Personal portal and secure information exchange

• US 20040267707A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Machine-to-Machine Intelligence Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hayes-Roth Family Trust The Under Agreement Dated September 14 1987 As Amended
• Inventors: Hayes-Roth, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

The present invention provides a secure information exchange mechanism that can be seen as a portal or gateway to his or her digital information. The invention is sometimes referred to as an “n-by-m lockbox” because it allows n suppliers to submit information accessible by m accessors. Each lockbox owner specifies and controls who or what can provide what information to the lockbox, who or what can access what information stored therein, and when and how the stored information is accessed. The information may be encrypted and only authorized accessors would be able to decipher it. The lockbox may comprise multiple compartments that segregate information based on pertinent criteria and may incorporate multiple encryption/decryption mechanisms that respectively correspond to each of the multiple compartments. The lockbox owner may associate different encryption keys with different compartments and give these keys to different depositors or instruct depositors to utilize different keys for specific categories of content. The lockbox provides a means for improved organization of the storage of potentially vast amounts of information. Further, the lockbox solves many problems associated with spamming and also advantageously prevents problems associated with various security attacks, such as flooding and denial of service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented secure information exchange system comprising:

a digital repository comprising;

means for permitting n authorized suppliers to submit desired information;

means for storing the desired information; and

means for allowing m permitted accessors, including owner of the digital repository, access to the desired information.

2. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, in which

the n authorized suppliers are humans or machines;

in which the m permitted accessors are humans or machines.

3. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for preventing undesirable information being stored in the digital repository.

4. The secure information exchange system according to claim 3, in which

the means for preventing undesirable information being stored in the digital repository is a content permission filter.

5. The secure information exchange system according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for preventing undesirable information being supplied to the digital repository.

6. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for preventing undesirable information being supplied to the digital repository.

7. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository is configured with a plurality of compartments.

8. The secure information exchange system according to claim 7, wherein

each of the plurality of compartments stores a category of the desired information.

9. The secure information exchange system according to claim 7, wherein

each of the plurality of compartments is accessible by at least one designated permitted accessor.

10. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository resides in a highly secure computer server and works in concert with a security means for high security.

11. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository resides in network compliant device.

12. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for encrypting the desired information.

13. The secure information exchange system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of enciphering keys.

14. The secure information exchange system according to claim 13, wherein

each of the plurality of enciphering keys corresponds to a distinct authorized supplier.

15. The secure information exchange system according to claim 13, wherein

each of the plurality of enciphering keys is associated with one of a plurality of categories of desired information.

16. The secure information exchange system according to claim 13, wherein

each of the plurality of enciphering keys is associated with one of a plurality of compartments of the digital repository.

17. The secure information exchange system according to claim 13, wherein

the plurality of enciphering keys are characterized as public keys.

18. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for decrypting the desired information.

19. The secure information exchange system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a plurality of deciphering keys.

20. The secure information exchange system according to claim 19, wherein

each of the plurality of deciphering keys corresponds to a permitted accessor.

21. The secure information exchange system according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for determining whether the permitted accessor is an authorized supplier permitted to modify the desired information, originally deposited thereby, stored in the digital repository.

22. The secure information exchange system according to claim 19, wherein

each of the plurality of deciphering keys is associated with one of a plurality of categories of desired information.

23. The secure information exchange system according to claim 19, wherein

each of the plurality of deciphering keys is associated with one of a plurality of compartments of the digital repository.

24. The secure information exchange system according to claim 19, wherein

the plurality of deciphering keys are characterized as public keys.

25. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a public key encryption means for encrypting and decrypting the desired information.

26. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a specification defined by the owner for specifying the n authorized suppliers, the desired information, the m permitted accessors, or a combination thereof.

27. The secure information exchange system according to claim 26, wherein

the digital repository is configured with a plurality of compartments, the specification specifying which of the plurality of compartments is accessible by which of the m permitted accessors.

28. The secure information exchange system according to claim 27, wherein

each of the plurality of compartments stores a category of the desired information.

29. The secure information exchange system according to claim 26, further comprising:

means for receiving information including candidate supplier information, candidate accessor information, contents, or a combination thereof.

30. The secure information exchange system according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for determining, based on the candidate supplier information and the specification, whether the candidate supplier is one of the n authorized suppliers.

31. The secure information exchange system according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for determining, based on the contents and the specification, whether the contents contain desirable information.

32. The secure information exchange system according to claim 29, wherein

the candidate supplier information includes information related to the candidate supplier'"'"'s identity, credentials, or both.

33. The secure information exchange system according to claim 29, wherein

the candidate accessor information includes information related to the candidate accessor'"'"'s identity, credentials, or both.

34. The secure information exchange system according to claim 29, wherein

the contents includes information related to categories or semantics thereof.

35. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository is configured with a plurality of compartments.

36. The secure information exchange system according to claim 35, further comprising:

means for specifying what each of the plurality of compartments stores.

37. The secure information exchange system according to claim 36, further comprising:

means for enabling the owner of the digital repository to interact with said means for specifying.

38. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for preventing accessors without access permission from accessing the desired information.

39. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for pulling the desired information stored in the digital repository in response to a query.

40. The secure information exchange system according to claim 39, further comprising:

means for evaluating the query.

41. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for evaluating standing queries in response to a change to the desired information stored in the digital repository.

42. The secure information exchange system according to claim 41, further comprising:

means for selecting appropriate standing queries affected by the change for evaluation.

43. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for pushing the desired information stored in the digital repository to at least one permitted accessor.

44. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository having means for implementing a predetermined notification method.

45. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, wherein

the digital repository conforms to a predetermined communication protocol.

46. The secure information exchange system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of distinct digital repositories, each having its own n authorized suppliers, m permitted accessors, and storage means.

