Patents by Inventor Derek C. Au

Derek C. Au has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7149308
    Abstract: A system and method for cryptographic communication among multiple users and a central service provider using in situ generated cryptographic keys. Each user communicates with the central service provider preferably using a user communication interface that includes an in situ key generator, which, after initialization with the user's own individual seed value, generates a unique cryptographic key. By distributing different user individual seeds unique to each user, each user's in situ key generator generates a unique set of keys. The central service provider also possesses an in situ key generator, and also preferably possesses a copy of all the individual seeds assigned to authorized users. The central service provider preferably communicates in a secure encrypted fashion with each user using cryptographic keys generated from that user's individual seed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: StealthKey, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo Fruehauf, Derek C. Au, Thomas Bartholet
  • Patent number: 7120696
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating pseudo-random cryptographic keys in a cryptographic communications system, whereby, given a common set of initializing configuration data, the pseudo-random cryptographic keys can be duplicatively generated by various independent pseudo-random key generators of the cryptographic communications system. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, users of the communications system can each possess an independent pseudo-random key generator to securely communicate with other users also holding independent pseudo-random key generator that share the same initialization configuration data, no matter where the other users are located or whether the users are connected via wire or wireless communication network. The present invention facilitates secure communication without the need to transport decryption keys in advanced, thereby reducing the risk of the secure communication becoming compromised via interception of decryption keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: StealthKey, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek C. Au, Hugo Fruehauf
  • Patent number: 6590981
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for secure cryptographic communications between a sender and a receiver or multiple receivers that includes first and second timing elements, and first and second key storage units containing multiple keys in a predetermined order for selection depending on respective key times, where the key times occur periodically according to the first and second timing elements, respectively. A data encryptor obtains a new key from the first key storage unit at each occurrence of the key time of the first key storage unit, and uses the key to encrypt an inputted data. And, at least one data decryptor obtains a new key from the second key storage unit at each occurrence of the key time of the second key storage unit. Time synchronization of the participants' equipment provides the method of selecting compatible keys for the encryption and decryption process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Zyfer, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo Fruehauf, Derek C. Au
  • Publication number: 20020114453
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for secured storage and communication of data using in situ cryptographic key generation facilities whereby data to be stored in a data storage system (e.g., a Storage Area Network) can be encrypted using encryption keys that are generated by locally deployed cryptographic key generators, which generate encryption keys based upon setup configurations that include time or event memory data. The setup configurations used to generate encryption keys can also be associated with the encrypted data by a data marker and stored such that, upon decryption of the same data at a later time period, the data marker may retrieve the stored setup configuration, which is then used to configure a locally deployed cryptographic key generator for purposes of generating the appropriate decryption keys to decrypt the data, whereby the cryptographic key generator used for generating encryption keys need not be the same cryptographic key generator used for generating decryption keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas G. Bartholet, Hugo Fruehauf, Derek C. Au
  • Publication number: 20020006202
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for secure cryptographic communications between a sender and a receiver or multiple receivers that includes first and second timing elements, and first and second key storage units containing multiple keys in a predetermined order for selection depending on respective key times, where the key times occur periodically according to the first and second timing elements, respectively. A data encryptor obtains a new key from the first key storage unit at each occurrence of the key time of the first key storage unit, and uses the key to encrypt an inputted data. And, at least one data decryptor obtains a new key from the second key storage unit at each occurrence of the key time of the second key storage unit. Time synchronization of the participants' equipment provides the method of selecting compatible keys for the encryption and decryption process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Hugo Fruehauf, Derek C. Au