WO2004093017A1

WO2004093017A1 - Personal identification system for electronic locks and other computer systems

Info

Publication number: WO2004093017A1
Application number: PCT/ES2004/000166
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miguel Angel Fernandez Graciani
Original assignee: Fernandez Graciani Miguel Ange
Priority date: 2003-04-16
Filing date: 2004-04-16
Publication date: 2004-10-28
Also published as: ES2217968B1; ES2217968A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a personal identification system for electronic locks and other computer systems. The system basically enables an individual to identify himself before a great variety of locks (and also enables him to use them mechanically), computer systems or services provided therein by using a single element resembling a house or car key. The system comprises a (personal) key and a lock (in the system that provides the service), both of which are electronic. One of the two elements may not have its own autonomous power supply. When the key is inserted in the lock, a series of contacts between these two elements is activated. Some of these contacts make it possible for the element that does not have its own power supply to be supplied by the other. Other contacts make it possible to transfer data between the two elements. These contacts make it possible for the key and lock to identify one another in a biunivocal and exclusive manner using, for example, an asymmetric key system. Once identification has occurred, both interlocutors with act accordingly.

Description

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM BEFORE ELECTRONIC LOCKS AND OTHER COMPUTER SYSTEMS ".

APPLICATION SECTOR OF THE INVENTION. - The personal identification system before electronic locks, to which the present invention refers, will be applicable in all those locksmith industries, both housing and automobile, access to banking services and computer means, in which it is intended to obtain a maximum security, regarding the user's suitability to use the system.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE.-

Every day, we have to personally identify ourselves to access the use of the devices and services that we use on a regular basis. Both to open or close the door of our house or office, to start the car, to access a multitude of services on the internet, to use the ATM networks or to activate or deactivate the alarm in our house; it is necessary to identify ourselves in some way.

According to the current state of the art, this identification is carried out using very diverse mechanisms. In the case of the door of our house, as in almost all vehicles, we identify ourselves by the fact that only we have the corresponding key, and a different key for each lock. We use a credit card with ATMs accompanied by the corresponding access code, or with internet services, using our access code, with a different card and a different code for each service.

As for the locks of houses, buildings or vehicles that exist today, these can It can be divided into two classes, the mechanical ones, in which only those keys that are mechanically coupled to the lock are allowed to open or close. And the electronic ones, in which the function of the key is performed by a magnetic card, a numeric keypad, a fingerprint identification or some other identifier.

In the case of the former, mechanical locks, these are made up of a mechanical lock and several identical keys, of which copies can be obtained with greater or lesser difficulty.

Among the main disadvantages of this type of locks we can highlight the fact that a different key is required for each lock. This generates the need for a person to carry a multitude of keys to open various doors of houses, vehicles, etc.

Another important problem is the fact that the loss of a key makes it advisable to change the lock. Being necessary to replace the rest of the keys, distributing them to the people who were previously given.

An important limitation of this type of locks is that it is not possible to restrict the access of any of the keys to certain days or at certain times.

It is also a limitation, the fact that the lock does not identify which of the existing keys is the one that is inserted at any time, this prevents conditioning its access independently.

As it is a mechanical element, due to the complexity that it would entail, no type of information is stored about the access history produced by said lock. In the case of electronic locks its main Characteristic is that the decision to enable access is made in a computerized way. That is, after identifying the key (card, numeric key or other identification element) that is inserted into the lock, a computing process decides whether or not opening or closing is possible.

Today's electronic locks require external power and sometimes wiring is also required to communicate the lock with other computer systems (usually a central computer). For its installation, therefore, conditioning works are necessary to allow the electrical cables to be brought to them. Also, your dependence on the state of the building's electrical systems can be a problem. Since in an emergency situation (fire or catastrophe) it is easy for electrical systems to fail, at the times when the locks must work with the highest efficiency. As for the use of magnetic cards, very widespread both in the environment of electronic locks and in ATMs. These are basically characterized by having a magnetic strip in which enough information is recorded to identify it. This information can be read later by any card reader of the corresponding type.

