Distributed confidential contextual querying

• US 20050149520A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: De Vries, Jean Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

For distributed querying of confidential information, a querying data structure is constructed from the confidential information on the computer at which the confidential information resides. The querying data structure opaquely encapsulates queries on the confidential information as a set of query hashes and answer pairs. The querying data structure is distributed to other computers where the distributed query processing is to be performed. The query is performed on such other computers by hashing the query terms, using the resulting query hash as a look up index to the associated answer in the querying data structure, and acting on the answer. A strictly one-way hash is used to prevent recovery of the original inputs to the query hashes in the query data structure by reverse hash.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A computer-readable data-carrying medium having a distributed querying data structure encoded thereon to opaquely encapsulate queries involving a set of query terms on information resident on one computer for transfer to other computers for distributed querying at such other computers without the information being accessible at such other computers, the distributed querying data structure comprising:

a set of query hash and query answer pairs;

the query hash of a pair being a result of a one-way hashing function of a combination of values for the set of query terms; and

the query answer of the pair being a value answering the query for the combination of the query term values,

whereby distributed queries are evaluated at such other computers by calculating the one-way hashing function of the respective query'"'"'s query term values and looking up the query answer paired with the calculated query hash of the respective query in the distributed querying data structure.

9. The computer-readable data-carrying medium of claim 8 wherein the query answer is a value resulting from a function of at least the query terms and an answer rule.

10. The computer-readable data-carrying medium of claim 8 having further encoded thereon a type definition of the query terms for transfer from the one computer to such other computers.

11. An information service operating on a group of at least one server computer on a data communications network providing data communications with a user-operated computer, the information service comprising:

an information resource available to provide to users of the information service, the information resource described by values for a set of fields;

a querying unit operating to evaluate queries on the set of fields using a querying data structure received from a computer where user-specific information resides, the querying data structure comprising a set of query hash and answer pairs, the querying unit evaluating a query with the values for the set of fields describing the information resource using the querying data structure to yield an answer respecting the information resource; and

a notification unit operating to generate a notification to the user relating to the information resource in accordance with the answer yielded by the querying unit respecting the information resource.

12. The information service of claim 11 for providing contextually relevant information according to a user context defined by the user-specific information, the evaluation of queries by the querying unit operating to assess contextual relevancy of the information resources to the user context.

13. The information service of claim 11 wherein the answer is indicative of a form of notification to provide for information resources meeting the query.

14. An information service operating on a group of at least one server computer on a data communications network providing data communications with a user-operated computer, the information service comprising:

an information resource available to provide to users of the information service, the information resource described by values for a set of fields;

a distributed query building unit operating to construct a distributed querying data structure comprising a set of query hash and answer pairs, the query hash being a value resulting as a one-way hashing function of the set of fields, and the answer indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the information resource whose values for the set of fields yield the paired query hash when hashed via the one-way hashing function; and

a transfer unit for transferring the distributed querying data structure to another computer to permit evaluation of queries on the set of fields for the information resource.