File editing system and shared file editing system with file content secrecy, file version management, and asynchronous editing

• US 7,631,185 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimbo, Atsushi, Murota, Masao, Takahashi, Toshinari, Tomoda, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar; Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US10/838,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A file editing system that provides a high file content secrecy, a file version management and an asynchronous editing is disclosed. For a high file content secrecy, the block data of files managed by a file management server device are enciphered in units of blocks, and a client device obtains the block data of the desired file in enciphered state, deciphers the obtained block data in units of blocks, carries out an editing of the desired file to obtain editing data, enciphers the editing data in units of blocks, and transmits the enciphered editing data to the file management server device. For asynchronous editing, the system includes a unit for generating editing procedure data that indicates a procedure to obtain the editing made in the desired version of the desired file by each client device, a unit for converting the editing procedure data for the desired version of the converted desired file into the editing procedure data for the latest version of the desired file, and a unit for generating record management information indicating a result of the editing made by each client device according to the converted editing procedure data for the latest version of the desired file.

Claims

1. A file editing system, comprising:

a file management server device for managing files, each file containing a plurality of block data and block identification information for each block data, and the block data being enciphered in units of blocks; and

at least one client device, which makes an access to the file management server device to obtain the block data corresponding to a desired version of a desired file managed by the file management server device, the client device including;

deciphering means for deciphering the block data obtained from the file management server device, in units of blocks by using a prescribed decipher key;

editing means for editing the desired version of the desired file formed by the block data deciphered by the deciphering means;

editing procedure generation means for generating editing procedure data indicating a procedure to obtain an editing made in the desired version of the desired file by the editing means;

editing procedure conversion means for converting the editing procedure data for the desired version of the desired file generated by the editing procedure generation means into editing procedure data for a latest version of the desired file;

record management information generation means for generating record management information indicating a result of the editing made by the editing means, according to the editing procedure data for the latest version of the desired file obtained by the editing procedure conversion means;

enciphering means for enciphering the record management information generated by the record management information generation means, in units of blocks by using a prescribed cipher key, to obtain enciphered record management information; and

communication means for transmitting the enciphered record management information obtained by the enciphering means to the file management server device;

wherein the file management server device includes;

record management means for carrying out a record management of the desired file according to the enciphered record management information received from the client device and the block identification information for each block data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the file management server device transmits record data according to which the record management of the desired file is carried out by the file management server device to the client device, and the editing procedure conversion means obtains the editing procedure data for the latest version of the desired file according to a relationship between the desired version and the latest version indicated by the record data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the file management server device manages each file in a form of a first block data in which an originally created file content is enciphered, subsequent block data in which difference between a file content before each editing and a file content after each editing is enciphered, and the block identification information attached to each block data which identifies each block data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the file management server device manages each file in a form of a latest block data in which a latest edited file content is enciphered, previous block data in which difference between a file content before each editing and a file content after each editing is enciphered, and the block identification information attached to each block data which identifies each block data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the file management server device manages each file in a form of insertion block data in which each content inserted into each file is enciphered, deletion block data in which each content deleted from each file is enciphered, and the block identification information attached to each block data which identifies a creation time and a deletion time of each block data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the file management server device manages each block data in a state of being enciphered by an 8 bit CFB mode type cipher scheme, and the enciphering means enciphers the record management information by the 8 bit CFB mode type cipher scheme.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the file management server device manages each block data in a state of being enciphered by a stream cipher scheme, and the enciphering means enciphers the record management information by the stream cipher scheme.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the record management information generation means attaches the block identification information for the block data resulting from the editing made by the editing means to the record management information, and the communication means transmits the enciphered record management information along with the block identification information attached to the record management information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the record management means attaches the block identification information for the block data resulting from the editing made by the editing means to the enciphered record management information.

10. A method of file editing in a file editing system formed by a file management server device and at least one client device, comprising the steps of:

managing files at the file management server device, each file containing a plurality of block data and block identification information for each block data, and the block data being enciphered in units of blocks;

making an access to the file management server device to obtain the block data corresponding to desired version of a desired file managed by the file management server device, at the client device;

deciphering the block data obtained from the file management server device, in units of blocks by using a prescribed decipher key, at the client device;

editing the desired version of the desired file formed by the block data deciphered by the deciphering step, at the client device;

generating editing procedure data indicating a procedure to obtain an editing made in the desired version of the desired file by the editing step, at the client device;

converting the editing procedure data for the desired version of the desired file generated by the editing procedure data generating step into editing procedure data for a latest version of the desired file, at the client device;

generating a record management information indicating a result of the editing made at the editing step, according to the editing procedure data for the latest version of the desired file obtained by the converting step, at the client device;

enciphering the record management information generated by the record management information generating step, in units of blocks by using a prescribed cipher key, to obtain enciphered record management information at the client device;

transmitting the enciphered record management information obtained by the enciphering step from the client device to the file management server device; and

carrying out a record management of the desired file at the file management server device, according to the enciphered record management information received from the client device and the block identification information for each block data.