of reception of these satellite signals with a good and / or an event in order to subsequently prove the existence of this well and / or the realization of this event at this time and / or in this place.

Thanks to the invention, time and place countermarks can be associated with electronic documents, or even with physical objects, in order to determine their existence and / or their location at a given time and / or place (s). . Such an association is subsequently called a geodatage.

The proposed solution is innovative in many ways. Firstly it allows to operate autonomously, without connection to an internet-like network, through the use of honest information broadcast by a satellite navigation system.

In addition, it proposes a mechanism for affixing a countermark of place which makes it possible to answer the problem of locating the realization of an invention in order to determine, in particular, an applicable law.

In fact, the affixing of the countermark of place is important from a legal point of view:

- For research departments that have several laboratories in different locations, to reduce conflicts between inventors.

- For a dispute over the anteriority of an invention, the countermark of place allows to implement the right of prior possession.

Finally, the system is innovative by offering a mechanism with multiple signatures. Thus, several signatures of different people can be associated with the geodatage of an information so as, for example, to respect a constraint of the applicant's laboratory notebook. a double signature of the described inventions.

In addition, the process not only reproduces the current schema of laboratory workbooks but also gives a key role to actors such as the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property), the EPO (European Patent Office) or WIPO by allowing them to play the role of trusted authority issuing counter-counter tokens.

In one embodiment, honest information is obtained using signals from first satellites of a positioning satellite constellation and a second geostationary satellite.

According to one embodiment, the geostationary satellite is a satellite emitting signals intended to correct the time and / or location information provided by the satellites of the constellation, for example of the SBAS type for "Satellite Based on Augmentation System".

In one embodiment, the geostationary satellite is a satellite delivering integrity information, for example of the SBAS type for "Satellite Based on Augmentation System" (EGNOS, WAAS).

According to one embodiment, the method comprises the step of including in the encrypted token information extracted from used satellite navigation messages such as the identity of a satellite, the power of a received signal, parameters relating to the signal (eg reception power, presence of interference, interference level).

In one embodiment, a physical impression of significant information of the place and / or the integral time (s) is made graphically to prove the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event in a place and / or at a given time.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of using the encrypted token during a process of electronic signature of a digital document to prove the existence of the digital document at a given place and / or date.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the step of using a hash function to generate a cryptographic fingerprint, from the digital document to be protected, which is associated with the encrypted token to obtain a digital signature dating and / or positioning the digital document.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of using an asymmetric cryptosystem to obtain an encrypted digital signature.

In one embodiment, the method uses the private key to perform asymmetric encryption.

According to one embodiment, the method comprises the step of combining the encrypted digital signature and the document to be protected in order to generate a digital archive that makes it possible to subsequently prove the existence of the document to be protected at a given place and / or date.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of proving the existence of the good in a given place and / or date, by verifying that the cryptographic fingerprint of the original document corresponds to a fingerprint contained in the digital archive.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of revealing the location and / or time contained in the encrypted token by decrypting it with a private key held by a trusted person / authority.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of testing the coherence between revealed time and / or location information (s) and information extracted from used satellite navigation messages.

The invention also relates to a device for proving the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event, at a given place and / or time, characterized in that it comprises means for:

- Obtain integral information of time and / or position using signals transmitted by at least two satellites,

Use an asymmetric encryption method to generate an encrypted digital token comprising the integrity information obtained from the satellite signals,

- Use the encrypted digital token to associate the time and / or location of the reception of these satellite signals with a good and / or an event in order to prove later the existence of this good and / or the realization of this event in time and / or in this place according to a method according to one of the preceding embodiments.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, advantages and features will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows and which is made with reference to the appended drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 schematically describes a signature method according to the invention, and

- Figure 2 schematically describes a signature verification method according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 is schematically shown a signature method according to the invention.

Such a method aims to prove the realization of an invention at a given time and / or place (s). But, in general, it can be used to prove the existence of a good, or the realization of an event, at a given place and / or time.

For this purpose, the invention uses signals emitted by satellites in order to obtain dating and / or localization information that is correct, that is to say whose accuracy is known with certainty.

In addition, the use of integrated satellite signals makes it possible to dispense with an external time system. requiring a connection with an external network, such as the internet, to transmit the information to date and / or to locate information.

To do this, the following steps are carried out: step (10) makes it possible to obtain integrated time and / or position information using signals transmitted by at least one constellation of satellites, such as the constellation European positioning system "Galileo" or the US positioning constellation "GPS", associated with one or more geostationary satellites designed to correct temporary deviations between the clocks embedded in the satellites of a constellation and terrestrial clocks.

These geostationary satellites, referred to as "SBAS" satellites later, are implemented in different systems such as the European EGNOS system or the American WAAS system. the step of using an asymmetric encryption method (11) to generate an encrypted token (12) from the integrity information.