Among the disadvantages of using these cards as an identification system, we can highlight the fact that they are basically a passive and visible component. Passive in the sense that they can only offer information being read (or written), but they cannot process said information. And visible because any reader can obtain the information they contain. The fact that they are a passive element means that the cardholder cannot reliably identify the other party, that is, the system that reads the card. So your identity can easily be supplanted. That is, the magnetic card-based system does not assure the cardholder of the identity of the reader system in which it is inserted.

The fact that the information on the card is easily visible also makes it easily duplicable, which is inconvenient on a device that has the function of identifying its owner. To avoid the identity theft of the cardholder, the reader system can request the cardholder to enter a secret number, as occurs in ATM networks. This requirement guarantees the identity of the cardholder to the reader, but does not authenticate the reader to the cardholder. That is, someone could put a card reader on the public road, simulating the ATM of a bank, for example, read the content of the card and then ask the user for their secret number. The user, believing himself to be before a valid interlocutor, would write the secret number, making his card information and his secret number available to the impostor, information that is sufficient to impersonate the user before the corresponding entities. In the case of the use of credit cards to purchase on the internet, the situation is more worrying, since due to the danger of requesting the user's secret code online, the most used protocol is to simply request the number of the card, which is visible and therefore usable by a multitude of employees of establishments, where the card. This fact is one of the reasons that has most slowed down Internet sales.

Regarding the use of access codes, today it is one of the safest ways to validate the identity of a user. However, in the vast majority of user protocols used today, for example in ATM networks or internet services, the interlocutor that offers the services (that is, the ATM or the Internet server), is not reliably identifies the user. You can do it using a certificate, this mechanism requires the intervention of third parties. This, as we have already commented in the previous paragraph, is a major problem. Another important problem regarding the use of access codes is the fact that each service has an access code, and it is convenient to increase security, that they be different for each entity or service. It is therefore necessary to memorize many of these codes, which is difficult or at least cumbersome.

Regarding the current state of the art regarding personal identification using bioethical parameters, the most significant advances are those aimed at identification by fingerprint or retina. All of them are complex to obtain, and generally sensitive to the current state of the person in question. On the other hand, being visible, they are reproducible and therefore, with more or less difficulty, they make possible the impersonation of the user's identity. In any case, these systems are also passive. That is, they allow the user to be identified, but they do not allow the user to identify the other party. Perhaps it should be noted that although it is not usually considered as such, the use of pas ord or secret key is basically a bioetric parameter, since it reflects information that has a biological support inserted in the individual to be identified, exclusively. The advantage in this case is that said biological parameter is not visible and yet it is easy to obtain, if the requirement that the individual's will is in favor is met.

As for electronic cards, they are mainly used as electronic wallets. Their physical form limits them since they are not designed to feed or mechanically manage the system that houses them, nor do they have the possibility of directly monitoring the data they contain. Electronic cards are not designed to easily replace traditional locks. Cryptographic techniques, and in particular the digital signature, do provide sufficient mechanisms to mutually and securely identify various interlocutors. However, they do not quite solve the problem of personal identification in an effective way. The problem in this case is not the cryptographic algorithms used, but the resources and physical devices that are used to process and store them. In other words, the state of cryptographic techniques allows, for example using asymmetric keys, to mutually and securely identify two parties. What is not well resolved is how to get the user to carry these keys (which, because they are personal, must accompany the person) and the resources necessary to use them, so that the user can personally validate himself before the various mechanisms or services, physically dispersed, and with different mechanical, electrical, or access to information requirements; these are locks, ATMs, computers, alarm systems, vehicles, internet services ... An example of this It is the current use of digital signature or certificates on the internet, which in the case of home users are associated with a file that is stored on computers with very little protection. In addition, for security reasons, the file must not leave that machine, so it cannot be used by the user outside it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. -

The personal identification system for electronic locks and other computer systems mentioned above, is essentially made up of two attachable elements, a key and a lock, provided respectively with a male connector and a female connector, intended to be coupled at the time of their utilization.