47. The secure information exchange system according to claim 46, further comprising:

means for caching the desired information in more than one digital repository.

48. The secure information exchange system according to claim 46, further comprising:

means for forwarding the desired information from one digital repository to another digital repository, network compliant device, or server over one or more networks employing one or more communication protocols.

49. The secure information exchange system according to claim 48, wherein

each network is characterized as a wired network, a wireless network, or a combination thereof.

50. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a computer product for implementing the digital repository, the computer product comprising a computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions implementing functions of the digital repository, including interacting with the n authorized depositors, the m permitted accessors, and the owner.

51. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for enabling the n authorized suppliers to specify which of the in permitted accessors receives what content of the desired information.

52. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for enabling the m permitted accessors to specify the desired information, to specify how the desirable information is accessed, and to specify which of the desired information is to be pushed.

53. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for assuring each of the n authorized suppliers that the desired information supplied thereby reaches only those of the m permitted accessors that match specifications respectively defined by each of the n authorized suppliers.

54. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for assuring each of the m permitted accessors receives no other information but all that is available in the digital repository and that satisfies interests respectively specified by the owner or any of the m permitted accessors.

55. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for evaluating trustworthiness of information suppliers.

56. The secure information exchange system according to claim 55, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness raises an estimate of trustworthiness of an information supplier whose information supplied to the digital repository matches the owner'"'"'s specification for the desired information.

57. The secure information exchange system according to claim 55, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness lowers an estimate of trustworthiness of an information supplier whose information supplied to the digital repository does not match the owner'"'"'s specification for the desired information.

58. The secure information exchange system according to claim 55, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness raises or lowers an estimate of trustworthiness of an information supplier based on whether information supplied by the information supplier is consistent with the information supplier'"'"'s meta-information describing the information;

and on whether the meta-information discloses characteristics that are material to determining the information'"'"'s desirability.

59. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for evaluating trustworthiness of meta-information suppliers, the meta-information including descriptions of and assertions related to the meta-information, its creation, its ownership, or its content.

60. The secure information exchange system according to claim 59, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness raises an estimate of trustworthiness of a meta-information supplier whose meta-information supplied to the digital repository matches the owner'"'"'s specification for the desired information.

61. The secure information exchange system according to claim 59, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness lowers an estimate of trustworthiness of a meta-information supplier whose meta-information supplied to the digital repository does not match the owner'"'"'s specification for the desired information.

62. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for evaluating trustworthiness of meta-information supplied to the digital repository, the meta-information including descriptions of and assertions related to the meta-information, its creation, its ownership, or its content.

63. The secure information exchange system according to claim 62, wherein

the means for evaluating trustworthiness raises or lowers an estimate of trustworthiness of the meta-information based on one or more accessors'"'"' input.

64. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for organizing content of the desired information stored in the digital repository.

65. The secure information exchange system according to claim 64, further comprising:

means for classifying the content of the desired information into one or more categories.

66. The secure information exchange system according to claim 65, wherein

the one or more categories are characterized as hierarchical, semantic, conceptual, or polymorphic.

67. The secure information exchange system according to claim 65, further comprising:

means for expanding the one or more categories through application of logic, rules.

68. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for classifying an object of the desired information in multiple categories and correspondingly storing the object in multiple compartments of the digital repository by reference.

69. The secure information exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for removing objects of the desired information that are characterized as redundant, superseded, or expired.

70. A system for evaluating trustworthiness of information suppliers, comprising:

means for determining an estimate of trustworthiness of an information supplier based on whether information supplied by the information supplier to a digital repository matches a specification for desired information.

71. The system according to claim 70, wherein

the specification for desired information is defined by the owner of the digital repository.

72. The system according to claim 70, further comprising:

means for raising the estimate of trustworthiness when the information supplied by the information supplier is consistent with the information supplier'"'"'s meta-information describing the information and where the meta-information discloses characteristics that are material to determining the information'"'"'s desirability; and

means for lowering the estimate of trustworthiness when the information supplied by the information supplier is not consistent with the information supplier'"'"'s meta-information describing the information.

73. The system according to claim 72, in which

the meta-information includes descriptions of and assertions related to the meta-information, its creation, its ownership, or its content.

74. The system according to claim 70, further comprising:

means for determining an estimate of trustworthiness of a meta-information supplier based on whether meta-information supplied by the meta-information supplier to the digital repository matches the specification for desired information.

75. The system according to claim 74, further comprising:

means for raising the estimate of trustworthiness of the meta-information supplier when the meta-information supplied by the meta-information supplier to the digital repository matches the specification for desired information; and

means for lowering the estimate of trustworthiness of the meta-information supplier when the meta-information supplied by the meta-information supplier to the digital repository does not match the specification for desired information.

76. The system according to claim 75, in which

the meta-information includes descriptions of and assertions related to the meta-information, its creation, its ownership, or its content.

77. The system according to claim 70, further comprising:

means for determining an estimate of trustworthiness of the information supplied to the digital repository based on input from one or more accessors of the digital repository, the information including meta-information.

78. A system for organizing desired information stored in a digital repository, comprising:

means for classifying content of the desired information into one or more categories.

79. The system according to claim 78, wherein

the one or more categories are characterized as hierarchical, semantic, conceptual, or polymorphic.

80. The system according to claim 78, further comprising:

means for expanding the one or more categories through application of logic rules.

81. The system according to claim 78, further comprising:

means for classifying an object of the desired information in multiple categories and correspondingly storing the object in multiple compartments of the digital repository.

82. The system according to claim 81, wherein

the object is stored in multiple compartments of the digital repository by reference.

83. The system according to claim 78, further comprising:

means for removing objects of the desired information that are characterized as redundant, superseded, or expired.