Optionally, the method then comprises step (5) of including in the token (12) information relating to or time and / or place of reception of the signals as well as any other information extracted from the navigation message. satellites used.

Some of these data may be contained in the token (12) in encrypted form and / or in clear form to allow their reading without decryption in subsequent steps and the establishment of a unique identifier ensuring the uniqueness of the token (12).

It is possible to print on a physical support of the encrypted token to, for example, affix a physical mark of location and / or time recognizing the validity of the location and / or time associated with the physical medium. Thus, it is possible to use the physical medium to obtain the date and / or location information, which proves that the physical medium has been generated at a given place and / or time (s).

It should be noted that a token is a set of data including time information and / or places associated with an invention or a work.

The method also implements the step of using the encrypted token (12) in an electronic signature process (4) of a digital document (15) to prove the existence of the digital document at a location and / or on a given date.

Such a digital document may be, for example, a description of an invention, a database of experimental measurements or DNA sequences stored in digital form.

A step (13) uses a hash function (14) to generate a cryptographic fingerprint (16) of the digital document (15) - also referred to as digest of the digital document - to be protected that combines (22) with the encrypted token (12). ) to obtain a fingerprint of the geodated document (17), dating and / or positioning the digital document (15).

In another embodiment, the hash is performed from a combination of the digital document (15) and the encrypted token (12) to deliver the imprint (17).

This footprint (17), comprising information relating to a time and / or a place is said, thereafter, geodata.

The imprint (17), also called condensed, may be signed by one or more keys (18) - step (23).

For this, we use an asymmetric encryption system delivering an encrypted digital signature (19) and geodata, that is to say including information relating to a time and / or a place. In this embodiment, the method comprises the step (21) of combining the encrypted digital signature (19) and the document to be protected (15) to generate a digital archive (20) for subsequently proving the existence of the document to be protected ( 15) at a given place and / or date.

In one embodiment, the signature (19) is saved on a secure medium in the device and removable allowing the transfer of the signature (19), on this medium, between the signatory entity and a verification authority.

To constitute the proof of the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event, at a given place and / or at a given time, a decryption of the archive 20 can be implemented at the same time. using a device (44) during a signature check as shown in Figure 2.

For this purpose, it should be remembered that, in the context of asymmetric encryption, a private key is used, kept secret and allowing the decryption of a message and / or signing it, and a public key, making it possible to encrypt a message or check his signature.

Each pair of private / public keys is unique. For a given pair of keys, its function - encryption or signature - is unique.

The public keys (40) associated with the private keys of the signatories make it possible to verify, that is to say, to decrypt, the associated signature in the digital archive (20).

The information (17) thus decrypted contains both the token (12) and the digest (16) already mentioned while a new digest (16 ') is calculated from the document whose origin is to be verified.

If the digests 16 and 16 ^Λ are identical, it is a proof that the document is identical to that that is was signed at the place and time associated with the token (12).

Also, the invention may include the step of revealing (31) the location and / or the time associated with the encrypted token (12) by decrypting it with a private key system owned by a trusted person.

In one embodiment, the invention may include steps (42) and (43) to establish coherence between the time and / or position information and information extracted from used satellite navigation messages.

In one embodiment, the time provided by the EGNOS system previously described is used, this system meeting the strict requirements of civil aviation in terms of reliability, accuracy and safety.

For example, the time provided by the EGNOS system, called "ENT" for EGNOS Network Time, is a time specific to the EGNOS system that allows it to reference the data it transmits.

However, the gap between the ENT and terrestrial time, called UTC, is modeled and can be estimated with an accuracy less than 10 ns.

In addition, the ENT time is a corrected average time, the integrity mechanism provided by EGNOS ensuring that no erroneous measurement (GPS) is taken into account in the calculation of the ENT.

In one embodiment, the invention is implemented by means of the signals emitted by the constellation being installed "Galileo". In fact, Galileo will be the first global GNSS system to offer a service guarantee to its users.

Another advantage of Galileo over existing GNSS systems (GPS and GLONASS) is the authentication of its navigation signals. Thanks to this authentication mechanism, Galileo will allow the user to know for sure whether he uses a Galileo signal and reject any parodied signals (anti-spoofing).

The scientific benefits go far beyond the scope of the application since, thanks to the product developed, the reluctance of researchers and inventors to fill in the laboratory notebook should be considerably reduced.

Favoring the use of the laboratory notebook, the filing of a patent is facilitated, and especially the prior art much easier to demonstrate when the filing of a third party patent subsequent to the idea is likely to prevent exploitation process of a product or process.

In other words, intellectual property rights are better defended for the first creator / author of a work or invention.

