Method and system for the supply of data, transactions and electronic voting

• US 9,473,470 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tyabji, Imran F., Dare, Peter Roy, Owlett, John
• Primary Examiner(s): KUCAB, JAMIE R
• Application Number:
  US14/174,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140201519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/463 Electronic voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method for supply of data, including generating an empowerment certificate signed with a signing entity'"'"'s electronic signature. The empowerment certificate includes attributes of a described entity, information identifying the signing entity, indication of data relating to the described entity, indication of a source of the data, and identification of a relying entity to which the data can be supplied. The relying entity forwards the empowerment certificate to a source supplying the data indicated in the empowerment certificate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining by one or more computing devices a digital signature of a signing entity;

determining by the one or more computing devices a first period of validity for a digital empowerment certificate, the period of validity beginning earlier than a time of the generating the digital empowerment certificate;

generating by the one or more computing devices the digital empowerment certificate, including;

one or more attributes of a described entity,

one or more attributes of an electronic property,

one or more attributes identifying the signing entity,

the period of validity, and

the digital signature of the signing entity; and

sending by the one or more computing devices the electronic property and the digital empowerment certificate to a relying entity, wherein;

the digital signature was generated using a private key of a private/public key pair to sign the electronic property;

the generating by the digital empowerment certificate is based at least in part on information in a signature block of the electronic property;

the digital empowerment certificate further includes a second link corresponding to a first link of the electronic property, the second link including a serial number identifying the digital empowerment certificate and the one or more attributes of the electronic property; and

the empowerment certificate enables the relying entity to obtain the public key of the private/public key pair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of validity of the digital empowerment certificate ends no later than the time of generation of the digital empowerment certificate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the described entity is the signing entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital empowerment certificate includes a time stamp indicating the time of the generating the digital empowerment certificate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital empowerment certificate is generated after the generation of the digital signature.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital signature includes signed data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of validity is a period in which the digital signature is generated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the relying entity is identified in the digital empowerment certificate and the digital empowerment certificate includes information confirming a payment or debt due from the described entity identified in the digital certificate to the relying entity identified in the digital empowerment certificate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating by the one or more computing devices a second digital empowerment certificate of a second signing entity, the second digital empowerment certificate including information indicating a guarantee of a debt indicated as due in the digital empowerment certificate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes of the described entity include:

an indication of data relating to the described entity which is to be supplied to the relying entity; and

an indication of one or more sources for the data relating to the described entity which is to be supplied to the relying entity.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying information specifying data which is no longer authorized to the relying entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data to be supplied to the relying entity includes a public key of the signing entity and an identifier of a current owner of the electronic property.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises determining a second period of validity for transferring ownership of the electronic property; and

the generating the digital empowerment certificate further includes generating the digital empowerment certificate with the second period of validity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second period of validity of the digital empowerment certificate is a finite period of use of the electronic property.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second period of validity of the digital empowerment certificate which is a permanent assignment of ownership of the electronic property.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before generating the digital empowerment certificate:

obtaining the one or more attributes of the described entity;

obtaining the one or more attributes of the electronic property; and

obtaining the one or more attributes identifying the signing entity.