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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, identification device and verification device for identification and/or performing digital signature which allows zero-knowledge access control. For many applications, e.g. smart cards for Pay-TV purposes, credit cards, passports, dongels or other kind of electronic keys, unforgeable systems for access control or digital signature are required. Such access control and signature systems may include public keys. But in many of such public key systems the key management becomes very complicated when the number of users increases. The invention uses the fact that it is difficult to compute roots mod n when factoring of n is unknown. The invention is based on the identity: x.sup.d (x.sup.-1).sup.d =1 mod n which is computed and verified between an identification device and a verification device. An authority records seed data, the modulus n, a pseudo-random function and a set of numbers derived from roots modulo n on an identifier device. The public key directory is replaced by a unique transmission of seed data from the identifier to a verifier, which will give after a proper processing both, the identity information for the identifier and public keys.

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First Claim