Digital certificate proxy

Abstract

The invention generates a temporary digital certificate with a useful life of only a few minutes to a few hours. An expiration time is attached to such temporary digital certificate by a secure computer platform that is presented with a user's smart-card. Expiration dates one or two years after the issuance of the smart-card are conventional. A digital certificate issued by a central authority is carried within the smart card and is used by the secure computer platform to generate temporary digital certificate. The temporary digital certificate functions as a proxy digital certificate that will allow the user to immediately pocket the smart card and thus avoid the possibility of forgetting it in a card reader.

1 . A method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to authenticate identity of a user at a communication platform;    receiving a digital certificate and a short-term proxy of said digital certificate from said platform, wherein said short-term proxy expires after a predetermined expiration time; and    comparing said digital certificate and said short-term proxy with a plurality of digital certificates issued by a central certificate authority to enable authentication of said user's identity.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said comparing step further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a time-standard input to enable testing of said expiration time of said short-term proxy.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said comparing step further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a time-standard input to enable testing of an expiration date of said digital certificate.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said short-term proxy is created upon physical action of said user at said communication platform to position a token containing said digital certificate proximate to said communication platform.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 using said short-term proxy as a key to encrypt and decrypt messages at said communications platform.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said time-standard input comprises any of an electronic dock, a radio station time broadcast, and a microwave transmission from a navigation satellite.  
   
   
       7 . A user authentication system comprising: 
 a communication platform coupled to a network for securing communications for a user; and    a remote platform coupled to said network, wherein said remote platform further receives a request to authenticate identity of said user at said communication platform, receives a digital certificate and a short-term proxy of said digital certificate from said communication platform, wherein said short-term proxy expires after a predetermined expiration time, and compares said digital certificate and said short-term proxy with a plurality of digital certificates issued by a central certificate authority to enable authentication of said user's identity.    
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein said remote platform further receives a time-standard input to enable testing of said expiration time of said short-term proxy and an expiration date of said digital certificate.  
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein said time-standard input comprises any of an electronic clock, a radio station time broadcast, and a microwave transmission from a navigation satellite.  
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein said short-term proxy is created upon physical action of said user at said communication platform to position a token containing said digital certificate proximate to said communication platform.  
   
   
       11 . A user authentication system comprising: 
 means for receiving a request to authenticate identity of a user at a communication platform;    means for receiving a digital certificate and a short-term proxy of said digital certificate from said platform, wherein said short-term proxy expires after a predetermined expiration time; and    means for comparing said digital certificate and said short-term proxy with a plurality of digital certificates issued by a central certificate authority to enable authentication of said user's identity.    
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 means for providing a time-standard input to enable testing of said expiration time of said short-term proxy and an expiration date of said digital certificate.    
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said short-term proxy is created upon physical action of said user at said communication platform to position a token containing said digital certificate proximate to said communication platform.  
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 means for using said short-term proxy as a key to encrypt and decrypt messages at said communications platform.    
   
   
       15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said time-standard input comprises any of an electronic dock, a radio station time broadcast, and a microwave transmission from a navigation satellite.  
   
   
       16 . A computer readable medium containing executable instructions, which, when executed in a processing system, cause said processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to authenticate identity of a user at a communication platform;    receiving a digital certificate and a short-term proxy of said digital certificate from said platform, wherein said short-term proxy expires after a predetermined expiration time; and    comparing said digital certificate and said short-term proxy with a plurality of digital certificates issued by a central certificate authority to enable authentication of said user's identity.    
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 16 , wherein said method further comprises the step of: 
 providing a time-standard input to enable testing of said expiration time of said short-term proxy and an expiration date of said digital certificate.    
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 16 , wherein said short-term proxy is created upon physical action of said user at said communication platform to position a token containing said digital certificate proximate to said communication platform.  
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 16 , wherein said method further comprises: 
 using said short-term proxy as a key to encrypt and decrypt messages at said communications platform.    
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 17 , wherein said time-standard input comprises any of an electronic clock, a radio station time broadcast, and a microwave transmission from a navigation satellite.