The male connector of the key is equipped with a battery and a computer system that includes a keyboard and a monitoring system using LEDs, liquid crystal or another type; while the existing female connector in the lock, it has a computer system and the precise electromechanical actuators and electronic connectors to handle mechanical resources or to transfer information to the system that houses it. This computer system for the lock may have its own power supply or lack it, since it is foreseen that, when the key is inserted, the same battery that feeds the male connector of the same can activate the lock system, or conversely, the power supply to the lock can activate the key system, in which case the power supply battery is not required, or if the battery is rechargeable, it can be recharged, with no other operation than leaving the key inserted in the lock. The key, easily transportable by the user, both by shape and by dimensions, it will be of the type normally used for any door of a home, building, automobile or type of vehicle, alarm system, ATM, personal computer or of any kind, connected or not to a computer network or a computer system of any kind.

For its part, the lock, coupled to the corresponding door, alarm system, etc., etc., is included in the mechanism that offers services to the user, either opening or closing doors, vehicles or buildings, alarm systems , computer systems, computer networks, etc.

Both the key and the lock are provided with separate connectors made up of various contacts, intended for power and charging, or to establish communication between the lock and key computer systems. The physical form of these connectors is defined in such a way that when the key is inserted into the lock, the battery contained in the key, which already feeds the circuits of the key, can also power the computer system of the lock, and in the event that the lock provided with its own power could charge the key battery or power its circuits. At the same time, the connections for data communication establish a circuit that allows communication between the key and lock computer systems. By means of these contacts, key and lock identify each other biunivocally and exclusively using, for example, an asymmetric key system. After identification, the system that houses the lock will act accordingly, following the guidelines associated with the interlocutor corresponding to the identified key.

Each key or lock has a device identification number (NID) and a set of keys exclusive public and private, that identify it and differentiate it from the rest of existing locks or keys. Said identification number is associated with the identity of the owner of the key or lock. In the case of the key, it is possible to guarantee the identity of the owner, since he is the only one who owns it and is also the only one who can activate it, since he is the only one who knows his activation key (secret number). The lock works passively as a receiver, waiting to identify the user to offer its services. The key works actively, requesting the receiver (by inserting it into the lock) to carry out a mutual identification process; After this identification, if applicable, the receiver will offer its services to the owner of the key.

It should be noted that the female connector will not always be the interlocutor to whom the user wishes to identify himself. With respect to this fact, there can be two types of connection between the interlocutors: 1. Direct: From key to lock. In this case, the female connector has its own device identification number (NID) and its public and private keys and identifies itself as the other interlocutor of the interconnection. This will be the case of door locks in homes, vehicles, personal computers or alarm centers.

2. Hint: In this case, the female connector

(lock) is not the interlocutor to whom the key is to be identified, but rather an intermediary that enables the key to communicate with the system to which it wishes to identify itself. In this case, the lock will be included in a more general computer system to which it transfers the information from the key, so that it is transferred to the corresponding interlocutor, who is the one who will use their NID and keys to identify and identify themselves to the owner of the key. This interlocutor can be found in a remote machine until which, the computer system that houses the female connector, will send the information, using any of the possible interconnections between present or future computers, that is, through a local network, point-to-point connections, internet network, etc ... Some examples of this type of communication can be the case of ATMs, or internet services. For a lock to identify a key, there is an initial registration process, whereby the key and lock exchange their names, the public part of their asymmetric keys and enough information to maintain a sequence of secure subsequent connections, as well as a history of the same. Subsequently key and lock will be able to identify each other each time the key is inserted in the lock.

The key has a small alphanumeric keyboard that the owner can use to enter information such as an activation code at the beginning of each identification that prevents the key from being used by strangers in the event of loss, or instructions for configuration of the key or lock in which it is inserted.

To facilitate this operation, the key also includes a small monitor or display to display the corresponding information. Regardless of the above, the key may include other connection or communication resources that allow you to expand your performance characteristics.

Throughout its history, both keys and locks store the information corresponding to their access sequence. This information will be accessible to the corresponding users, either through the user interface of the key (keyboard and monitor), or through the corresponding devices (computer systems that include the key or lock and have an access interface). In the case of door locks, when replacing the traditional mechanical gear system with a system such as that described in this patent, the decision to enable the opening or closing, is made computationally and not mechanically. This allows identifying the key individually, being able to prevent access to a lost key, without the need to change the lock. In the same way, the same key can be enabled in many locks, managing to reduce the number of keys that a person must carry with them. After the identification process that occurs between the key and the lock, the action of closing or opening the bolt can be carried out electrically or by traditional manual traction. In cases where the action of physically running the bolt is carried out mechanically and manually (a very convenient option for the consequent saving of energy stored in the key battery), the male connector of the key must be robust enough to Withstand manual turning that transmits traction to run the bolt.

