PEDDaL blockchaining for document integrity verification preparation

• US 10,313,360 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Kelce S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jensen
• Application Number:
  US15/086,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 707754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/03 Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/50, monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/12 Usage or charge determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which use a block chain (“blockchain”) to enable the establishment of file dates and the absence of tampering, even for documents held in secrecy and those stored in uncontrolled environments, but which does not require trusting a timestamping authority or document archival service. A trusted timestamping authority (TTSA) may be used, but even if the TTSA loses credibility or a challenger refuses to acknowledge the validity of a timestamp, a date for an electronic document may still be established. Systems and methods are disclosed which enable detection of file duplication in large collections of documents, which can improve searching for documents within the large collection.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of using a blockchain to generate evidence for later proving integrity of a document, the method executable by a processor, the method comprising:

providing a first node on a computer network, the node having a non-transitory computer readable medium;

storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at the first node, a first integrity verification code (IVC) associated with a first document and a first user account;

storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at the first node, a second IVC associated with a second document and a second user account, the second IVC being different than the first IVC and the second user account being different than the first user account;

appending the first IVC and the second IVC to an open first document dating list (DDL) edition, wherein the first DDL edition does not contain either the first document or the second document;

storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at the first node, a third IVC associated with a third document and a third user account, the third IVC being different than the first IVC and the second IVC and the third user account being different than the first user account and the second user account;

appending the third IVC to an open second DDL edition, wherein the second DDL edition does not contain the third document; and

closing the first DDL edition, wherein closing the first DDL edition comprises generating a fourth IVC for the first DDL edition and appending the fourth IVC to the open second DDL edition, thereby chaining the first DDL edition with the second DDL edition to create a set of chained DDL editions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each IVC comprises a first a hash function message digest (hash value).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first hash value is among the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) family of hash values.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein each wherein each IVC further comprises a second hash value.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the first and second DDL editions to a remote second node across the computer network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a DDL record for each IVC, wherein generating a DDL record comprises appending at least one of a timestamp and an index number to the IVC, and

wherein appending an IVC to a DDL edition comprises appending the DDL record for the IVC.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the first node, the user account information associated with each of the first, second, and third IVCs.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining whether a count of IVCs associated with any one of the first user account, the second user account and the third user account, during a predetermined time interval, exceeds a predetermined number; and

responsive to determining that the count exceeds the predetermined number, generating billing information for the user account exceeding the predetermined number.

9. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to be executed by a processor, the program comprising:

code for storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at a first node on a computer network, a first integrity verification code (IVC) associated with a first document and a first user account;

code for storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at the first node, a second IVC associated with a second document and a second user account, the second IVC being different than the first IVC and the second user account being different than the first user account;

code for appending the first IVC and the second IVC to an open first document dating list (DDL) edition, wherein the first DDL edition does not contain either the first document or the second document;

code for storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium at the first node, a third IVC associated with a third document and a third user account, the third IVC being different than the first IVC and the second IVC and the third user account being different than the first user account and the second user account; and

code for appending the third IVC to an open second DDL edition, wherein the second DDL edition does not contain the third document;

code for closing the first DDL edition, wherein closing the first DDL edition comprises generating a fourth IVC for the first DDL edition and appending the fourth IVC to the open second DDL edition, thereby chaining the first DDL edition with the second DDL edition to create a set of chained DDL editions.

10. The program of claim 9 wherein each IVC comprises a first a hash function message digest (hash value).

11. The program of claim 10 wherein the first hash value is among the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) family of hash values.

12. The program of claim 10 wherein each IVC further comprises a second hash value.

13. The program of claim 9 further comprising:

code for transmitting the first and second DDL editions to a remote second node across the computer network.

14. The program of claim 9 further comprising:

code for generating a DDL record for each IVC, wherein generating a DDL record comprises appending at least one of a timestamp and an index number to the IVC, and

wherein appending an IVC to a DDL edition comprises appending the DDL record for the IVC.

15. The program of claim 9 further comprising:

code for receiving, at the first node, the user account information associated with each of the first, second, and third IVCs.

16. The program of claim 15 further comprising:

code for determining whether a count of IVCs associated with any one of the first user account, the second user account and the third user account, during a predetermined time interval, exceeds a predetermined number; and

code for generating billing information for the user account exceeding the predetermined number, responsive to determining that the count exceeds the predetermined number.