System and method for secure communications involving an intermediary

• US 8,566,247 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: David P. Felsher
• Inventors: Felsher, David P., Hoffberg, Steven M., Nagel, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): AGWUMEZIE, CHINEDU CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US12/031,969
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• 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 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838

Abstract

A system and method for communicating information or a cryptographic key therefore between a first party and a second party, comprising the steps of receiving, by an intermediary, an identifier of desired information and accounting information for a transaction involving the information from the first party, transmitting an identifier of the first party to the second party, and negotiating, by the intermediary, a comprehension function for obscuring at least a portion of the information communicated between the first party and the second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the intermediary by providing an asymmetric key or direct key exchange for encryption of the communication between the first and second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the second party by maintaining the information in encrypted format at the second party, with the decryption key held only by the intermediary, and transmitting a secure composite of the decryption key and a new encryption key to the second party for transcoding of the data record, and providing the new decryption key to the first party, so that the information transmitted to the first party can be comprehended by it. According to the present invention, asymmetric key encryption may be employed to provide the establishment of secure communications channels involving an intermediary, without making the intermediary privy to the decryption key or the message.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information which is encrypted from a first party to a second party, involving an intermediary which selectively authorizes the second party to comprehend the information, without the intermediary itself being enabled to comprehend the information, comprising the steps of:

identifying information to be communicated, the information being encrypted with an associated cryptographic comprehension function;

negotiating between the second party and the intermediary, an asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the information which is encrypted, different from the associated cryptographic comprehension function, wherein the asymmetric delivery comprehension function comprises a function of at least three asymmetric key components of at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions, wherein the second party possesses an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery comprehension function, and the intermediary possesses a portion of the asymmetric delivery comprehension function which does not impart an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted;

transforming a comprehension function of the information which is encrypted to be communicated from the associated cryptographic comprehension function to the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function, said transforming comprising using the negotiated asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the at least three key asymmetric key components of the at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions in an integral process which does not have as an intermediate state a decrypted representation of the information and does not itself require at any time during the transformation, knowledge sufficient for decrypting the information which is encrypted; and

communicating the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function to the second party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified information comprises a medical record.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified information comprises at least one of a video and an audio stream.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least three asymmetric key components comprises a dynamically generated secret key.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the asymmetric delivery comprehension function held by the intermediary comprises at least two fewer key components than the at least three key components.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediary performs a financial accounting of at least one of said negotiating, said transforming, and said communicating steps.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said negotiating, said transforming, and said communicating steps creates a cryptographic audit trail.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said negotiating step comprises a cryptographic micropayment transaction.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a cryptographic value associated with a portable self-authenticating cryptographic micropayment data structure is intrinsically embedded in said asymmetric delivery comprehension function, and a decryption of the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery comprehension function consumes a value of the portable self-authenticating cryptographic micropayment data structure.

10. A system for communicating information which is encrypted from a first party to a second party, involving an intermediary that selectively authorizes the second party to comprehend the information, without the intermediary itself being enabled to comprehend the information, comprising:

a communication port which receives information which is encrypted to be communicated or an identification thereof, the information being encrypted with an associated cryptographic comprehension function;

at least one automated processor which conducts a negotiation between the second party and the intermediary through the communication port of an asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the information which is encrypted, different from the associated cryptographic comprehension function, wherein the asymmetric delivery comprehension function comprises a function of at least three asymmetric key components of at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions, wherein the second party possesses an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery comprehension function, and the intermediary possesses a portion of the asymmetric delivery comprehension function which does not impart an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted;

the at least one automated processor further transforms a comprehension function of the information which is encrypted to be communicated from the associated cryptographic comprehension function to the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function, comprising using the negotiated asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the at least three key asymmetric key components of the at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions in an integral process which does not have as an intermediate state a decrypted representation of the information and does not itself require at any time during the transformation, knowledge sufficient for decrypting the information which is encrypted; and

said communication port communicating the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function to the second party.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the information comprises a medical record.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the information comprises at least one of a video and an audio stream.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least three asymmetric key components comprises a dynamically generated secret key.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the portion of the asymmetric delivery comprehension function held by the intermediary comprises at least two fewer key components than the at least three key components.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the intermediary performs a financial accounting of at least one of said negotiating, said transforming, and said communicating steps.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the processor creates a cryptographic audit trail.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein said processor performs a cryptographic micropayment transaction.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein a cryptographic value associated with a portable self-authenticating cryptographic micropayment data structure is intrinsically embedded in said asymmetric delivery comprehension function, and a decryption of the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery comprehension function consumes a value of the portable self-authenticating cryptographic micropayment data structure.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having stored therein instructions for communicating information which is encrypted from a first party to a second party, involving an intermediary which selectively authorizes the second party to comprehend the information, without the intermediary itself being enabled to comprehend the information, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving communicated information which is encrypted, the information being encrypted with an associated cryptographic comprehension function;

negotiating between the second party and the intermediary, an asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the information which is encrypted, different from the associated cryptographic comprehension function, wherein the asymmetric delivery comprehension function comprises a function of at least three asymmetric key components of at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions, wherein the second party possesses an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery comprehension function, and the intermediary possesses a portion of the asymmetric delivery comprehension function which does not impart an ability to decrypt the information which is encrypted;

transforming a comprehension function of the information which is encrypted to be communicated from the associated cryptographic comprehension function to the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function, said transforming comprising using the negotiated asymmetric delivery comprehension function of the at least three key asymmetric key components of the at least three distinct respective asymmetric delivery comprehension functions in an integral process which does not have as an intermediate state during the transformation a decrypted representation of the information and does not itself require at any time during the transformation, knowledge sufficient for decrypting the information which is encrypted; and

communicating the information which is encrypted with the asymmetric delivery cryptographic comprehension function to the second party.

20. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein said negotiating comprises receiving, from the second party, a representation of a composite function of a persistent data structure and a dynamic data structure, wherein the dynamic data structure at least obscures the persistent data structure, and at least one of the at least three asymmetric key components comprises a dynamically generated secret key.