Efficient and secure data currentness systems
First Claim
1. A method of conveying currentness information about a document that is one of a plurality of documents, comprising:
- at every date j of a sequence of dates, and for every document i of the plurality of documents, having a currentness authority compute individual currentness status information Ci about i by digitally signing information identifying i, date j and an indication whether i continues to be valid, or is obsolete, or is suspended, wherein the currentness authority computes the individual currentness status information Ci independently of a request for the document i;
providing the digitally signed currentness status information Ci to a responder;
for each document i in a plurality of documents, having the responder store the latest received Ci; and
in response to an inquiry about currentness status of document i, having the responder provide the latest received Ci.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Indicating data currentness includes, on any date of a sequence of dates, issuing a proof indicating the currentness status of the data during a particular time interval. The proof may be a digital signature. The time interval may be in the form of a current date and an amount of time. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval and the data. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval and a compact form of the data, such as a hash. Indicating data currentness may also include distributing the proofs to a plurality of unsecure units that respond to requests by users for the proofs. Indicating data currentness may also include gathering a plurality of separate pieces of data and providing a single proof for the separate pieces of data. The data may be electronic documents.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of conveying currentness information about a document that is one of a plurality of documents, comprising:
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at every date j of a sequence of dates, and for every document i of the plurality of documents, having a currentness authority compute individual currentness status information Ci about i by digitally signing information identifying i, date j and an indication whether i continues to be valid, or is obsolete, or is suspended, wherein the currentness authority computes the individual currentness status information Ci independently of a request for the document i; providing the digitally signed currentness status information Ci to a responder; for each document i in a plurality of documents, having the responder store the latest received Ci; and in response to an inquiry about currentness status of document i, having the responder provide the latest received Ci. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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10. (canceled)
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19. A method of conveying currentness information about a document that is one of a plurality of documents, comprising:
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at every date j of a sequence of dates, and for every document i of the plurality of documents, computing individual currentness status information Ci about i by digitally signing information identifying i, date j and an indication whether i continues to be valid, or is obsolete, or is suspended, wherein the currentness authority computes the individual currentness status information Ci independently of a request for the document i; for each document i in a plurality of documents, storing the latest Ci; and in response to an inquiry about currentness status of document i, providing the latest received Ci.
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20. A method of verifying whether a particular document that is one of a plurality of documents is currently valid at a current date, comprising:
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receiving particular currentness status information about the particular document, wherein currentness status information Ci, for every document i is determined by having a currentness authority compute individual Ci about document i by digitally signing information identifying i, date j for every date j of a sequence of dates, and an indication whether i continues to be valid, or is obsolete, or is suspended, wherein the currentness authority computes the individual currentness status information Ci independently of a request for the document i; and confirming that the particular currentness status information was digitally signed by the currentness authority and that the particular currentness status information indicates that the particular document continues to be valid at the current date.
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Specification