The described system has the property of mutually identifying the two interlocutors, so that the owner of the key also ensures that he is before the appropriate interlocutor. The same system can be used to sign by digital signature or to process other cryptographic algorithms related to the identity or authorship of the key owner.

Optionally, the same key can define various levels of security against different locks or services, such as, for example, whether or not it requires the inclusion of a secret number. It is even possible that the same key contains several sets of keys that will be activated with different secret numbers. We now go on to describe how our invention includes improvements over the prior art.

Regarding the locks of homes or vehicles, the invention object of this document, that is, the set consisting of key and lock that we propose here, combines the advantages of mechanical and electronic lock systems, while eliminating the disadvantages of these .

The object of this invention gains in versatility compared to mechanical locks, since both the decision to open or close and the identification of the key are made in a computational way. This fact also allows the use of a standard communications protocol with which any key can be enabled in any lock. This makes it possible to use a single key to control multiple locks, instead of using one key for each lock. Locks may also be configured to restrict access for certain keys to a specific time and calendar. It is also important to highlight that the connection history that has taken place in each key and lock can be accessed.

On the other hand, the object of this invention gains in autonomy and availability, compared to the electronic lock. Since the key-lock assembly does not need any external power, since as we have mentioned the key has an internal battery and the necessary connectors to supply not only its circuitry, but also that of the lock. To install the lock, it will not therefore be necessary to carry out conditioning works to bring the electrical cables to it. The exchange of a mechanical lock or a lock such as those described in this document will not be more complex than that of a classic mechanical lock for another of the same type.

Regarding personal identification systems, this invention basically solves the problem that the user can carry with them the content of the keys and the computing resources necessary to personally validate themselves, using appropriate cryptography algorithms, before the various mechanisms or services that may be physically dispersed, or with different mechanical, electrical, or access to information requirements. That is, the user can personally identify himself to locks, ATMs, computers, alarm systems, vehicles or internet services, safely, using a single device and needing to remember a single key (the one that activates the key), since with that same key will be enough for any identification. Another important advantage is the security of the keys, since the private part of the key will be written in the internal memory of the key, and it can be made only accessible by programming, if this programming is in the same ROM and we assume all the system embedded within the same integrated circuit, the private part of the key will not be visible in any case. This invention basically proposes a system hardware with a suitable connector (the key) so that the interlocutor can identify himself to any service (through the female connector or lock) using suitable cryptographic mechanisms, a communication protocol using asymmetric keys or any other type of which the status of the Art of cryptographic techniques allow you today or in the future. This invention in turn allows to protect the improper use of the key by means of an access key to it, being able to prevent it from being used by any service without previously including said key access code. We make it possible for the identification system to accompany the person and can be used on any computer simply by inserting the key into the lock (female connector on the computer) to validate itself against any service

The same key, without the user having to remember more than an access code (the key access code, which may be the same for all its activations), can be used to control locks in homes, offices, vehicles, to enable access to services on the internet to identify themselves mutually and securely with banking services or with the administration, to enable the operation or access to computers of any kind, to identify themselves with alarm systems, or ultimately to identify the presence of their owner and therefore validate the relevant operations. In the same way, the object of this invention makes it possible for us to identify service users by including a female connector (lock) in our system, either by including it in the lock of our house, building or office, where we can define with great precision versatility access characteristics of each of the users to the case; either through a network of ATMs, including in each of them the relevant female connector (lock), or via the internet, since the user can include the necessary device (lock), in which they will insert the key, in their relevant computer, through which you will identify yourself to the service and identify it mutually and safely.

In the same way, since the physical shape of the key is similar to that of a current house or vehicle key, it can mechanically handle the lock of vehicle or house locks. Being both robust and easily transportable. In summary, we can affirm that the object of this patent, due to its electrical and mechanical characteristics, can bring together in a single device the ability to identify, both mutually and very safely, both the user and the entity that offers the service, in environments as diverse as locks on buildings or vehicles, ATMs, computer programs, internet services, etc ...

