Apparatus and method for embedding searchable information into a file, encryption, transmission, storage and retrieval

• US 8,687,841 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MyPort IP, Inc. (MyPort Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MyPort Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Malone, Michael F., Murphy, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US13/306,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20120071133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/305, 382115-119, 382/124, 713160-181, 380/54, 380/246, 380252-255, 705 50- 55, 705 57- 62, 705 64- 70, 705 75- 76, 709217-219, 709201-203, 348/460, 348/552, 3482311-2319, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/302 involving the integer factorization problem, e.g. RSA or quadratic sieve [QS] schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3218 using proof of knowledge, e.g. Fiat-Shamir, GQ, Schnorr, ornon-interactive zero-knowledge proofs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3221 interactive zero-knowledge proofs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3249 using RSA or related signature schemes, e.g. Rabin scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32272 : Encryption or ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32277 : Compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 : of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 : of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 : Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 : Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3283 : Compression

Abstract

A cell phone is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from an external source. A processor is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. The processing also places the augmented captured information in association with user information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such user information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the user information to the receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information for transmission to the receiving facility.

Claims

1. A cell phone for acquiring information from a source external to the cell phone to be transmitted to a facility for receiving such information and for transmitting such thereto, comprising:

a capture device for being initiated by a user of the cell phone to capture information from the source as captured information in a capture operation that initiates capture at an initiation instance and completes capture at a completion instance;

a processor for processing the captured information by acquiring date and time information proximate in time to the completion instance and associating a representation of the acquired date and time information with the captured information, such that the representation of the acquired date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information, and placing the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a facility requiring such subscriber information;

a transmitter for transmitting the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to the facility; and

an encryptor for encrypting at least a portion of the augmented captured information at some time between the capture of the information and the receipt by the facility.

2. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information proximate in time to the completion instance.

3. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the encryptor encrypts at a first level of encryption as an encrypted file that constitutes a symmetrical encryption algorithm that has a secret key available only to an owner of the owner information and wherein the encrypted file is placed in combination with the owner information in the transmission file and wherein the facility is operable to store the augmented captured information.

4. The cell phone of claim 3, wherein the facility stores the received augmented captured information in an encrypted form.

5. The cell phone of claim 3, wherein the first level of encryption comprises a hash of a unique ID associated with the capture device to create a private key with no associated public key, wherein the owner has possession of the private key.

6. The cell phone of claim 4, wherein the encryptor is operable to wrap the encrypted file with a second layer of encryption that is comprised of an asymmetrical encryption layer that has a public and private key owned by the owner, such that the owner is the only one that can encrypt the encrypted file with the second layer of encryption, and wherein the encrypted file wrapped with second layer of encryption is placed in combination with the owner data in the transmission file.

7. The cell phone of claim 6, wherein the encrypted file is passed through a message authentication algorithm by the encryption device to provide a hash of the encrypted file, the hash of the encrypted file then combined with the encrypted file and placed in combination with the owner information in the transmission file and wherein the facility is operable to store only a combination of the encrypted file and the hashed encrypted file in association with the owner and, wherein the facility is operable to pass the received encrypted file through the same message authentication algorithm that created the received hash of the received encrypted file to provide a new hash of the received encrypted file and then compare the newly created hash with the received hash and, if they compare true, store at least the received encrypted file in association with the owner.

8. The cell phone of claim 6, wherein the encrypted file after wrapping with the second layer of encryption by the encryption device is wrapped with a third encryption layer that is comprised of an asymmetrical encryption layer that has a public and private key owned by the facility, such that the facility is the only one that can decrypt the third layer of encryption to expose the encrypted file wrapped with the second layer of encryption.

9. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the processor associates the captured information with a representation of location information representing the location of the capture device at the time of the capture of the information.

10. The cell phone of claim 9, further including a geographical position and time-of-day determination (GPS) receiver.

11. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the captured information comprises a captured image and wherein the capture device comprises a camera.

12. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein transmission of the transmission file by the transmitter occurs in real-time.

13. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the facility is an email server.

14. The cell phone of claim 13, wherein the transmission is formatted for transmission to the email server.

15. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the facility comprises a storage facility.

16. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the association device is operable to determine position via cell phone tower triangulation.

17. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the association device is operable to determine position via connection to a network device with a known physical location.

18. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the augmented captured information comprises a captured video and the capture device comprises a video camera.

19. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the augmented captured information comprises a captured image and the capture device comprises an image scanner.

20. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the augmented captured information comprises captured audio and the capture device comprises an audio transducer.

21. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the cell phone is operable to communicate with a cell phone network to transmit and receive cell phone compatible information and data.

22. The cell phone of claim 1, wherein the information from the external source is temporal in nature and exists at least between the initiation instance and the completion instance.

23. A wireless portable computing device for acquiring information from an external source to be transmitted to a facility over a wireless network and for transmitting such thereto, comprising:

a capture device for being initiated by a user of the computing device to capture information from the external source as captured information in a capture operation that initiates capture at an initiation instance and completes capture at a completion instance;

a processor for processing the captured information by acquiring date and time information proximate in time to the completion instance and associating the acquired date and time information with the captured information, such that the acquired date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information, and placing the augmented captured information in association with user information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to the facility requiring such user information, which user information uniquely identifies the user;

a transmitter for transmitting the transmission including the augmented captured information and the user information to the facility; and

an encryptor for encrypting at least a portion of the augmented captured information at some time between the capture of the information and the receipt by the facility.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the date and time information is embedded in the captured information to form the augmented captured information.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the date and time information is associated with the captured information in a file as the augmented captured information.

26. A wireless portable computing device for acquiring information to be transmitted to a facility over a wireless network and for transmitting such thereto, comprising:

a capture device for being initiated by a user to capture information as captured information in a capture operation that initiates capture at an initiation instance and completes capture at a completion instance;

a processor for processing the captured information by acquiring date and time information proximate in time to the completion instance and associating the acquired date and time information with the captured information, such that the acquired date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information, and placing the augmented captured information in association with user information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to the facility requiring such user information;

a transmitter for transmitting the transmission including the augmented captured information and the user information to the facility; and

an encryptor for encrypting at least a portion of the augmented captured information at some time between the capture of the information and the receipt by the facility.