# US 11,444,781 B2 · Distributed trust authentication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,444,781 B2 - Document ID: US11444781B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/796,528 - Filed: 2020-02-20 - Published: 2021-08-26 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-20 - Assignees: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: LENOVO (Singapore) PTE. LTD. - Inventors: Robert J. Kapinos; Robert J. Norton; Russell Speight VanBlon; Scott W. Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444781B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/215: Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors - H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures} - G06F 16/1805: {Append-only file systems, e.g. using logs or journals to store data} - G06F 16/182: Distributed file systems - G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication - G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures - H04L 9/3236: {using cryptographic hash functions} - H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD} - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 63/126: {the source of the received data} - H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for distributed trust authentication. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to receive content for a recipient from a content provider. The code is executable by the processor to receive an indicator of the veracity of the received content from the recipient of the content. The indicator of veracity may attest to an authenticity of the received content and an identity of the content provider. The code is executable by the processor to create an entry for the recipient in a public data store to validate that the recipient received the content. The entry may include a digital signature for the recipient and the indicator of the veracity of the received content. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores code executable by the processor to: receive content for a recipient from a content provider; receive an indicator of a veracity of the received content from the recipient of the content, the indicator of the veracity attesting to an authenticity of the received content and an identity of the content provider; check one or more entries in a public data store associated with previous recipients of the content to determine a trust score for the content based on a respective indicator of veracity in each of the one or more entries that the previous recipients submitted; and create an entry for the recipient in the public data store to validate that the recipient received the content, the entry comprising a digital signature for the recipient and the indicator of the veracity of the received content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the respective indicator of veracity for each of the one or more entries is digitally signed with a previous recipient's digital signature, the code further executable by the processor to: verify the authenticity of the previous recipient's indication of veracity of the content based on the previous recipient's digital signature; and verify the identity of the previous recipient based on the previous recipient's digital signature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trust score comprises a ratio of a number of positive indications of the veracity of the content to a number of negative indications of the veracity of the content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to automatically receive the indicator of the veracity of the received content without input from the recipient in response to the trust score satisfying a threshold trust score. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to create a root entry in the public data store, the root entry comprising a unique identifier for the content, the unique identifier digitally signed with the content provider's digital signature, and means for authenticating the content provider. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data store comprises an immutable and irrevocable database that is distributable among a plurality of different devices and is publicly available from each of the plurality of different devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data store comprises a blockchain database. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to negate previous positive votes indicating the veracity of the content in response to the recipient's indicator of veracity being a negative indicator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to assign a weight to the indicator of the veracity of the received content according to one or more characteristics of the recipient of the content. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises a closeness of a relationship between the content provider and the recipient, an organization that the recipient is part of, and the recipient's reputation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to, in response to receiving a negative indicator of the veracity of the received content, notify the content provider of the negative indicator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to prevent the recipient from providing an indicator of the veracity of the received content in response to determining that the received content is invalid content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is executable by the processor to prompt the recipient to provide the indicator of veracity in response to receiving the content from the content provider. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: receiving, by a processor, content for a recipient from a content provider; receiving an indicator of a veracity of the received content from the recipient of the content, the indicator of the veracity attesting to an authenticity of the received content and an identity of the content provider; checking one or more entries in a public data store associated with previous recipients of the content to determine a trust score for the content based on respective indicators of veracity in each of the one or more entries that the previous recipients submitted; and creating an entry for the recipient in the public data store to validate that the recipient received the content, the entry comprising a digital signature for the recipient and the indicator of the veracity of the received content. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the respective indicator of veracity for each of the one or more entries is digitally signed with a previous recipient's digital signature, the method further comprising: verifying the authenticity of the previous recipient's indication of veracity of the content based on the previous recipient's digital signature; and verifying the identity of the previous recipient based on the previous recipient's digital signature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising creating a root entry in the public data store, the root entry comprising a unique identifier for the content, the unique identifier digitally signed with the content provider's digital signature, and means for authenticating the content provider. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the data store comprises an immutable and irrevocable database that is distributable among a plurality of different devices and is publicly available from each of the plurality of different devices. ### Claim 18 A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to: receive content for a recipient from a content provider; receive an indicator of a veracity of the received content from the recipient of the content, the indicator of the veracity attesting to an authenticity of the received content and an identity of the content provider; check one or more entries in a public data store associated with previous recipients of the content to determine a trust score for the content based on respective indicators of veracity in each of the one or more entries that the previous recipients submitted; and create an entry for the recipient in the public data store to validate that the recipient received the content, the entry comprising a digital signature for the recipient and the indicator of the veracity of the received content. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the respective indicator of veracity for each of the one or more entries is digitally signed with a previous recipient's digital signature, the program instructions further causing the processor to: verify the authenticity of the previous recipient's indication of veracity of the content based on the previous recipient's digital signature; and verify the identity of the previous recipient based on the previous recipient's digital signature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to create a root entry in the public data store, the root entry comprising a unique identifier for the content, the unique identifier digitally signed with the content provider's digital signature, and means for authenticating the content provider.