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.- A detailed description of the accompanying drawings will be made below, in which a preferential embodiment, susceptible of all those variations of detail that do not involve a fundamental alteration of the essential characteristics of the mentioned system.

These drawings illustrate:

In figure 1: General perspective view of the system key. In figure 2: General perspective view with detail of its interior, of the system lock.

According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the personal identification system for electronic locks and other computer systems that is recommended is made up of a key (1) the size of the keys normally used for automobiles and the like, provided with a male connector ( 3) projecting from the body (5) where the computer system includes a keyboard (13) and a power battery (4), the assembly included in the body (5) being made up of a monitoring system using LEDs, liquid crystal or of any other type and in the protruding male connector, on their faces some contacts (10). The lock (2), has inside it a female connector (6) intended to connect with the male

(3) of the key, the computer system (7) of the lock, some electromechanical actuators (8) to handle the mechanical resources or the anchorage that allows manual traction of the bolt by means of the corresponding turn.

It also includes electronic connectors (9) to transfer information and power to the system, as well as contacts (11) to contact the corresponding (10) of the key when it is inserted, and a tab (12) for securing the male contact (3) when it is inserted into the lock.

Organized in this way the system consisting of key and lock, the overall operation will be as follows:

As for the key computing system, it must contain a microprocessor, RAM memory, ROM memory for the storage of the programming and its private key, FALSH memory or EEPROM for the storage of programs and information regarding the interlocutors (other locks with which you have been enabled), the logic necessary to establish the connection with the interlocutor through the connections established during the insertion of the key in the lock, the logic necessary to manage the interfaces with the keyboard or system monitoring, if any, the clock logic necessary for system operation and time control (it may contain a small independent battery for the clock) and the logic necessary for miscellaneous system functions such as power status control, control battery recharging, etc. The structure of the computer system can be the typical structure of any microprocessor-based system, the only specific requirements are the existence of a communication interface that uses the male connector of the key, without this interface requiring any resources outside of the known in the current state of the art. In order to meet the mechanical requirements imposed in the case of the key, a mechanical design such as that shown in figure 1 will suffice. The male connector of the key will have sufficient consistency to withstand the necessary traction for turning bolts or other mechanical traction mechanisms. Its surface allows it to house the power and data connections that must be established with the lock. The male connector of the key could be retractable, and it may also have a small indentation that serves as a pressure tab, existing in the lock, to hold it once inserted into it. The key module must be robust and compact enough to be transported personally (in the pocket). As we have already mentioned, you can optionally include a keyboard and display.

As for the computer system of the lock, it must also contain a microprocessor, RAM memory, ROM memory for the storage of programming and its private key, FALSH memory or EEPROM for the storage of programs and information regarding the interlocutors (other keys that have been enabled before it), the logic necessary to establish the connection with the interlocutor through the connections established during the insertion of the key in the lock, the clock logic necessary for the operation of the system and the time control (may contain a small independent battery for the clock) and the logic necessary for the miscellaneous functions of the system such as control of the power status, control of recharging of the batteries if any, etc ... As in the case of the. key, the structure of the computer system can be the typical structure of any microprocessor-based system, likewise, the only specific requirements are the existence of a communication interface that uses the female connector of the lock, without this interface requiring any resource, other than those already known in the current state of the art.

In the lock there are two other interfaces that will have to be made. On the one hand, in locks that must handle elements mechanically, that is, a house or vehicle lock, there will be an actuator (which can be a gyro motor or a magnetic anchor), which allows the bolt to rotate. On the other hand, in the case of locks embedded in larger computer systems, such as personal computers or ATMs, there will be a communication interface with the computer system that It houses the lock through which a connection will be established with it, this way the key will be able to identify and identify remote parties using the telephone or network connections of the computer system that houses it. Both the interconnection resources for this purpose, as well as the actuators necessary for the mechanical handling of the mentioned elements, can be resolved within the current state of the art. Both the key and the battery are activated by inserting the key into the lock. This fact entails some special characteristics regarding the connection between the connectors of the key (3) and the lock

