Methods and apparatus related to transmission of confidential information to a relying entity

• US 8,464,313 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeff Stollman
• Original Assignee: Jeff Stollman
• Inventors: Stollman, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Chai, Longbit
• Application Number:
  US12/268,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20100122315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 713150-194, 726 1- 36
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes defining a request for confidential information from a domain of confidential information based on an input from a relying entity. The domain of confidential information can be associated with a subject entity. A response to the request can be defined at an information provider. The method can also include sending the response to the relying entity when the response has been approved by the subject entity.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

define a domain of confidential information associated with a subject entity based on a confidential information category selected from a plurality of confidential information categories by a relying entity at a first device;

provide, to the relying entity and from an information provider implemented at a second device different from the first device, a set of predefined queries associated with the domain of confidential information, the set of predefined queries being different from the plurality of confidential information categories and being approved by the subject entity at a third device different from the first device and the second device; and

define at least a portion of a request for confidential information from the domain of confidential information based on at least one predefined query selected from the set of predefined queries by the relying entity.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of confidential information categories are hierarchically related.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined query includes a first predefined query associated with a first privacy level, the request is defined based on a second predefined query associated with a second privacy level different than the first privacy level.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

define a response to the request based on a preference defined by the subject entity.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

define a response to the request;

send the response to the request to the subject entity; and

receive approval of the response from the subject entity.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

define a response to the request;

send the response to the request to the subject entity; and

trigger a negotiation of the response based on at least a portion of the response being disapproved by the subject entity.

7. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the domain of confidential information has been updated based on an update policy defined by the subject entity.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined query is associated with a privacy level,

the processor-readable medium further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

define a response to the request based on a comparison of the privacy level with a privacy level threshold defined by the subject entity.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive a response to the request from the subject entity; and

send at least a portion of the confidential information from the domain of confidential information to the relying entity based on the response.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of predefined queries is selected from a plurality of predefined queries based on at least one of a trust-level value or an entity-type value associated with the relying entity.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, further storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

authenticate an identity of the subject entity; and

authenticate an identity of the relying entity.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request is defined based on a customized query defined by the relying entity.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the confidential information includes at least one of financial information, medical information, or personal information.

14. A method implemented in a memory or a processing device, comprising:

receiving, at an information provider implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device, a trust-level value and an entity-type value associated with a relying entity;

determining, based on the trust-level value and the entity-type value, that the relying entity has authorization to request confidential information from a domain of confidential information, the domain of confidential information defining a subset of confidential information from a set of confidential information associated with a subject entity, the information provider being controlled by a third party different from the relying entity and the subject entity; and

defining, at the information provider, at least a portion of a request for confidential information from the subset of confidential information based on predefined query selected (1) by the relying entity at a first device and (2) from a plurality of predefined queries approved by the subject entity at a second device different from the first device, each predefined query from the plurality of predefined queries configured to elicit confidential information from the subset of confidential information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predefined query is included in the plurality of predefined queries based on content included in the domain of confidential information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the predefined query is a first predefined query, the defining includes defining the request based on a second predefined query selected by the relying entity from the plurality of predefined queries, the second predefined query is associated with the domain of confidential information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining includes determining based on a confidential information category selected by the relying entity, the confidential information category being different than the plurality of predefined queries.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein each predefined query from the plurality of predefined queries is ordered based on a privacy level.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the defining is based on an identity of the subject entity.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein each query from the plurality of predefined queries is included in a request template.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first device associated with a subject entity and at an information provider implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor of a second device different from the first device, a response policy associated with disclosure of confidential information of the subject entity;

determining, based on the response policy, that a relying entity has authorization to request confidential information from a domain of confidential information associated with the subject entity;

providing, based on the response policy, a plurality of predefined queries associated with the domain of confidential information to a third device (1) associated with the relying entity and (2) different from the first device and the second device, the domain of confidential information being associated with the subject entity, each predefined query from the plurality of predefined queries being approved by the subject entity and configured to elicit confidential information from the domain of confidential information; and

defining at least a portion of a request for confidential information from the domain of confidential information based on a predefined query when the predefined query is selected from the plurality of predefined queries by the relying entity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

triggering the information provider to send at least a portion of the confidential information from the domain of confidential information, the information provider being selected by the subject entity.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the providing includes providing based on at least one of a trust-level value or an entity-type value associated with the relying entity.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, from the third device associated with the relying entity, an indication of a confidential information category associated with the domain of confidential information and selected from a plurality of confidential information categories by the relying entity.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the input from the relying entity includes an indication of a confidential information category selected from a plurality of confidential information categories by the relying entity.

26. A method, comprising:

defining a request for confidential information from a domain of confidential information based on an input from a relying entity at a first device, the domain of confidential information being associated with a subject entity;

defining a response to the request at an information provider at a second device different from the first device; and

sending, via a communication network, the response to the relying entity when the response has been approved, subsequent to the defining the request, by the subject entity at a third device different from the first device and the second device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving, via the communication network, an indicator that the subject entity has disapproved of at least a portion of the response; and

modifying the response in response to the indicator.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the domain of confidential information is defined based on a selection by the relying entity.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the response is a first response,

the method further comprising:

receiving an update policy defined by the subject entity;

sending an update request to at least one of the subject entity or the relying party based on the update policy;

receiving a second response different from the first response in response to the update policy; and

modifying at least a portion of the domain of confidential information based on the second response.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the response is a first response,

the method further comprising:

receiving an update policy defined by the subject entity; and

sending to a subject entity a request for authorization to transmit an update request to the relying party based on the update policy.

31. A method, comprising:

defining, at an information provider implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor of a first device, a proposed response to a predefined query selected by a relying entity at a second device different from the first device, the proposed response being defined based on confidential information associated with an individual, the information provider being controlled by a third-party different from the relying entity and the individual;

authenticating an identity of the individual; and

sending, via a communication network, the proposed response to the relying entity in response to the proposed response being approved by the individual subsequent to the defining and based on the authenticating.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the proposed response is defined based on a response policy associated with the individual.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the authenticating includes authenticating based on a credential-owner authentication information associated with the individual.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

authenticating a credential associated with the individual based on credential-issuer validation information associated with the credential.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the proposed response to the predefined query is selected by the relying entity in response to the relying entity selecting a confidential information category from a plurality of confidential information categories.