# US 10,484,180 B2 · Digital data locker system providing enhanced security and protection for data storage and retrieval

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- Number: US 10,484,180 B2
- Document ID: US10484180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/950,637
- Filed: 2018-04-11
- Published: 2018-08-16
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-18
- Assignees: Escher Group (IRL) Limited
- Applicants: Escher Group (IRL) Limited
- Inventors: Alan Kilduff; Ronan O'Hurley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484180B2

## CPC

- H04L 9/3242: {involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC}
- G06F 16/10: File systems; File servers
- G06F 16/93: Document management systems
- G06F 21/6254: {by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification}
- G06F 21/6272: {by registering files or documents with a third party}
- G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
- H04L 9/14: using a plurality of keys or algorithms
- H04L 63/06: {for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

The subject matter herein is directed to a digital data locker that acts as an intermediary between end users operating end user device and document providers. The data locker provides the end user with a secure and easy way to manage, store, and retrieve data that is stored at the document providers. Specifically, the features provided by the data locker include, but are not limited to, a dual level of encryption for data, content assurance to determine whether the data is corrupted, and dissociation between an identity of an end user and the data of the end user stored at the document providers. More specifically, an end user device operated by the end user, through use of a single application, may access the data locker to securely store and retrieve data on/from the document providers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A digital data locker, comprising:
one or more network interfaces interconnecting the digital data locker, over a network, to one or more end user devices and one or more document providers;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store a process executed by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
receive, from a selected end user device of the one or more end user devices, an end user request for a stored document, wherein the end user request includes at least a document identifier of the stored document, and wherein the selected end user device is operated by a selected end user,
obtain an encrypted user key assigned to the selected end user,
decrypt the encrypted user key to produce a decrypted user key, and
transmit a retrieval request to a selected document provider of the one or more document providers that stores the stored document, the retrieval request including at least the document identifier and the decrypted user key, wherein the retrieval request does not include an end user identifier of the selected end user thereby dissociating the stored document from an identity of the selected end user.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The digital data locker of claim 1, wherein the encrypted user key is decrypted using a master key.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The digital data locker of claim 1, the process when executed further operable to maintain, in a table, an entry that stores at least the end user identifier of the selected end user, the document identifier, a document provider identifier of the selected document provider that stores the stored document, and a hash value of the stored document.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The digital data locker of claim 3, where the hash value is received from the selected document provider.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The digital data locker of claim 3, the process when executed further operable to:
receive the stored document from the selected document provider after transmitting the retrieval request to the selected document provider, and
transmit the stored document to the selected end user device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The data locker of claim 1, wherein the process when executed is further operable to store, within an entry of an assigned key mapping table, the end user identifier of the selected end user and the encrypted user key assigned to the selected end user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The data locker of claim 1, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:
receive, from the selected end user device, an end user storage request to store a different document,
assign a new document identifier to the different document, and
transmit a storage request to the selected document provider of the one or more document providers to store the new document, wherein the storage request includes at least the different document, the new document identifier, and the decrypted user key, and wherein the storage request does not include the end user identifier of the selected end user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The data locker of claim 1, wherein the selected end user device is a mobile device configured to execute an application that interacts with the data locker.

### Claim 9

A data locker, comprising:
one or more network interfaces interconnecting the data locker, over a network, to one or more end user devices and one or more document providers;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store a process executed by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
receive, over the network and from a first end user device of the one or more end user devices, an end user storage request to store a document, wherein the first end user device is operated by an end user,
assign a unique document identifier to the document, and
send, over the network and to a selected document provider of the one or more document providers, a storage request to store the document, the storage request including at least the document, a decrypted user key assigned to the end user, and the unique document identifier, and wherein the storage request does not include an end is user identifier of the end user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The digital data locker of claim 9, the processor when executed further operable to receive a hash value of the document from the selected document provider.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The digital data locker of claim 10, the process when executed further operable to maintain, in a table, an entry that stores at least the end user identifier of the selected end user, the unique document identifier, a document provider identifier of the selected document provider that stores the document, and the hash value of the document.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The data locker of claim 9, the processor when executed further operable to decrypt an encrypted user key using a master key to produce the decrypted user key.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The digital data locker of claim 9, the process when executed further operable to maintain, in a table, an entry that stores at least the end user identifier of the selected end user, the unique document identifier, a document provider identifier of the selected document provider that stores the document, and a hash value of the document.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The digital data locker of claim 9, wherein the one or more document providers is a plurality of document providers and the selected document provider is selected from the plurality of document providers based on a type of the document.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The digital data locker of claim 9, wherein the one or more document providers is a plurality of document providers and the selected document provider is selected from the plurality of document providers based on a size of the document.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The data locker of claim 9, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:
receive a request, from the first end user device, for the stored document,
send a hash value of the document to the selected document provider,
receive, from the document provider, a confirmation message indicating that the document is not corrupted based on a determination that a regenerated hash value of the document matches the hash value of the document,
receive the stored document from the document provider, and
send the stored document to the first end user device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The data locker of claim 9, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:
receive a request, from the first end user device, for the stored document,
send a hash value of the document to the selected document provider,
receive, from the document provider, a message indicating that the document is corrupted based on a determination that a regenerated hash value of the document matches the hash value of the document, and
send a notification to the first end user device that the stored document is corrupted.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The data locker of claim 9, wherein the process when executed is further operable to store, within an entry of an assigned key mapping table, the end user identifier of the end user and the encrypted user key assigned to the end user.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The data locker of claim 9, wherein the end user device is a mobile device configured to execute an application that interacts with the data locker.