# US 12,120,240 B2 · Apparatus, computer program and method for use in transforming data types > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,240 B2 - Document ID: US12120240B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/953,108 - Filed: 2020-11-19 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-06 - Assignees: Vocalink Limited - Applicants: Vocalink Limited - Inventors: Julian Robert Mark Barnes; Clifford Norman Russell; Erick Lopes Da Silva - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120240B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/645: {using a third party} - H04L 9/3236: {using cryptographic hash functions} - H04L 9/321: {involving a third party or a trusted authority} - H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures} - 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 An apparatus is described that comprises: communication circuitry configured to receive from a submitter, over a network, a data item being of a first data type and processing circuitry configured to: transform the first data type to a second, different, data type; remove non-significant content from the data item in the second data type; generate a hash of the data item having non-significant content removed to be signed; and provide the hash for signing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: communication circuitry configured to receive from a submitter, over a network, multiple components of a data item of a first data type, over time, wherein the data item is an image; and processing circuitry configured to: upon receipt of a predetermined number of the multiple components, but less than all of the multiple components of the data item, and for each of the received components: transform the component from the first data type to a second, different data type; and remove non-significant content from the component in the second data type; and then after transforming and removing the non-significant content from all of the multiple components of the data item: generate a hash of the transformed data item, which is a text string having all of the multiple components included and the non-significant content removed, to be signed; and provide the hash for signing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second data type is in extensible Markup Language, XML. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured, in order to transform the component from the first data type to the second data type, to map data in a first field in the first data type to a corresponding second field in the second data type. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured, in order to remove non-significant content from the component in the second data type, to canonicalize the component in the second data type. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to remove whitespace as the non-significant content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to remove carriage returns as the non-significant content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to sign the generated hash. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to return the signature to the submitter separately to the data item. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store the data item on a location within the network, and wherein the location of the stored data item is returned to the submitter separately to the signature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple components of the data item include a batch of records, and wherein the records within the batch are ordered in accordance with a unique value attributed to the record. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: receiving over time from a submitter, over a network, multiple component of a data item being of a first data type; and upon receipt of a predetermined number of the multiple components, but less than all of the multiple components, and for each of the received components: transforming the component from the first data type to a second, different data type; and then removing non-significant content from the component of the data item in the second data type; and after transforming and removing the non-significant content from all of the multiple components of the data item: generating a hash of the transformed data item, which is a text string having all of the multiple components included and the non-significant content removed, to be signed; and providing the hash for signing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein transforming the component from the first data type to the second data type includes mapping data in a first field in the first data type to a corresponding second field in the second data type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein removing non-significant content from the component of the data item in the second data type includes canonicalizing the component of the data item in the second data type. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein removing non-significant content from the component of the data item in the second data type includes removing whitespace and/or carriage returns. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising signing the generated hash with a signature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising returning the signature to the submitter separately from the data item. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising storing the data item on a location within the network, wherein the location of the stored data item is returned to the submitter separately from the signature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the multiple components of the data item include a batch of records, and wherein the records within the batch are ordered in accordance with a unique value attributed to the record.