Systems and methods for secure online repositories

• US 10,289,813 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Morlen, Randy Ray, Oakes, Charles Lee, Burks, Rickey Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Casey, Alexis M
• Application Number:
  US15/621,701
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

Mechanisms are disclosed herein for storing various records. Numerous keys and parties can access online repositories. These repositories contain a plurality of lockboxes, structured hierarchically and otherwise, providing public and private areas with varying levels of access. Some content of such lockboxes can be sharable. These lockboxes can be used not only to store diverse content, ranging from birth certificates to deeds and social security numbers, but they can also be accessed in a variety of ways. For example, keys to lockboxes can be made available by such events as the issuing of death certificates or birth certificates. Alternatively, keys can be issued according to various rules and heuristics stipulated by lockbox users. In either case, the plurality of lockboxes residing in repositories can be configured to provide centralized storage facilities that are secure and readily accessible from various computing devices.

Claims

1. A system for providing access control to a secure online repository, comprising:

a computer network;

at least one database configured to store the secure online repository, the at least one database being connected to the computer network and the secure online repository including a first lockbox and a second lockbox;

a computing device connected to the computer network and the database, the computing device comprising at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, from a user interface of a first client device, a first access key from a first party;

receive, from a user interface of a second client device, a second access key from a second party, the second party being different from the first party;

simultaneously validate the first access key and the second access key;

in response to simultaneously validating both the first and second access keys, provide remote access to the first lockbox to the first party and remote access to the second lockbox to the second party over the computer network, wherein the first lockbox and the second lockbox share content in common that includes information unique to the first party and information unique to the second party; and

responsive to the provided remote access, provide, through the computer network, the content in common to the first client device and the second client device, wherein the information unique to the first party is concurrently available on the user interface of the second client device for the duration the first party is remotely accessing the first lockbox and the information unique to the second party is concurrently available on the user interface of the first client device for the duration the second party is remotely accessing the second lockbox.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to provide remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository to the second party using the validated second access key in response to receiving an issuance of a death certificate of an owner of the secure online repository.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to provide remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository to the second party using the validated second access key in response to receiving an issuance of a birth certificate of the first party.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second party is one of (a) a governmental entity, (b) a supplier of the secure online repository, and (c) a professional individual associated with an owner of the secure online repository.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a requirement that both the first access key and the second access key need to be simultaneously validated is subject to an overwrite request by at least one party having an interest in the secure online repository.

6. A computer implemented method for providing a secure online repository executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a user interface of a first client device, a first access key from a first party;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a user interface of a second client device, a second access key from a second party, the second party being different from the first party;

simultaneously validating, by the at least one processor, the first access key and the second access key;

in response to simultaneously validating both the first access key and the second access key, providing remote access to a first lockbox of the secure online repository to the first party and remote access to a second lockbox of the secure online repository to the second party over a computer network, wherein the first lockbox and the second lockbox share content in common, and the content in common includes information unique to the first party and information unique to the second party; and

responsive to the provided remote access, providing, through the computer network, the content in common to the first client device and the second client device, wherein the information unique to the first party is concurrently available on the user interface of the second client device for the duration the first party is remotely accessing the first lockbox and the information unique to the second party is concurrently available on the user interface of the first client device for the duration the second party is remotely accessing the second lockbox.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository is provided to the second party in response to receiving an issuance of a death certificate of an owner of the secure online repository.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository is provided to the second party in response to receiving an issuance of a birth certificate of the first party.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the second party is one of (a) a governmental entity, (b) a supplier of the secure online repository, and (c) a professional individual associated with an owner of the secure online repository.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein a requirement that both the first access key and the second access key need to be simultaneously validated is subject to an overwrite request by at least one party having an interest in the secure online repository.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause at least one processor to perform operations for providing access control to a secure online repository that comprises a first lockbox and a second lockbox, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a user interface of a first client device, a first access key from a first party;

receiving, from a user interface of a second client device, a second access key from a second party, the second party being different from the first party;

simultaneously validating the first access key and the second access key;

in response to simultaneously validating both the first and second access keys, providing remote access to the first lockbox to the first party and remote access to the second lockbox to the second party over a computer network, wherein the first lockbox and the second lockbox share content in common that includes information unique to the first party and information unique to the second party; and

responsive to the provided remote access, providing, through the computer network, the content in common to the first client device and the second client device, wherein the information unique to the first party is concurrently available on the user interface of the second client device for the duration the first party is remotely accessing the first lockbox and the information unique to the second party is concurrently available on the user interface of the first client device for the duration the second party is remotely accessing the second lockbox.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository is provided to the second party in response to receiving an issuance of a death certificate of an owner of the secure online repository.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the remote access to the second lockbox of the secure online repository is provided to the second party in response to receiving an issuance of a birth certificate of the first party.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second party is one of (a) a governmental entity, (b) a supplier of the secure online repository, and (c) a professional individual associated with an owner of the secure online repository.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a requirement that both the first access key and the second access key need to be simultaneously validated is subject to an overwrite request by at least one party having an interest in the secure online repository.