Computer system and method for storing data

• US 8,452,977 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compugroup Medical AG (CompuGroup Medical SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Vita-X Ag
• Inventors: Rodorff, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANE, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US12/532,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 380/44, 380/278
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A method is provided for generating a first key to encode and/or decode data and a first pointer, with said data stored and/or storable on a first data processing system in a memory area identified by said first pointer, comprising the following steps: recursive generating of said first key from a second key, recursive generating of said first pointer from a second pointer, with the number of recursions for implementing the recursive generating of said first key and said first pointer determined by an index value.

Claims

1. A method for generating a first key to encode and/or decode data and a first pointer, with said data stored in an encoded form and/or storable in an encoded form on a first data processing system in a memory area identified by said first pointer, comprising the following steps:

recursive generating of said first key from a second key, recursive generating of said first pointer from a second pointer, with the number of recursions for implementing the recursive generating of said first key and said first pointer determined by an index value, with generating said first key and generating said first pointer carried out by a processor of a portable data carrier, with the index value increased by one for data to be newly stored, and with said new index value stored on said portable data carrier, with storing said data in the first data processing system comprising the following steps;

encoding or decoding said data with the recursively generated first key by means of a second data processing system, and

storing or querying said encoded data in or by the memory area of the first data processing system by means of said second data processing system, said memory area identified by the recursively generated first pointer, wherein the recursive generating of said first key from the second key and the recursive generating of said first pointer from the second pointer comprising the following steps;

generating said first key by using the second key and a third key, generating said first pointer by using the second pointer and a fourth key, and

the following additional steps being repeated as frequently as the number that corresponds to the index value;

newly generating the first key by using the previously generated first key and the second key, newly generating the first pointer by using the previously generated first pointer and the fourth key.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, with the index value (i₀;

120) increased by one, and

a new additional first pointer recursively generated from the first pointer generated one recursion step earlier, with the earlier generated first pointer discarded,

when the first key and the first pointer generated from the next previous recursion step correspond to a first pointer previously generated in any recursion step and to the first key generated earlier in said random recursion step.

3. A portable data carrier, comprising:

a processor for generating a first key to encode and/or decode data and a first pointer, where said encoded data is stored and/or is storable and identified by the first pointer in a memory area of a first data processing system,

means for recursively generating said first key from a second key, means for recursively generating said first pointer from a second pointer, wherein the number of recursions for implementing the recursive generating of said first key and said first pointer determined by the index value, said index value is increased by one for data to be newly stored, and said new index value is stored on the portable data carrier, wherein the portable data carrier further comprises;

means for generating the first key by using the second key and a third key, means for generating the first pointer by using the second pointer and a fourth key,

means for newly generating the first key by using the previously generated first key and the second key,

means for newly generating the first pointer by using the previously generated first pointer and the fourth key.

4. The portable data carrier in accordance with claim 3, with the first key and/or the first pointer being generated by the means for generating the first key and/or by the means for generating the first pointer by using a hash function.

5. The portable data carrier in accordance with claim 4, with the data comprising patient data.

6. The portable data carrier in accordance with claim 5, with the data comprising a one-to-one patient identification.

7. The portable data carrier in accordance with claim 3, with the second key and the third key and the fourth key and the second pointer and the index value and the one-to-one patient identification stored in a memory area of the portable data carrier on the basis of personalization, with said processor developed for generating said first key and/or said the first pointer.

8. The portable data carrier in accordance with claim 7, with said portable data carrier developed by a chip card.

9. A data processing device comprising means for communicating with a portable data carrier according to claim 3, comprising:

means for assigning an index value to the data,

means for encoding said data by means of the recursively generated first key, and

means for storing said encoded data in a memory area of the first data processing system identified by the recursively generated first pointer.

10. The data processing device in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

means for querying the encoded data by a memory area of the first data processing system identified by the recursively generated first pointer, and

means for decoding said encoded data by means of the recursively generated first key.

11. The data processing device in accordance with claim 9, further comprising means for additionally storing unencoded metadata in the memory area of the first data processing system identified by the recursively generated first pointer, with said metadata storable in a linked form with the data.

12. The data processing device in accordance with claim 9, further comprising means for querying the unencoded metadata by a memory area of the first data processing system identified by the recursively generated first pointer, with said metadata linked to the data in an unencoded form.

13. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing computer program instructions executable by means of a computer processor and causing the processor to generating a first key to encode and/or decode data and a first pointer, with said data stored in an encoded form and/or storable in an encoded form on a first data processing system in a memory area identified by said first pointer, the action of generating the first key being carried out by the following steps:

recursive generating of said first key from a second key, recursive generating of said first pointer from a second pointer, with the number of recursions for implementing the recursive generating of said first key and said first pointer determined by an index value, with generating said first key and generating said first pointer carried out by a processor of a portable data carrier, with the index value increased by one for data to be newly stored, and with said new index value stored on said portable data carrier, with storing said data in the first data processing system comprising the following steps;

encoding or decoding said data with the recursively generated first key by means of a second data processing system, and

storing or querying said encoded data in or by the memory area of the first data processing system by means of said second data processing system, said memory area identified by the recursively generated first pointer, and

wherein the step of the recursive generating of said first key from the second key and the recursive generating of said first pointer from the second pointer comprising the following steps;

generating said first key by using the second key and a third key, generating said first pointer by using the second pointer and a fourth key, and

the following additional steps being repeated as frequently as the number that corresponds to the index value;

newly generating the first key by using the previously generated first key and the second key, and

newly generating the first pointer by using the previously generated first pointer and the fourth key.

14. The computer readable storage medium in accordance with claim 13, with the index value increased by one, and

a new additional first pointer recursively generated from the first pointer generated one recursion step earlier, with the earlier generated first pointer discarded,

when the first key and the first pointer generated from the next previous recursion step correspond to a first pointer previously generated in any recursion step and to the first key generated earlier in said random recursion step.