System and method for constraint resolution

• US 20060155996A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meizu Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cuadrado, Javier Esplugas, Trastour, David, Kudla, Caroline, Preist, Christopher William
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A method of determining the compatibility of respective information associated with at least two parties is described. The method comprises: a first and second party each expressing their respective information in an agreed format; processing the information according to a two-phase double-encryption process, in which the first party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the second party and the second party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the first party, the second party encrypting the encrypted information received from the first party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result and the first party encrypting the encrypted information received from the second party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result, the first- and second-phase procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of which party it originates from; and comparing each party'"'"'s double-encrypted information to determine the compatibility of the information of each party.

Claims

1. A method of determining the compatibility of respective information associated with at least two parties, the method comprising:

a first and second party each expressing their respective information in an agreed format;

processing the information according to a two-phase double-encryption process, in which the first party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the second party and the second party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the first party, the second party encrypting the encrypted information received from the first party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result and the first party encrypting the encrypted information received from the second party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result, the first-phase and second-phase procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of which party it originates from; and

comparing each party'"'"'s double-encrypted information to determine the compatibility of the information of each party.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second parties are each allocated a key unique to that party, such that the first-phase and second-phase encryption procedures are personalised through the use by each party of the unique key.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein under the first-phase procedure each party uses their unique key in conjunction with a first-phase function common to both the first and second parties and in the second-phase procedure each party uses their unique key in conjunction with a second-phase function common to both the first and second parties.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein both the first and second parties use a function unique to each party in conjunction with the unique key in both the first- and second-phase procedures.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises a constraint.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the constraint comprises a constraint title.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the constraint title is used to identify double-encrypted information in determining the compatibility of the information of both the first and second parties.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein under the first-phase procedure each party assigns a unique label to the encrypted information.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises indicating whether any information is in conflict.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises indicating which information is compatible.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises identifying that all information is compatible.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the results of the determination of information compatibility are used to determine if a link may be formed between the first and second parties.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein there are more than two parties involved.

28. A system implementing a method of claim 1.

14. A method of providing information of at least two parties suitable for comparison in a secure way, the method comprising:

a first and second party each expressing their respective information in an agreed format;

processing the information according to a two-phase double-encryption process, in which

the first party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the second party and

the second party encrypts their information under a personalised first-phase procedure and sends the results to the first party,

the second party encrypting the encrypted information received from the first party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result and

the first party encrypting the encrypted information received from the second party under a personalised second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result,

the first-phase and second-phase procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of which party it originates from.

15. A method of processing information into a form suitable for establishing the compatibility of the information with respect to at least two parties, the method comprising:

a first party expressing its information in a format agreed with a second party;

the first party processing information according to a two-step double-encryption process comprising;

encrypting its information under a personalised first-step procedure and sending the results to the second party for encryption by a second-step encryption process personalised to the second party and complementary to the first-step encryption process of the first party, to yield a double encrypted result;

receiving encrypted information from the second party;

encrypting the received encrypted information under a personalised second-step procedure to produce a double-encrypted result, wherein the received encrypted information has been encrypted using a first-step encryption process personal to the second party and complementary to the second-step encryption process of the first party;

the first-step and second-step encryption procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of whether it is processed using the first-step or second-step encryption process of the first party.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein double-encrypted information of the first party is compared with the double-encrypted information of the second party to determine the compatibility of the information with respect to the first party and the second party.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the information comprises a constraint.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the constraint comprises a constraint title.

19. A method according to claim 18.

wherein double-encrypted information of the first party is compared with the double-encrypted information of the second party to determine the compatibility of the information with respect to the first Party and the second party;

and

the constraint title is used to identify double-encrypted information in determining the compatibility of the information of both the first and second parties.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises indicating whether any information is in conflict.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises indicating which information is compatible.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein determination of the compatibility of information comprises identifying that all information is compatible.

23. A method according to claim 16, wherein the results of the determination of information compatibility are used to determine if a link may be formed between the first and second parties.

24. A method according to claim 15, wherein under the first-step procedure the first party assigns a unique label to its encrypted information.

25. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first party is allocated a key unique to the first party, such that the first-step and second-step encryption procedures are personalised through the use by the first party of the unique key.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein under the first-step procedure the first party uses its unique key in conjunction with a first-step function common to both the first and second parties and in the second-step procedure the first party uses its unique key in conjunction with a second-step function common to both the first and second parties.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the first party uses a function unique to the first party in conjunction with its unique key in both the first- and second-step procedures.

29. A system or method substantially as described herein with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.