The present invention is capable of many applications other than that of the digital laboratory notebook:

- the proof of delivery of packages by affixing a tamper-proof label containing the information of place and time;

- devices for IP offices to replace / supplement the Soleau envelope mechanism; the protection of copyrights or prior possession of an individual (of a musical work, an architectural or artistic drawing, a novel ...) in the case of work in digital format;

- the signing of minutes (of bailiffs, accounting acts or minutes of general meetings and boards of directors ...); customs checks on the transport of goods.

For example, the application of the invention to customs operations makes it possible to solve many technical problems .

Indeed, the customs procedures are based on a pre-exchange of information prior to any border crossing which allows the customs services to organize their on-site inspections. When controls are carried out and borders crossed, notification messages are sent to the supply chain operators.

Finally, the final consignee must receive a notice of customs clearance of the goods received. This exchange of information is already based on the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which sent 120 million messages in 2005. The forecast for 2013 is 1.27 billion messages simply because of the growth of international trade with Europe.

Other more efficient systems are being studied and aim at integrating logistic operators in order to reduce at best the necessary paperwork time.

It is important for Customs to see that the estimated route and estimated transit times declared at the beginning of the journey are respected (discrepancies arouse suspicion and require control in the field).

It should be noted that the definition of integrity must be understood, in the context of a satellite navigation system, as a threshold or level of trust or reliability.

This definition therefore does not correspond to the definition of integrity in a computer system that describes the preservation of data, that is to say, not modified or lost.

The present invention is capable of many variants. In particular, it can be implemented with a geostationary satellite that can be either time-related UTC - for example in the context of the EGNOS system - is not connected to the UTC time - for example in the context of the WAAS system.

In one embodiment, the invention is implemented in accordance with an international time stamping standard defined, for example, by ETSI or the IETF.

Finally, it should be noted that at least four satellites are required to implement the invention since it is the minimum number of signal sources necessary to solve the four equations relating to the determination of the instant t and the coordinates x, y, z of a position.

Claims

1. A method for proving the existence of a good (15) and / or the realization of an event, at a given place and / or time, characterized in that the following steps are carried out :

the step (10) of obtaining integrated time and / or position information using signals transmitted by at least four satellites,

the step of using an asymmetric encryption method to generate an encrypted digital token (12) comprising the integrity information obtained from the satellite signals, and the step (21, 22, 23) of using the encrypted digital token to associate the time and / or place of reception of these satellite signals to a good and / or an event in order to prove later (30, 31) the existence of this good and / or the realization of this event at this time and / or in this place.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that one obtains (10) integrity information using signals from the first satellites of a constellation of positioning satellites and a second geostationary satellite.

3. Method according to claim 2 characterized in that the geostationary satellite is a satellite transmitting signals to correct the time and / or location information provided by the satellites of the constellation, for example SBAS type for "Satellite Based on Augmentation System ".

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the geostationary satellite is a satellite delivering integrity information, for example of the SBAS type for "Satellite Based on Augmentation System," (EGNOS, WAAS).

5. Method according to one of the claims characterized in that it comprises the step (5) of including in the encrypted token (12) information extracted from used satellite navigation messages such as the identity of a satellite, the power of a signal received, parameters related to the signal (eg reception power, presence of interference, interference level).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that it performs a graphic printing on a physical medium of significant information of the place and / or time (s) to prove the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event at a place and / or at a given time.

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it comprises the step of using the encrypted token (12) during a process (4) of electronic signature of a digital document (15). ) to prove the existence of the digital document at a particular place and / or date.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises the step (13) of using a hash function (14) to generate a cryptographic fingerprint (16), from the digital document (15) to be protected, associating (22) with the encrypted token (12) to obtain a digital signature (17) dating and / or positioning the digital document (15).

9. The method of claim 8 characterized in that it comprises step (23) of using an asymmetric encryption system to obtain an encrypted digital signature (19) from a private key (38) of a signer.

10. Method according to one of claims 7 to 9 characterized in that it comprises the step (21) of combining the encrypted digital signature (19) and the documented protect (15) to generate a digital archive (20) allowing to prove the existence of the document to be protected (15) at a given place and / or date.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that it comprises the step (30) to prove the existence of the good in a given place and / or date, verifying that the cryptographic footprint (16 ) of the original document (15) corresponds to an imprint contained in the digital archive (20).

12. The method of claim 9 characterized in that it comprises the step of revealing the place and / or time content (s) in the encrypted token (12) by deciphering it with a key owned by a trusted person / authority.

13. The method of claim 12 characterized in that it comprises the step (5) of testing the coherence between information time and / or place revealed (s) and information extracted satellite navigation messages used.

14. Device (4,44) to prove the existence of a good and / or the realization of an event, at a place and / or at a given time, characterized in that it includes means for:

- Use the encrypted digital token to associate the time and / or location of the reception of these satellite signals with a good and / or an event in order to prove later the existence of this good and / or the realization of this event in time and / or place according to a method according to one of the preceding claims.