METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING AND USING MASSLESS CURRENCY
First Claim
1. A machine-implemented process for creating a dual currency note, said process comprising:
- machine-generating, on a configured computing device, a data string defining a note content of a dual currency;
machine-encrypting, on a configured computing device with access to a secret key of a cryptosystem, at least a portion of the data string with the secret key to generate the dual currency note; and
machine-outputting the generated dual currency note to a memory or to a communication device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for effecting practical use of a dual currency which is a currency that can be electronically created and stored, and further for which there is a secret key (e.g., the secret key of a public key/secret key pair as used in public key cryptography) such that: an entity that does not possess the secret key cannot, in practice, create notes of the currency; and an entity that does possess the secret key can, in practice, create notes of the currency without assistance from entities that do not possess the secret key.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A machine-implemented process for creating a dual currency note, said process comprising:
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machine-generating, on a configured computing device, a data string defining a note content of a dual currency; machine-encrypting, on a configured computing device with access to a secret key of a cryptosystem, at least a portion of the data string with the secret key to generate the dual currency note; and machine-outputting the generated dual currency note to a memory or to a communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A machine-implemented process for distributing notes of a dual currency, said machine-implemented process comprising:
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machine-accessing, in a memory, a secret key of a cryptographic system; machine-generating a dual currency note content; machine-encrypting at least a portion of the generated note content using the secret key to generate a first dual currency note; and machine-providing the first dual currency note to a first user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A machine-implemented process for enabling transactions using a dual currency for which notes are generated by an authority, said machine-implemented process comprising:
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machine-receiving on a first user'"'"'s configured computing device a first unique data string defining a first note of the dual currency, the first note having a first face value; machine-storing on the first user'"'"'s configured computing device the received first note; and machine-transmitting from the first user'"'"'s configured computing device to a configured computing device of the authority, a replacement-request including the stored first note and a request for the authority'"'"'s configured computing device to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second note of the dual currency having a second face value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A machine-implemented process for enabling transactions using a dual currency, said machine-implemented process comprising:
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machine-receiving on a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a first data string; machine-authenticating on the second user'"'"'s configured computing device that the first data string defines a first note of the dual currency, the first note not previously destroyed; machine-evaluating on the second user'"'"'s configured computing device a first face value of the first note; machine-determining on the second user'"'"'s configured computing device to accept the first note as payment for goods and/or services and/or other items of value; and machine-storing the first note in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A machine-implemented process enabling transactions using a dual currency, said machine-implemented process comprising:
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machine-receiving on an authority'"'"'s configured computing device, from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a replacement-request including a first data string and a request for the authority'"'"'s configured computing device to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second dual currency note having a second face value; machine-authenticating on the authority'"'"'s configured computing device that the first data string defines a first dual currency note that has not previously been destroyed; machine-evaluating on the authority'"'"'s configured computing device a first face value of the first dual currency note; machine-determining on the authority'"'"'s configured computing device whether the first face value is greater than or equal to the second face value; machine-destroying on the authority'"'"'s configured computing device the first dual currency note; machine-creating on the authority'"'"'s configured computing device a second dual currency note, the second dual currency note having the second face value, said second dual currency note being generated by machine-encrypting at least portions of a second note content; and machine-transmitting the second dual currency note from the authority'"'"'s configured computing device to the second user'"'"'s computing device. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. The machine-implemented process according to claim 32, wherein the machine-authenticating and the machine-creating uses cryptosystem including at least one of:
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(a) a public key cryptosystem, (b) a digital signature cryptosystem, (c) Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) cryptosystem, (d) Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem (ECC), (e) El Gamal encryption, (f) digital signature algorithm (DSA), (g) elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA), (h) El Gamal signature algorithm, (i) Schnorr signature algorithm, (j) Rabin signature algorithm, (k) GMR (Goldwasser-Micali-Rivest) signature algorithm, (l) Pointcheval-Stern signature algorithm, (m) Chaum'"'"'s undeniable signatures, (n) pairing based digital signature schemes, (o) Merkle signature scheme, and (p) BLS (Boneh-Lynn-Shacham) signature scheme.
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41-1. A system of one or more machines configured to create a dual currency note, said system of machines comprising:
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a memory storing a secret key of a cryptosystem; and at least one computing device processor configured to perform operations including; generating, on a configured computing device, a data string defining a note content of the dual currency; encrypting at least a portion of the data string with the secret key to generate the note; and outputting the generated note to a memory or to a communication interface.
