Generating printable certificates to verify log authenticity

• US 9,026,474 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Piersol, Kurt W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALE, TIM B
• Application Number:
  US13/042,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3827 Use of message hashing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A method and system for generating printable certificates to verify log authenticity. A logging module generates a compound document that includes metadata for changes made to pages in a document. Each time a change is made to the document, such as adding stroke data, the logging module updates the compound document with the changes. The online marketplace module displays an option for purchasing a printable certificate. In response to a request for a certificate, the logging module generates a printable certificate that includes a set number of hashes for previous transactions. The verification module can recreate a transaction and generate a hash that is compared to the certificate to verify that no tampering has occurred with the document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, an image;

generating, with the one or more processors, a compound document of the image, the compound document including a document log and a page log;

capturing, with the one or more processors, a change made to the image, the change comprising an annotation of the image;

logging, with the one or more processors, the change made to the image;

generating, with the one or more processors, a hash for the change made to the image, the hash including a previous hash of a previous transaction performed on the image and a unique identifier for a device that generated the hash for the change made to the image;

updating, with the one or more processors, the document log and the page log of the compound document with the hash for the change made to the image;

receiving, with the one or more processors, a request for a certificate, the certificate including the hash for the change made to the image;

extracting, with the one or more processors, the hash for the change made to the image from the compound document; and

generating, with the one or more processors, the certificate from the hash for the change made to the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the certificate includes a time of the change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the certificate identifies a device that made the change.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of transactions performed on the image;

generating transaction hashes for each transaction;

wherein the request specifies the number of transactions; and

wherein the certificate is also generated from the transaction hashes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising billing a user based on the number of transactions specified in the request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein before the certificate is generated, the method further comprises:

determining whether transaction hashes in the document log of the compound document are consistent by computing a transaction hash for each transaction in the document log and verifying that a final rolling hash computed based on the transaction hash for each transaction is accurate;

determining whether each entry in the document log exists and that a transaction hash computed for each entry matches the transaction hash computed for each transaction in the document log;

determining whether the transaction hash computed for each transaction in the document log matches each document metadata file; and

determining that the compound document is verified.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hash includes a raster format of the image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing the certificate.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of;

receiving an image;

capturing a change made to the image, the change comprising an annotation of the image;

generating

a compound document of the image, the compound document

including a document log and a page log;

logging the change made to the image;

generating a hash for the change made to the image, the hash including a previous hash of a previous transaction performed on the image and a unique identifier for a device that generated the hash for the change made to the image;

updating the document log and the page log of the compound document with the hash for the change made to the image;

receiving a request for a certificate, the certificate including the hash for the change made to the image;

extracting the hash for the change made to the image from the compound document; and

generating the certificate from the hash for the change made to the image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the certificate includes a time of the change.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the certificate identifies a device that made the change.

12. The system of claim 9, the operations comprising determining a number of transactions performed on the image and generating transaction hashes for each transaction, wherein the request specifies the number of transactions and wherein the certificate is also generated from the transaction hashes.

13. The system of claim 12, the operations comprising billing a user based on the number of transactions specified in the request.

14. The system of claim 9, the operations comprising displaying the certificate for purchase.

15. The system of claim 9, the operations comprising determining, before the certificate is generated, whether transaction hashes in the document log of the compound document are consistent by computing a transaction hash for each transaction in the document log and verifying that a final rolling hash computed based on the transaction hash for each transaction is accurate, determining whether each entry in the document log exists and that a transaction hash computed for each entry matches the transaction hash computed for each transaction in the document log, determining whether the transaction hash computed for each transaction in the document log matches each document metadata file and determining that the compound document is verified.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the hash includes a raster format of the image.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the certificate is generated as a PDF.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable non-transitory storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive an image;

generate a compound document of the image, the compound document including a document log and a page log;

capture a change made to the image, the change comprising an annotation of the image;

log the change made to the image;

generate a hash for the change made to the image, the hash including a previous hash of a previous transaction performed on the image and a unique identifier for a device that generated the hash for the change made to the image;

update the document log and the page log of the compound document with the hash for the change made to the image;

receive a request for a certificate, the certificate including the hash for the change made to the image;

extract the hash for the change made to the image from the compound document; and

generate the certificate from the hash for the change made to the image.