Methods and apparatus for negotiating agreement over concealed terms through a blind agent

• US 20070005962A1
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WWN Software LLC
• Original Assignee: WWN Software LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• 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 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods, processes, apparatus, algorithms, etc., for secure identification of secret answers that satisfy secret questions. The methods, etc., can be used for the negotiated exchange of information, goods, or services when the Seeker and the Provider conceal their negotiating positions.

Claims

1. A method of comparing secret information, comprising:

a) determining a match between at least one encrypted information file and at least one encrypted search request file without removing said encryption,

b) revealing said match to the sources of said files wherein said match is capable of being decrypted by said services, and

c) concealing non-matches from said sources.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein said encrypted files comprise structured data.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein said structured data comprise unencrypted keywords and encrypted vocabulary.

4. A method of claim 1, whereby said determining a match is performed by comparing said keywords and said encrypted vocabulary.

5. A computer system for comparing secret information, comprising:

a) a means for determining a match between at least one encrypted information file and at least one encrypted search request file without removing said encryption,

b) a means for revealing said match to the sources of said files wherein said match is capable of being decrypted by said services, and

c) a means for concealing non-matches from said sources.