System and user interface supporting URL processing and concurrent application operation

• US 20020095567A1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Royer, Barry Lynn, Heil, John Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A URL processing system and associated communication protocol enables network compatible applications to be securely integrated into any process involving concurrent operation of applications. A system employed by an application for encoding URL link data for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification includes a link processor for processing URL data. The link processor adaptively identifies and encrypts an address portion of a URL and incorporates the encrypted address portion of the URL together with the non-encrypted portion of the URL into a single processed URL data string. The system also includes a communication processor for incorporating the processed URL data string into formatted data for communication to a request device. The link processor compresses the identified URL address portion (e.g., with a hash function) prior to encryption. A system for decoding encoded URLs applies a hash function to a corresponding URL derived from a source different to the source of the received URL to provide a second hash value for comparison with a first received hash value for URL validation.

Claims

1. A system employed by an application for encoding URL link data for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification, comprising:

a link processor for processing URL data by

identifying an address portion of said URL,

encrypting said address portion of said URL,

incorporating said encrypted address portion of said URL together with the non-encrypted portion of said URL into a single processed URL data string; and

a communication processor for incorporating said processed URL data string into formatted data for communication to a request device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said link processor

adaptively identifies said address portion as URL data either lying between “

http;

//H” and

a question mark “

?”

or from data lying between “

http;

//P” and

a pound/number sign “

#”

-whichever comes first.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said link processor

adaptively identifies said address portion based on the application associated with said URL.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said link processor

adaptively uses (a) an address portion for ASP (Active Server Page) applications comprising a SERVER_NAME and SCRIPT_NAME and (b) an address portion for a non-ASP applications comprising a SERVER_NAME, SCRIPT_NAME, and PATH_INFO.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said link processor compresses said address portion of said URL prior to encryption and incorporation into said processed URL data string.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said link processor

converts said address portion of said URL to lower case before compression.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein said link processor compresses said address portion using at least one function from (a) a hash function, (b) another compression function.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said link processor

incorporates a session identifier, identifying a particular session of user initiated operation of said application, into said processed URL data string.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said link processor

incorporates said session identifier into said processed URL data string by formatting said session identifier into a data field including said session identifier and encrypted address separated by a colon (that is, session identifier:

encrypted address).

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said link processor

concatenates said address portion of said URL together with data associated with a personal record to form a data element, and

encrypts said data element for incorporation into said single processed URL data string.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein

said data associated with a personal record is at least one of, (a) a patient identifier, (b) a user identifier, (c) an encounter identifier and (d) an observation identifier.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said link processor encrypts said address portion of said URL using an RSA (Rivest Shamir Adleman) algorithm.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said link processor converts said identified address portion to lower case prior to compressing said converted identified address portion using a hash function.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said decrypted URL address portion is a first hash value, and

said validation processor,

applies a hashing function to a URL corresponding to said received encoded URL and derived from a source different to the source of said received URL, to provide a comparison second hash value, and

compares said comparison second hash value with said first hash value, and upon a match determines a successful validation of said received encoded URL.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein said link processor

identifies and extracts a session identifier from a non-encrypted portion of said received encoded URL.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said decrypted URL address portion includes data associated with a personal record.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein

said data associated with a personal record is at least one of, (a) a patient identifier and (b) a user identifier.

13. A system employed by an application for encoding URL link data for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification, comprising:

a link processor for processing URL data by

identifying an address portion of said URL,

compressing said identified address portion,

encrypting said compressed address portion of said URL,

incorporating said encrypted address portion of said URL together with the non-encrypted portion of said URL into a single processed URL data string; and

a communication processor for incorporating said processed URL data string into formatted data for communication to a request device.

15. A system employed by an application for decoding URL link data encoded for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification, comprising:

an input processor for receiving an encoded URL;

a link processor for processing URL data by

identifying an encrypted address portion of said received encoded URL,

decrypting said encrypted address portion of said URL to provide a decrypted URL address portion,

a validation processor for determining if said decrypted URL address portion has been subject to unauthorized modification.

20. A method employed by an application for encoding URL link data for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification, comprising the steps of:

identifying an address portion of a URL;

encrypting said address portion of said URL;

incorporating said encrypted address portion of said URL together with the non-encrypted portion of said URL into a single processed URL data string; and

incorporating said processed URL data string into formatted data for communication to a request device.

21. A method employed by an application for decoding URL link data encoded for use in detecting unauthorized URL modification, comprising the steps of:

receiving an encoded URL;

identifying an encrypted address portion of said received encoded URL;

decrypting said encrypted address portion of said URL to provide a decrypted URL address portion; and

determining if said decrypted URL address portion has been subject to unauthorized modification.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said decrypted URL address portion is a first hash value, and including the steps of

applying a hashing function to a URL corresponding to said received encoded URL and derived from a source different to the source of said received URL, to provide a comparison second hash value, and

comparing said comparison second hash value with said first hash value, and upon a match determining a successful validation of said received encoded URL.