METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A STRUCTURED AND PARTIALLY REGENERABLE IDENTIFIER

• US 20130061036A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Oliver, Ian Justin
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD

Abstract

An approach is provided for generating a structured and partially regenerable identifier. An identification generation platform receives a request to generate at least one regenerable that includes, at least in part, a plurality of fields. The identification generation platform determines to separately hash and/or encrypt the respective ones of the plurality of fields. A generation of the at least one identifier is caused, based at least in part, on the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a request to generate at least one identifier, wherein the at least one identifier is regenerable and includes, at least in part, a plurality of fields;

data for populating respective ones of the plurality of fields;

at least one determination to separately hash and/or encrypt the respective ones of the plurality of fields; and

a generation of the at least one identifier based, at least in part, on the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

another request to regenerate the at least one identifier, the another request specifying one or more of the plurality of fields;

an update to the data of the one or more of the plurality of fields; and

at least one determination to separately rehash and/or reencrypt the one or more of the plurality of fields to regenerate the at least one identifier based, at least in part, on the update.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to cause, at least in part, the update to occur periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, randomly, or a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of an update frequency separately for the respective ones of the plurality of fields.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to cause, at least in part, the rehashing and/or reencrypting of the one or more plurality of fields based, at least in part, on one or more new hashing and/or encryption parameters; and

an invalidation of one or more previously used hashing and/or encryption parameters.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a transmission of one or more keys associated with one or more of the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields to at least one service, at least one application, or a combination thereof,

wherein the one or more keys facilitate access to the one or more of the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields by the at least one service, the at least one application, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of the one or more keys separately for the respective ones of the plurality of fields.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to initiate the transmission based, at least in part, on one or more instructions from a user associated with the at least one identifier.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a receipt of the request from a service, an application, or a combination thereof and

an association of the at least one identifier with log data associated with the service, the application, or a combination thereof.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the data for populating the respective ones of the plurality of fields includes, at least in part, a seed, a service name, a device identifier, a user identifier, an application identifier, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive a request to generate at least one identifier, wherein the at least one identifier is regenerable and includes, at least in part, a plurality of fields;

determine data for populating respective ones of the plurality of fields;

determine to separately hash and/or encrypt the respective ones of the plurality of fields; and

cause, at least in part, a generation of the at least one identifier based, at least in part, on the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive another request to regenerate the at least one identifier, the another request specifying one or more of the plurality of fields;

cause, at least in part, an update to the data of the one or more of the plurality of fields; and

determine to separately rehash and/or reencrypt the one or more of the plurality of fields to regenerate the at least one identifier based, at least in part, on the update.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to cause, at least in part, the update to occur periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, randomly, or a combination thereof

14. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine an update frequency separately for the respective ones of the plurality of fields.

15. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, the rehashing and/or reencrypting of the one or more plurality of fields based, at least in part, on one or more new hashing and/or encryption parameters; and

cause, at least in part, an invalidation of one or more previously used hashing and/or encryption parameters.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a transmission of one or more keys associated with one or more of the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields to at least one service, at least one application, or a combination thereof,

wherein the one or more keys facilitate access to the one or more of the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields by the at least one service, the at least one application, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the one or more keys separately for the respective ones of the plurality of fields.

18. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to initiate the transmission based, at least in part, on one or more instructions from a user associated with the at least one identifier.

19. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive the request from a service, an application, or a combination thereof; and

cause, at least in part, an association of the at least one identifier with log data associated with the service, the application, or a combination thereof

20. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data for populating the respective ones of the plurality of fields includes, at least in part, a seed, a service name, a device identifier, a user identifier, an application identifier, or a combination thereof