Methods and systems for data authentication services
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsClayton C. Bonnell, Kelley A. Sullivan
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Abstract
Methods and systems for electronic document authentication are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of generating an electronic postmark includes receiving, via a server, a request message from an electronic network, the request message comprising request data including payload data and meta data, generating a timestamp in response to receiving the message, hashing the payload data to generate a payload hash, digitally signing the metadata, the payload hash, and the timestamp to generate a digital signature, generating a response message, the response message generated to comprise the metadata, the payload hash, the timestamp, and the digital signature; and transmitting the response message onto the electronic network.
Claims13
A method of generating an electronic postmark, comprising:
- receiving, via a server hardware computer, a request message from an electronic network, the request message comprising request data;
- parsing the request data;
- identifying, from parsing the request data, payload data and metadata, the payload data comprising data to be authenticated by the electronic postmark;
- generating via the server hardware computer, a timestamp in response to receiving the request message;
- hashing the payload data to transform the payload data into a payload hash;
- creating, in a memory, a new data structure corresponding to the electronic postmark, the new data structure comprising:
- a binary message including the payload hash;
- and
- a digital image of an identifier of the electronic postmark, the digital image encoding at least a portion of the request data;
- digitally signing the new data structure with a digital signature;
- storing the new data structure in a datastore, wherein the stored new data structure comprises the metadata in a metadata field, the payload hash in a payload hash field, the timestamp in a timestamp field, and the digital signature in a digital signature field;
- generating a response message, the response message comprising the binary message and the digital image;
- and
- transmitting, via the server hardware computer, the response message onto the electronic network.
An apparatus for generating an electronic postmark, comprising:
- an electronic hardware memory configured to store instructions;
- and
- an electronic hardware processor operably connected to the electronic hardware memory and configured to execute the instructions to:
- receive a request message from an electronic network, the request message comprising request data including payload data and meta data;
- parse the request data to identify payload data and metadata, the payload data comprising data authenticated by the electronic postmark;
- generate a timestamp in response to receiving the request message;
- hash the payload data to transform the payload data into a payload hash;
- create, in the electronic memory, a new data structure corresponding to the electronic postmark, the new data structure comprising:
- a binary message including the payload hash;
- and
- a digital image of an identifier of the electronic postmark, the digital image encoding at least a portion of the request data;
- digitally sign the new data structure with a digital signature;
- store the new data structure in a datastore, wherein the stored new data structure comprises the metadata in the metadata field, the payload hash in the payload hash field, the timestamp in the timestamp field, and the digital signature in the digital signature field;
- generate a response message, the response message comprising the binary message and the digital image, and
- transmit the response message onto the electronic network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.