Anonymous information retrieval system (ARS)

• US 5,790,665 A
• Filed: 01/17/1997
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silvio Micali
• Original Assignee: Silvio Micali
• Inventors: Micali, Silvio
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/785,524
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/9, 380/21, 380/23, 380/25, 380/49, 380/50, 380/59, 380/24, 380/28
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system

Abstract

An information retrieval system in which data is retrieved anonymously by a user with the assistance of one or more trusted agents.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving information from a database with the assistance of at least one trusted entity, wherein the database does not know the identity of the requesting user, comprising the steps of:

having the requesting user send to a database a message identifying the item requested, providing the requesting user'"'"'s address, and including an ordinary key, said message being encrypted with an encryption key of the database and said identification of the requesting user'"'"'s address being encrypted with an encryption key of the trusted entity;

having the database remove its own encryption layer, retrieve the item requested, encrypt it with the ordinary key, and send the encrypted item requested to the trusted entity along with the encrypted requesting user'"'"'s address; and

having the trusted entity take away its own encryption layer and send the encrypted item requested to the requesting user.