Public Electronic Document Dating List

• US 20090100041A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Kelce S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/03 Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/50, monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/12 Usage or charge determination
• 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 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which enable the establishment of file dates and the absence of tampering, even for documents held in secrecy and those stored in uncontrolled environments, but which does not require trusting a timestamping authority or document archival service. A trusted timestamping authority (TTSA) may be used, but even if the TTSA loses credibility or a challenger refuses to acknowledge the validity of a timestamp, a date for an electronic document may still be established. Systems and methods are disclosed which enable detection of file duplication in large collections of documents, which can improve searching for documents within the large collection.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of scoring a plurality of documents, comprising:

identifying a plurality of linked documents;

identifying linking documents that link to the linked documents;

determining a score for each of the linked documents based on scores of the linking documents that link to the linked document; and

processing the linked document according to the determined scores;

wherein the improvement comprises;

generating a first integrity verification code (IVC) for each of the linked documents;

identifying at least one set of duplicates, using the IVCs; and

for a first linked document in the set of duplicates, adjusting at least one search result list generation parameter selected from the list consisting of;

the score, and

a ranking of the document in a search result list.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

submitting at least one of the generated IVCs to a document dating list (DDL).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating an IVC comprises:

generating a hash function message digest.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating an IVC comprises:

calculating a cyclic redundancy check (CRC).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a set of duplicates comprises:

comparing at least a first portion of the first IVC for the first document with a corresponding portion of the first IVC for a second document.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying a set of duplicates further comprises:

responsive to identifying a match between the compared IVC portions, comparing a second portion of the first IVC for the first document with a corresponding portion of the first IVC for the second document.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying a set of duplicates further comprises:

responsive to identifying a match between the compared IVC portions, generating a second IVC for each of the first document and the second document; and

comparing at least a portion of the second IVC for the first document with a corresponding portion of the second IVC for the second document.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a set of duplicates comprises:

comparing a size of the first document with a size of a second document.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the document score comprises:

changing the score to a value closer to a score of a duplicate of the first document.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting a ranking of the document in a search result list comprises:

moving a list item indicating the first document closer to a list item indicating a duplicate of the first document, thereby displacing another list item in the search result list.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting a ranking of the document in a search result list comprises:

moving a list item indicating the first document away from a list item indicating a duplicate of the first document, thereby displacing another list item in the search result list.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting a score for at least one document not identified has having a duplicate, and linked to the first document.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a set of duplicates comprises:

identifying, within each of the linked documents, content that is determinative of duplication and content that is not determinative of duplication, and

wherein the set of duplicates comprises a second document having determinative content identical with the first document and nondeterminative content differing from the first document.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a date for the first document.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining a date comprises:

searching a document dating list (DDL) edition for a match with the first IVC.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting, to a searcher, an option selection, wherein the option selection comprises a first option for grouping document duplicates in the search list and a second option for presenting a diverse search list.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from a searcher, an option selection indication for processing duplicate documents; and

generating the search result list responsive to the received preference.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the search result list as a hierarchical list, wherein a first list level is diverse with respect to document duplicates, and a lower list level identifies document duplicates.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer executable medium and configured to be executed by a processor, the program comprising:

code for identifying a plurality of linked documents;

code for identifying linking documents that link to the linked documents;

code for determining a score for each of the linked documents based on scores of the linking documents that link to the linked document;

code for identifying, within the plurality of linked documents, at least one set of duplicates; and

code for adjusting at least one search result list generation parameter responsive to identifying the set of duplicates.

20. An apparatus for scoring a plurality of documents, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium comprising;

a database correlating locations of each of a plurality of linked documents with keywords,

importance scores, and

indicia of content duplication, and

a search module configured to adjusting at least one search result list generation parameter selected from the list consisting of;

the importance score correlated with a location of a linked document, and

a ranking of the document in a search result list.