Cryptographic systems and methods using distributed ledgers
AssigneeIntertrust Technologies Corporation
InventorCaleb Levy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to, among other things, systems and methods for facilitating the secure recording of assertions made by entities tied to identities. Embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods may allow users to make non-revocable, difficult to forge, cryptographic assertions tied to their identities through the posting of entries in an immutable ledger. In certain embodiments, a user's cryptographic assertions may be preceded by ledger entries which feature certificates from trusted authorities that tie the keys used for making assertions to the user's identity. Further embodiments provide for a mechanism for disabling further entries posted under a user's key, either automatically or at the user's initiation.
Claims20
A method for managing a trusted ledger performed by a trusted ledger management system, the trusted ledger management system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the trusted ledger management system to perform the method, the method comprising:
- receiving a first request to record a first entry in the trusted ledger maintained by the trusted ledger management system, the first entry associating a user deciphering key with an identity associated with a user system, the first entry being further associated with a deciphering key of a trusted authority and comprising a certification message and a signature of the certification message generated using an enciphering key of the trusted authority, the certification message comprising the user deciphering key and user identification information associated with the identity associated with the user system;
- recording the first entry in the trusted ledger;
- receiving a second request from the user system to record a second entry in the trusted ledger, the second entry being associated with the user deciphering key and comprising a first message;
- recording, based at least in part on the first entry, the second entry to the trusted ledger in a first location after the first entry;
- receiving a third request to record a third entry in the trusted ledger, the third entry being associated with the user deciphering key and comprising a termination message;
- recording the third entry to the trusted ledger in a second location after the first location of the second entry;
- receiving a fourth request from the user system to record a fourth entry in the trusted ledger, the fourth entry being associated with the user deciphering key and comprising a second message;
- determining, based at least in part on the termination message of the third entry, that entries associated with the user deciphering key are not permitted to be recorded in the trusted ledger in a third location after the second location of the third entry;
- and
- denying the fourth request from the user system to record the fourth entry based on the determination that entries associated with the user deciphering key are not permitted to be recorded in the trusted ledger in the third location after the second location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.