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42. A system of one or more machines configured to distribute notes of a dual currency, said system of machines comprising:
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a memory storing a secret key of a cryptographic key pair comprising the secret key and a public key, wherein the secret key and the public key can each be used by a configured computing device to decrypt data encrypted by the other; and at least one computing device processor configured to perform operations including; accessing the secret key in the memory; generating a note content of the dual currency, the note content representing a first face value; encrypting at least a portion of the generated note content using the secret key to generate a first note of the dual currency; and providing the first note to a first user.
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43. A system of one or more machines configured to enable transactions using a dual currency for which notes are generated by an authority, said system of machines comprising:
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a memory; and at least one computing device processor configured to perform operations including; receiving a first unique data string defining a first note of the dual currency note, the first note having a first face value; storing in the memory the received first note; and transmitting from the first user'"'"'s configured computing device to a configured computing device of the authority, a replacement-request including the stored first note and a request for the authority'"'"'s configured computing device to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second note of the dual currency having a second face value.
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44. A system of one or more machines configured to enable transactions using a dual currency, said system of machines comprising:
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a memory; and at least one computing device processor configured to perform operations including; receiving from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a first data string; authenticating that the first data string defines a first note of the dual currency, the first note not previously being destroyed; evaluating a first face value of the first note; determining to accept the first note as payment for goods and/or services and/or other items of value; and storing the first note in the memory.
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45. A system of one or more machines configured enable transactions using a dual currency, said system of machines comprising:
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a memory; and at least one computing device processor configured to perform operations including; receiving from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a replacement-request including a first data string and a request to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second note of the dual currency having a second face value; authenticating that the first data string defines a first note that has not previously been destroyed; evaluating a first face value of the first note; determining whether the first face value is greater than or equal to the second face value; destroying the first note by storing a record of such in a list of destroyed notes; encrypting at least portions of a second note content having encoded the second face value to generate the second note; and transmitting the second note to the second user'"'"'s computing device.
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46. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code structure including executable computer program instructions, which, when executed by at least one computing device processor of a system for creating a dual currency note, causes the system to perform operations comprising:
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generating, on a configured computing device, a data string defining a note content of the dual currency; encrypting, on a configured computing device with access to a secret key of a cryptosystem, at least a portion of the data string with the secret key to generate the dual currency note; and outputting the generated dual currency note to a memory or to a communication interface.
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47. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code structure including executable computer program instructions, which, when executed by at least one computing device processor of a system for distributing notes of a dual currency, causes the system to perform operations comprising:
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accessing, in a memory, a secret key of a cryptographic key pair comprising the secret key and a public key, wherein the secret key and the public key can each be used by a configured computing device to decrypt data encrypted by the other; generating a note content of the dual currency, the note content representing a first face value; encrypting at least a portion of the generated note content using the secret key to generate a first note of the dual currency; and providing the first note to a first user.
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48. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code structure including executable computer program instructions, which, when executed by at least one computing device processor of a system for enabling transactions using a dual currency for which notes are generated by an authority, causes the system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving a first unique data string defining a first note of the dual currency note, the first note having a first face value; storing in a memory the received first note; and transmitting from the first user'"'"'s configured computing device to a configured computing device of the authority, a replacement-request including the stored first note and a request for the authority'"'"'s configured computing device to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second note of the dual currency having a second face value.
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49. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code structure including executable computer program instructions, which, when executed by at least one computing device processor of a system for enabling transactions using a dual currency for which notes are generated by an authority, causes the system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a first data string; authenticating that the first data string defines a first note of the dual currency, the first note not previously being destroyed; evaluating a first face value of the first note; determining to accept the first note as payment for goods and/or services and/or other items of value; and storing the first note in a memory.
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50. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code structure including executable computer program instructions, which, when executed by at least one computing device processor of a system for enabling transactions using a dual currency, causes the system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving from a first user'"'"'s configured computing device, a replacement-request including a first data string and a request to transmit to a second user'"'"'s configured computing device, a second note of the dual currency having a second face value; authenticating that the first data string defines a note that has not previously been destroyed; evaluating a first face value of the first note; determining whether the first face value is greater than or equal to the second face value; destroying the first note by storing a record of such in a list of destroyed notes; encrypting at least portions of a second note content having encoded the second face value to generate the second note; and transmitting the second note to the second user'"'"'s computing device.
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Specification