TRUSTED AND SECURE TECHNIQUES FOR ITEM DELIVERY AND EXECUTION

• US 20080022100A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Weber, Robert, Van Wie, David, Ginter, Karl, Spahn, Francis, Shear, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 : Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 : Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 : Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 : Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 : Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 : Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 : applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 : applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 : Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 : involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 : Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Documents and other items can be delivered electronically from sender to recipient with a level of trustedness approaching or exceeding that provided by a personal document courier. A trusted electronic go-between can validate, witness and/or archive transactions while, in some cases, actively participating in or directing the transaction. Printed or imaged documents can be marked using handwritten signature images, seal images, electronic fingerprinting, watermarking, and/or steganography. Electronic commercial transactions and transmissions take place in a reliable, “trusted” virtual distribution environment that provides significant efficiency and cost savings benefits to users in addition to providing an extremely high degree of confidence and trustedness. The systems and techniques have many uses including but not limited to secure document delivery, execution of legal documents, and electronic data interchange (EDI).

Claims

1. A method for securely managing a document represented in digital form, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first secure container containing a digital representation of the document;

receiving one or more controls governing interactions with the first secure container, wherein the one or more controls are received separately from the first secure container; and

redistributing the first secure container to an intended recipient according to the one or more controls.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is an intra-organization document and is created by a first user, and the intended recipient is a second user and both the first and second users belong to the same organization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more controls govern at least which users can make changes to the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the document relates to healthcare information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the document is a patient record.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the document includes drug prescription information.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the document includes patient consent information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first secure container is created using a trusted computer system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a secure audit trail, the audit trail including indications of one or more of the following:

where the first secure container has been, which users have opened the first secure container, and which users have accessed the document.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the audit trail is maintained in a second secure container separate from the first secure container.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating the intended recipient.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code being operable, when executed by an electronic appliance, to cause the electronic appliance to perform steps comprising:

obtaining a secure container containing a digital representation of a document;

receiving one or more controls governing interactions with the secure container, wherein the one or more controls are received separately from the secure container; and

redistributing the secure container to an intended recipient according to the one or more controls.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further including program code that is operable, when executed by the electronic appliance, to cause the electronic appliance to perform the step of maintaining an audit trail, the audit trail including indications of one or more of the following:

where the secure container has been, which users have opened the secure container, and which users have accessed the document.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further including program code that is operable, when executed by the electronic appliance, to cause the electronic appliance to perform the step of authenticating the intended recipient.

15. A system comprising:

means for obtaining a first secure container containing a digital representation of a document;

means for receiving one or more controls governing interactions with the first secure container, wherein the one or more controls are received separately from the first secure container; and

means for redistributing the first secure container to an intended recipient according to the one or more controls.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the document is an intra-organization document and is created by a first user, and the intended recipient is a second user and both the first and second users belong to the same organization.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more controls govern at least which users can make changes to the document.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the document relates to healthcare information.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for maintaining a secure audit trail, the audit trail including indications of one or more of the following:

where the first secure container has been, which users have opened the first secure container, and which users have accessed the document.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the audit trail is maintained in a second secure container separate from the first secure container.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for authenticating the intended recipient.

22. A method for securely managing electronic documents, the method comprising:

creating an electronic document;

packaging the electronic document in a secure electronic container;

associating one or more controls with the secure electronic container, the one or more controls specifying one or more permitted uses of the electronic document, the controls being configured to be used by tamper-resistant hardware and/or software to govern access to or other use of the electronic document; and

sending the secure electronic container to a trusted go-between.

23. The method of claim 22, in which the trusted go-between comprises a computer used to store secure electronic containers and to forward secure electronic containers to authorized recipients.

24. The method of claim 22, in which the trusted go-between comprises a commercially operated computer system used to store secure electronic containers and to forward secure electronic containers to authorized recipients.

25. The method of claim 23, in which the trusted go-between is operable to time or date stamp the secure electronic container.

26. The method of claim 23, in which the trusted go-between is unable to access contents of the secure electronic container.

27. The method of claim 22, in which the one or more controls include a control indicating that the electronic document is not allowed to be modified.

28. The method of claim 22, in which the one or more controls include a control indicating that the electronic document can be displayed only to one or more predefined entities.

29. The method of claim 22, in which the trusted go-between is operable to, in accordance with the one or more controls, forward the secure electronic container to one or more authorized recipients.

30. The method of claim 29, in which the trusted go-between is further operable to receive a second secure container including a modified version of the electronic document, and to forward the second secure container to one or more authorized recipients.

31. The method of claim 29, in which the trusted go-between is further operable to receive and store one or more communications from the one or more authorized recipients approving the electronic document.

32. The method of claim 22, in which the trusted go-between is operable to associate one or more additional controls with the secure electronic container.

33. The method of claim 32, in which the one or more additional controls include one or more controls requiring auditing information to be maintained regarding at least one of:

where the secure electronic container has been, who has accessed contents of the secure electronic container, and/or when access to the contents of the secure electronic container occurred.