(6). In order for the activation to take place without problems, it is advisable to make the data connections first, then the power connection and finally the activation / deactivation connection. This fact can be achieved by adjusting the length and placement of the connectors between key and lock. Those that must first interconnect must be longer in the key to activate at the beginning of the introduction and remain connected when it is completed. These requirements can be satisfied with connectors (3 and 6-f.l) like the one indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

Below we are going to make the necessary assessments regarding the realization of the software necessary for the proper functioning of our invention. Once the key and lock computer systems have been activated after the corresponding insertion and the communication circuits between the two have been established, a protocol is established between the key and the lock, intended for the two to identify each other biunivocally and securely. After the process of Identification, in the case of vehicle or home locks, the decision will be made, for that specific key and at the time of connection, to enable or not the opening or closing of the bolt. In the case of other computer systems in general, such as ATMs or internet services, after identification, the corresponding tasks will be carried out to attend to the user, who has been identified using the key. The structure of the existing software in the key should not be complex, since we consider it a embedded system that does not require any operating system, and can function as a single process. This process will be dedicated to attending to the different operating protocols, by means of which the key and the lock will perform the functions for which they are intended.

In order for the key and lock to be identifiable biunivocally, an asymmetric key system can be used, where each one has a symmetric system of public key and unique private key, defined during the manufacturing process.

The communication protocol between key and lock must cover the different needs associated with the operation of the system. We will present in detail the protocol for its most fundamental function, mutual identification. This can be done using the following ^ protocol for the identification process ", which could be defined qualitatively by the following steps: 1. Using the connection established when inserting the key into the lock, the key sends a HELLO message to the lock indicating that it wishes identify yourself before this, or the operation you want to perform 2. If the lock is active and ready to To carry out the requested operation, it replies with an OK message that it sends to the key.

3. The key sends its identification number to the lock (unique, defined in the manufacturing process).

4. If the lock does not have information regarding that identification number (the key has not been enabled for that lock), it requests permission to validate it, and if it does not obtain it, it rejects it.

5. If the lock knows the key, it will know its public key and will have information about its access history. Using random mechanisms the lock builds a chain called CAIC (random lock identification code).

6. The lock ^' encrypts the CAIC string using the key's public key. The encrypted message also includes the lock identification number (Lock NID), so that the key can identify your correspondent.

7. The lock sends the result of the previous step (CAIC + NIDlock) to the key's computer system. 8. The key decrypts the message (CAIC + NIDlock) using its private key, obtaining decoded CAIC and NIDlock from where it will be able to know who its interlocutor is and therefore which public key and which symmetric key should be used.

9. The key, using random mechanisms, builds a chain called CAIK (random key identification code).

10. The key builds a chain with the lock's CAIC and its CAIK and encrypts it using the symmetric key (SKO) agreed in the last connection between both devices.

11. The key takes the result of the previous step (CAIC + CAIK encrypted with the SKO symmetric key) and re-encrypts it with the public key of the lock (which it knew during the process of enabling it).

12. The key sends the result of the previous step ((CAIC + CAIK)) to the lock's computer system using the established communication line.

13. The lock decrypts the message ((CAIC + CAIK)) using its private key, obtaining (CAIC + CAIK) encoded by the symmetric SKO key it knows from the previous connection.

14. The lock decrypts the message (CAIC + CAIK) using its SKO symmetric key, obtaining CAIC + CAIK decoded. If CAIC matches the chain that the lock sent, the lock system knows that the peer with whom it communicates is not an impostor.

15. Using random mechanisms the lock builds a new symmetric NSK connection key. This symmetric key will be stored in the memory of the lock, since it will be used as SKO, the next time the key tries to identify itself before the lock.

16. The lock builds a chain with the CAIK it has decrypted from the key and the new symmetric key CAIK + NSK, and encrypts this chain (CAIK + NSK) using the key's public key.

17. The lock sends the result of the previous step (CAIK + NSK) to the computer system of the key.

18. The key decrypts the message (CAIK + NSK) using its private key, obtaining CAIK and

NSK decoded. If CAIK matches the one you sent, the key knows that the interlocutor of the lock is not an impostor and classifies it as valid.

