Electronic data sharing device and method of use

• US 9,396,345 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blendogy Limited
• Original Assignee: Blendogy Limited
• Inventors: Dempster, Philip Edward, Munday, Balbir Singh, Ostrowski, Dominic Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Hee
• Application Number:
  US14/232,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 380/44, 380/46, 713/165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• 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 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068

Abstract

An electronic data sharing device configured to exchange a first tag with a corresponding tag from a further electronic data sharing device, wherein the first and second tags provide information that enables respective users of the electronic data sharing devices to share information via a server enabled internet-connected software system associated with the electronic data sharing devices, wherein the electronic data sharing device is either configured with a pre-shared key or is able to encrypt a session key, wherein the pre-shared key or session key are used to generate tags to ensure that: the electronic data sharing device and tags can only be made use of by the server.

Claims

1. An electronic data sharing device, comprising:

a memory storing (i) a pre-shared key and a unique device identification, or (ii) a session key and encryption key;

a processor configured to generate tags from (i) the pre-shared key or (ii) an encrypted session key obtained by encrypting the session key with the encryption key and to cause the electronic data sharing device to exchange a first tag so-generated with a corresponding tag from a further electronic data sharing device;

wherein the first and second tags provide information that enables respective users of the electronic data sharing devices to share information via a server enabled internet-connected software system associated with the electronic data sharing devices;

wherein the tags are used to construct statistical information based upon user activity, construct individual or group profiles based upon user activity, construct social-graphs based upon user activity, construct other graphs based upon user activity, construct time-lines based upon user activity or construct maps based upon user activity;

wherein (i) the pre-shared key is shared with the server and associated with the unique device identification or (ii) the server is able to decrypt the encrypted session key such that the electronic data sharing device and tags can only be made use of by the server; and

wherein the processor is further configured to cause the electronic data sharing device to transfer to the server (i) the unique device identification or (ii) the encrypted session key.

2. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic data sharing device is a personal portable electronic device, or

the electronic data sharing device is a static or mobile electronic device offering a public service or used for a purpose other than as a personal device.

3. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1, wherein:

the further electronic data sharing device is a personal portable electronic device, or

the further electronic data sharing device is a static or mobile electronic device offering a public service or used for a purpose other than as a personal device.

4. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1 further configured to generate the tags using a cryptographically-secure pseudo-random number generator (CSPRNG).

5. The electronic data sharing device of claim 4, wherein the CSPRNG is implemented in a hardware or software XTEA encryption module, or AES encryption module that is configured in counter mode.

6. The electronic data sharing device of claim 4, wherein the key to the CSPRNG is encrypted, and optionally wherein the key to the CSPRNG is encrypted using any form of public key encryption, including RSA public key encryption.

7. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1, wherein the electronic data sharing device is configured to hold a public key that corresponds with a private key held by the software system.

8. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1 further configured to exchange the tags using radio communication.

9. The electronic data sharing device of claim 1, wherein the software system includes one or more of personal computers, connections to the internet and remotely located computer servers.

10. A method of sharing data and constructing statistical information using electronic data sharing devices, each device comprising a processor and a memory storing (i) a pre-shared key and a unique device identification, or (ii) a session key and encryption key, the method comprising the steps of:

the processor of a first electronic data sharing device generating tags from (i) the pre-shared key or (ii) an encrypted session key obtained by encrypting the session key with the encryption key;

the processor causing the first electronic data sharing device to exchange a first tag so-generated with a corresponding tag from a further electronic data sharing device, wherein the first and second tags provide information that enables respective users of the electronic data sharing devices to share information via a server enabled internet-connected software system associated with the electronic data sharing devices;

wherein (i) the pre-shared key is shared with the server and associated with the unique device identification or (ii) the server is able to decrypt the encrypted session key such that the electronic data sharing device and tags can only be made use of by the server;

the processor causing the first electronic data sharing device to transfer to the server (i) the unique device identification or (ii) the encrypted session key; and

using the tags to construct statistical information based upon user activity, construct individual or group profiles based upon user activity, construct social-graphs based upon user activity, construct other graphs based upon user activity, construct time-lines based upon user activity or construct maps based upon user activity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the electronic data sharing device is a personal portable electronic device, or

the electronic data sharing device is a static or mobile electronic device offering a public service or used for a purpose other than as a personal device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the further electronic data sharing device is a personal portable electronic device, or

the further electronic data sharing device is a static or mobile electronic device offering a public service or used for a purpose other than as a personal device.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of generating the tags using a cryptographically-secure pseudo-random number generator (CSPRNG).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the CSPRNG is implemented in a hardware or software XTEA encryption module, or AES encryption module that is configured in counter mode.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of encrypting the key to the CSPRNG.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of encrypting the key to the CSPRNG using any form of public key encryption, including RSA public key encryption.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic data sharing device is configured to hold a public key that corresponds with a private key held by the software system.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of exchanging the tags using radio communication.