Message guaranty system

• US 6,115,735 A
• Filed: 10/25/1994
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Laufer, Pinchus M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAYADIAN, HRAYR
• Application Number:
  US08/328,885
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/25, 380/20, 380/49, 370/88, 379/94, 395/575, 371/30, 709/200, 709/206, 709/207, 713/178, 713/181, 713/201, 705/76, 705/77
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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

Abstract

A message guaranty system for having a reliable third party (evidence preparing server) prepare evidence information attesting to the transmission and reception of a message by a transmitting and a receiving terminal. When the transmitting terminal furnishes the target message with evidence information before transmitting them to the destination, the system attests to the transmission and reception of that message once they are completed. When a message is to be sent illustratively from a workstation (WS) 1 to a workstation (WS) 2, the third-party evidence preparing server on the network first prepares transmission evidence based on a request from the WS 1 and sends it to the WS 1. The WS 1 sends the message along with the evidence to the WS 2. The evidence preparing server then prepares reception evidence based on a request from an evidence verifying server (a third party) acting for the WS 2. The reception evidence thus prepared is retained by the evidence preparing server and is also returned to the evidence varying server. The evidence verifying server retains the reception evidence. When an application program on the WS 1 requests verification of the reception evidence, the evidence verifying means verifies the presence of the reception evidence and returns the result of the verification to the WS 1.

Claims

1. A message guaranty system connected with a plurality of terminals on a network, comprising:

message delivery means for delivering a message from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal;

evidence information preparing means for preparing by a third party evidence information attesting to the transmission and reception of said message and storing the evidence information in a first memory; and

evidence information furnishing means for appending to said message delivered from said transmitting terminal to said receiving terminal, said evidence information prepared by said evidence information preparing means;

means, included in said transmitting terminal, for transmitting said evidence information to said receiving terminal through said message delivery means; and

evidence information verifying means for accepting from the receiving terminal a message containing evidence information received by the receiving terminal, for receiving from the evidence information preparing means and storing in a second memory the evidence information prepared by said evidence information preparing means, for comparing the evidence information contained in the received message with the evidence information stored in said second memory, and for sending to the receiving terminal, if the evidence information in the received message is determined to correspond to the evidence information stored in said second memory, data attesting that said received message is the message that was transmitted by the transmitting terminal.

2. A message guaranty system according to claim 1, wherein said evidence information preparing means prepares second evidence information attesting that the message transmitted from the transmitting terminal was received in the receiving terminal;

wherein said evidence information verifying means receives from said evidence information preparing means said second evidence information and then stores said second evidence information in said second memory in a manner so that the second evidence information corresponds to the evidence information stored therein; and

wherein said evidence information verifying means further receives said evidence information from the transmitting terminal, determines whether there is stored in said second memory second evidence information corresponding to said evidence information, and transmits to the transmitting terminal, if second evidence information corresponding to the evidence information prepared by the evidence information preparing means is stored in said second memory, data attesting that the message which was transmitted to the receiving terminal has been received in the receiving terminal.

3. A message guaranty system according to claim 2, wherein, if second evidence information corresponding to said evidence information is not stored in said second memory, said evidence information verifying means notifies a security authority.

4. The message quaranty system according to claim 1, wherein said evidence information preparing means and said evidence information verifying means are integrated in a single integral unit.

5. A message quaranty system according to claim 4, wherein said single integral unit stands as a third party on the same network as the transmitting and receiving terminals.

6. A message guaranty system according to claim 1, wherein, if said evidence information in the message received by the receiving terminal is determined not to be equal to the evidence information transmitted by said transmitting terminal, said evidence information verification system notifies a security authority.

7. A method for communicating a message in a manner that will guarantee transfer of said message from a first workstation to a second workstation, said first and second workstations being connected to one another by a network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request signal from the first workstation to a first server requesting said first server to prepare a first type of evidence information for identifying said message to be transmitted from the first workstation to the second workstation;

generating in the first server said first type of evidence information based at least in part on contents of said message;

storing said first type of evidence information in said first server;

transmitting said first type of evidence information to a second server for storage therein;

appending said first type of evidence information to said message;

transmitting said message with said appended evidence information to the second workstation via said network;

receiving in said second workstation a message containing evidence information;

sending the evidence information in the message received in said second workstation from said second workstation to said second server;

comparing in said second server the evidence information in said message received in said second workstation with the first type of evidence information stored in said second server; and

sending from the second server to the second workstation, if the evidence information in the message received in said second workstation is determined to be equal to the first type of evidence information stored in said second server, data attesting that said message received in said second workstation is the message that was transmitted by said first workstation.

8. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

sending a second request signal from said second server to the first server requesting said first server to prepare a second type of evidence information attesting that the message transmitted from the first workstation was received in the second workstation;

generating in said first server said second type of evidence information;

storing in said first server said second type of evidence information;

transmitting from said first server to said second server said second type of evidence information for storage in said second server, said second server storing said second type of evidence information in a manner so that said second type of evidence information corresponds to the first type of evidence information stored in said second server;

receiving in said second server said first type of evidence information from the first workstation;

determining whether said second server has stored therein second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of information;

transmitting from said second server to the first workstation, if second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information is stored in said second server, data attesting that the message which was transmitted to the second workstation has been received in said second workstation.

9. The method recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

notifying a security authority if second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information is not stored in said second server.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

notifying a security authority if said second request signal is invalid.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

notifying a security authority if the evidence information in the message received by said second workstation is determined not to be equal to the first type of evidence information stored in said second server.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

notifying a security authority if said first request signal is invalid.

13. A system for communicating a message in a manner that will guarantee transfer of said message from a first workstation to a second workstation, comprising:

communication means for connecting the first workstation to the second workstation;

first server means for generating, when requested by the first workstation, a first type of evidence information based at least in part on contents of said message, for storing the first type of evidence information in a first memory located therein, and for transmitting said first type of evidence information to the first workstation;

means, included in said first workstation, for appending said first type of evidence information transmitted thereto to said message;

means, included in said first workstation, for transmitting said message with the appended evidence information to the second workstation via said communication means; and

second server means for accepting from the second workstation a message containing evidence information which was received in the second workstation, for receiving from said first server means and storing in a second memory said first type of evidence information, for comparing the evidence information contained in said message received in the second workstation with the first type of evidence information stored in said second memory, and for sending to the second workstation, if the evidence information in the message received in the second workstation is determined to be equal to the first type of evidence information, data attesting that said message received in the second workstation is the message that was transmitted by the first workstation.

14. The system recited in claim 13, wherein said first server means prepares and then stores in said first memory a second type of evidence information when requested to do so by said second server means, said second type of evidence information attesting that the message transmitted from the first workstation was received in the second workstation;

and

wherein said second server means receives from said first server means said second type of evidence information and then stores said second type of evidence information in said second memory in a manner so that the second type of evidence information corresponds to the first type of evidence information stored therein, said second server means then receiving said first type of evidence information from the first workstation, determining whether there is stored in said second memory second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information, and transmitting to the first workstation, if second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information is stored in said second memory, data attesting that the message which was transmitted to the second workstation has been received in said second workstation.

15. The system recited in claim 14, wherein the second server means includes means for notifying a security authority if second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information is not stored in said second memory.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said second server means includes means for notifying a security authority if the evidence information in the message received by said second workstation is determined not to be equal to said first type of evidence information.

17. The system recited in claim 13, wherein said first server means and said second server means are integrated in a single integral unit.

18. The system recited in claim 17, wherein said single integral unit stands as a third party in relation to said first and second workstations.

19. A method for communicating a message in a manner that will guaranty transfer of said message from a first workstation to a second workstation, said first and second workstations being connected to one another by a network, said method comprising the steps of:

generating in a first server a first type of evidence information for identifying said message to be transmitted from the first workstation to the second workstation, said first type of evidence information being based at least in part on contents of said message;

storing said first type of evidence information in said first server;

transmitting said first type of evidence information to a second server for storage therein;

appending said first type of evidence information to said message;

transmitting said message with said appended evidence information to the second workstation via said network;

receiving in said second workstation a message containing evidence information;

sending the evidence information and the message received in said second workstation from said second workstation to said second server;

comparing in said second server the evidence information in said message received in said second workstation with the first type of evidence information stored in said second server; and

sending from the second server to the second workstation, if the evidence information in the message received in said second workstation is determined to be equal to the first type of evidence information stored in said second server, data attesting that said message received in said second workstation is the message that was transmitted by said first workstation.

20. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

generating in said first server a second type of evidence information attesting that the message transmitted from the first workstation was received in the second workstation;

storing in said first server said second type of evidence information;

transmitting from said first server to said second server said second type of evidence information for storage in said second server, said second server storing said second type of evidence information in a manner so that said second type of evidence information corresponds to first type of evidence information stored in said second server;

receiving in said second server said first type of evidence information from the first workstation;

determining whether said second server has stored therein second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information; and

transmitting from said second server to the first workstation, if second type of evidence information corresponding to said first type of evidence information is stored in said second server, data attesting that the message which was transmitted to the second workstation has been received in the second workstation.

21. The method recited in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

sending a second request signal from said second server to the first server requesting said first server to prepare said second type of evidence information.

22. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request signal from the first workstation to a first server requesting said first server to prepare said first type of evidence information.