Once the key and lock have been identified biunivocally, another series of protocols will define the process to be followed, either to communicate to other applications that the interlocutor is a valid interlocutor, which means that in the case of building or vehicle locks, It would proceed to enable the opening or closing of the bolt, or in the case of other services it would proceed to offer said services to the user as appropriate. Or to perform maintenance or control operations such as enabling a key in a lock, updating access rules in a lock, accessing information on the history of the lock, updating a key configuration, access to key history information, or key activation by entering the secret code. The same key can be used to carry out other tasks or cryptographic algorithms such as digital signature, which allow identifying or initiating electronic documents, or any other task that requires identification by cryptographic methods of the owner of the key. All these processes can be carried out using the mechanisms available in the state of cryptographic techniques.

We now proceed to describe how the object of this patent is used. Its use can be used for two purposes, one the identification of the owner of the key before various computer systems and a second, less important one, for maintaining the configuration and access to the information contained in the entities that comprise it. We discuss below how our invention is used in each of these cases.

For identification it will be enough to insert the key into the lock. The communication protocol between the two is responsible for processing the flow of information until the key is identified. If this has been defined, it will request the key entry through the keyboard. And with this the user will be identified. The process that continues depends on the nature of the interlocutors. If it is used on a lock, it will open or close by the corresponding electrical or mechanical means. If it is other systems such as ATMs, personal computers, etc ... the computer system will have identified the user of the key, he will have identified the service and both will act accordingly.

As the nature of this invention has been defined, it is possible to access the data or the configuration of the key or the lock independently. To configure or access key data, the same key resources can be used, if it has a keyboard and a display system (or if it is integrated into a more complex computer system, such as a mobile phone. the key can be inserted into a lock housed in a computer system with data monitoring capabilities (for example a PC); using the relevant protocols, the information contained in the key will be transferred to the lock and from there to the monitoring system ( PC), where it will be available to the user. Regarding access to data and configuration of the lock, the process is evident if it is housed in a computer system with monitoring capacity (for example a PC). In the case of isolated locks, as in the case of locks on doors of homes or buildings, a key inserted in it will be used. Since the key has the capacity to monitor and control the data, these can be seen directly when they are transferred from the lock to the key. For chaos in which the information to be monitored is very extensive, the key will collect the data from the lock, which can be seen when the key is inserted into a computer system with monitoring capacity (for example, a PC with the corresponding lock) . From a system of the same type (for example a PC with a lock), the corresponding configuration can also be generated, which will be stored in the key and downloaded onto the isolated lock to be configured, once the key is inserted in it.

The shape, materials and dimensions may be variable and, in general, whatever is accessory and secondary, provided that it does not alter, change or modify the essential nature of the system that has been described.

Claims

RE IVI ND I CAC I ONE S.-

1.- Personal identification system before electronic locks and other computer systems, characterized by being constituted by two basic elements: UNO, a key element, which incorporates a computer system, a user data entry system (keyboard or similar) ) and a user data monitoring system (display or similar), as well as a male connector which incorporates power and data connectors. And DOS, an element, lock cylinder, which incorporates a computer system as well as a female connector that also incorporates data and power connectors.

When the male connector of the UNO element is inserted, in the female of the DOS element, power and data connections are established allowing the identification between key and lock, prior introduction, by the user, of the personal key by means of the data entry system the key.

2.- Personal identification system before electronic locks and other computer systems, according to claim one, characterized in that both the key and the lock are equipped with connectors that allow it to feed the other, in the event that any of them, It is not equipped with such food. The power system also allows charging the internal batteries of both systems.

3. - Personal identification system before electronic locks and other computer systems, according to first and second claims, characterized by having provided in the key element, a means of joining the lock element, when connected, which allows the rotation of the key is transferred to the mechanical components of the lock, for opening and close.

4.- Personal identification system before electronic locks and other computer systems, according to claims one to three, characterized by the fact that the DOS element, lock cylinder, can be housed and, or connected to other computer systems. In this case, the lock computing system has another communication interface through which it can communicate with the local computer, or any other computer system accessible through any type of communications network.

5.- Personal identification system before electronic locks and other computer systems, according to claims one to four, as a device used for the management and control of home, automobile or any type of locks. To electronically identify users and services, such as internet services, banking services, administration services, or other electronic services. To electronically sign documents, manage electronic money, manage and store tickets, plane, train or other tickets, or manage electronic documents in general.