System and Method for Creating Self-Authenticating Documents Including Unique Content Identifiers

Abstract

One embodiment of a method for creating a self-authenticating document includes receiving a request to retrieve a data element identified by a content identifier, identifying a storage location associated with the content identifier, retrieving a data element stored at the storage location, calculating a second content identifier of the retrieved data element, comparing the content identifier and the second content identifier, if the content identifier and the second content identifier match, creating an image of the retrieved data element, creating a representation of the stored content identifier, creating a representation of metadata associated with the retrieved data element, and creating a document that includes the image of the retrieved data element, the representation of the stored content identifier, and the representation of metadata. The representation of the stored content identifier may be an alphanumeric string or a graphical representation derived from the stored content identifier.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.