Data certification system, server device, client device, publishing server, and data certification method

• US 9,363,411 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Murao, Shinichi, Uehata, Masakazu, Yoshida, Hitoshi, Takahashi, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Payer, Paul F
• Application Number:
  US14/240,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0062 Embedding of the watermark in text images, e.g. watermarking text documents using letter skew, letter distance or row distance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• 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 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32336 Informed embedding, i.e. the original image being known for the encoding or decoding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

A data certification system includes a proof information generation unit that generates certification information for certifying non-falsification of raw data, and generates proof information including the certification information and time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information. A server transmission unit transmits the proof information which is received by a client reception unit. A time information acquisition unit acquires the time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information from the proof information. A report generation unit generates report data in which the time information and publishing destination information representing a publishing destination are included in the raw data. A transfer unit transfers the raw data, the proof information, and the report data to a publishing server which releases the report data. An output unit outputs the report data.

Claims

1. A data certification system comprising:

a server device, a client device and a publishing server in communication with one another,

wherein the server device comprises;

a server reception unit which receives raw data subject to certification of non-falsification transmitted from a client device,

a proof information generation unit which generates certification information for certifying non-falsification of the raw data on the basis of the raw data received by the server reception unit, and generates proof information including the certification information and time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information, and

a server transmission unit which transmits the proof information to the client device;

wherein the client device comprises;

a client transmission unit which transmits the raw data to the server device,

a client reception unit which receives the proof information transmitted from the server device,

a time information acquisition unit which acquires the time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information included in the proof information from the proof information received by the client reception unit,

a report generation unit which generates report data including the time information and publishing destination information representing a publishing destination in the raw data,

a transfer unit which transfers the raw data, the proof information, and the report data to the publishing server which releases the raw data, the proof information, and the report data to the publishing destination uniquely identified by the publishing destination information, and

an output unit which outputs the report data generated by the report generation unit, and

wherein the publishing server transmits only the report data to a first device that is in communication with the publishing destination and that cannot verify non-falsification of the report data using the raw data and the proof information, and

wherein the publishing server transmits the report data, the raw data, and the proof information to a second device which is in communication with the publishing destination and which can verify non-falsification of the report data using the raw data and the proof information.

2. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit sets an expiration date of the proof information;

and wherein the publishing server transmits the report data to the first device only when the first device is in communication with the publishing destination within the expiration date of the proof information, and transmits the report data, the raw data, and the proof information to the second device only when the second device is in communication with the publishing destination within the expiration date of the proof information.

3. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the report generation unit converts the publishing destination information to a two-dimensional code and includes the two-dimensional code in the report data.

4. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit prints and outputs the report data to paper.

5. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the report data in a data format configured to be displayed on a display device.

6. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the client device further includes a publishing destination determination unit which calculates a hash value based on the raw data and determines the publishing destination on the basis of the calculated hash value.

7. The data certification system according to claim 1, wherein the server device further includes a publishing destination determination unit which calculates a hash value based on the raw data and determines the publishing destination on the basis of the calculated hash value;

and wherein the server transmission unit transmits the proof information and the publishing destination information representing the publishing destination to the client device.

8. A publishing server comprising:

a transceiver unit for receiving raw data subject to certification of non-falsification transferred from a client device, proof information including certification information for certifying non-falsification of the raw data and time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information, and report data in which the time information and publishing destination information representing a uniquely identified publishing destination are included in the raw data; and

a publishing control unit for releasing the raw data, the proof information, and the report data to the uniquely identified publishing destination, transmitting only the report data to a first device which is in communication with the publishing destination and which cannot verify non-falsification of the report data using the raw data and the proof information, and transmitting the report data, the raw data, and the proof information to a second device which is in communication with the publishing destination and which can verify non-falsification of the report data using the raw data and the proof information.

9. The publishing server according to claim 8, wherein the publishing control unit transmits the report data to the first device only when the first device is in communication with the publishing destination within an expiration date of the proof information, and transmits the report data, the raw data, and the proof information to the second device only when the second device is in communication with the publishing destination within the expiration date of the proof information.