Method and apparatus for certification of facts

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• registering an observer that can operate on behalf of a fact presenter at a fact certifier, wherein the observer is any of a person or measurement device that can provide observed facts, wherein the registering the observer includes:
• assigning the observer with a unique observer identifier (ID),
• storing the unique observer ID in a database, and
• providing a token to the observer that allows proof of the identity of the observer when presenting information;
• receiving at the fact certifier an observed fact related to the event and the assigned unique ID or token from either the fact presenter or the registered observer on behalf of the fact presenter, wherein the received observed fact includes a timestamp that certifies timeliness of the observed fact;
• certifying the received observed fact at the fact certifier as being authentic and attributed to the registered observer corresponding to the assigned unique ID or token;
• certifying the event based on the certification of the observed fact at the fact certifier;
• and
• sending a fact certificate from the fact certifier to the fact presenter, wherein the fact certificate corresponds to the certified event, wherein, after receipt of the fact certificate, the fact presenter is enabled to transmit fact information directly to a fact receiver, wherein the fact information transmitted directly from the fact presenter to the fact receiver includes any of the related observed fact and the fact certificate, and wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the received fact information.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• sending an observed fact from any of a fact presenter and an observer to a fact certifier for certification of the observed fact, wherein the sent observed fact includes a timestamp that certifies timeliness of the observed fact, wherein the observed fact originates from the observer, wherein the observer has previously been registered with the fact certifier to operate on behalf of the fact presenter, wherein the observer is any of a person or measurement device that can provide observed facts, wherein the registering of the observer with the fact certifier includes:
• assigning the observer with a unique observer identifier (ID),
• storing the unique observer ID in a database, and
• providing a token to the observer that allows proof of the identity of the observer when presenting information;
• receiving a fact certificate at the fact presenter from the fact certifier, responsive to a certification by the fact certifier of the observed fact sent from the fact presenter or the observer to the fact certifier;
• broadcasting the fact certificate from the fact presenter to a plurality of witnesses;
• and
• responsive to reception of the fact certificate by the fact presenter, transmitting fact information from the fact presenter directly to a fact receiver;
• wherein the transmitted fact information includes any of the observed fact and the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the observed fact or the fact certificate;
• and
• wherein a level of trust between the fact receiver and one or more of the witnesses enables the fact receiver to trust any of the observed fact and the fact certificate.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• registering an observer that can operate on behalf of a fact presenter at a fact certifier, wherein the observer is any of a person or measurement device that can provide observed facts, wherein the registering the observer includes:
• assigning the observer with a unique observer identifier (ID),
• storing the unique observer ID in a database, and
• providing a token to the observer that allows proof of the identity of the observer when presenting information;
• receiving at the fact certifier an observed fact related to the event and the assigned unique ID or token from either the fact presenter or the registered observer on behalf of the fact presenter, wherein the received observed fact includes a timestamp that certifies timeliness of the observed fact;
• certifying the received observed fact at the fact certifier as being authentic and attributed to the registered observer corresponding to the assigned unique ID or token;
• certifying the event based on the certification of the observed fact at the fact certifier;
• and
• sending a fact certificate from the fact certifier to the fact presenter, wherein the fact certificate corresponds to the certified event, wherein responsive to receipt of the fact certificate, the fact presenter is enabled to broadcast the fact certificate to a plurality of witnesses, and transmit fact information directly to a fact receiver, wherein the fact information includes any of the related observed fact and the fact certificate, and
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the received fact information, wherein a level of trust between a fact receiver and one or more of the witnesses enables the fact receiver to trust any of the fact certificate, the observed fact and the event.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• sending a deduced fact from a fact presenter to a fact certifier for certification of the deduced fact, wherein the deduced fact is based on any of a deductive reasoning process and one or more basis facts;
• receiving a fact certificate at the fact presenter from the fact certifier, responsive to a certification by the fact certifier of the deduced fact sent from the fact presenter or the observer to the fact certifier;
• responsive to reception of the fact certificate by the fact presenter, transmitting fact information from the fact presenter directly to a fact receiver;
• wherein the transmitted fact information includes the deduced fact in an interconnected data structure that allows efficient certification and communication of facts deduced from other facts by the deductive reasoning process, wherein the data structure comprises a tree of facts, wherein:
• the deduced fact comprises a root node of the tree;
• wherein the basis facts comprise nodes of the tree;
• and
• wherein the observed fact comprises a leaflet of the tree;
• and
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the deduced fact.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• sending a deduced fact from a fact presenter to a fact certifier for certification of the deduced fact, wherein the deduced fact is based on any of a deductive reasoning process and one or more basis facts, wherein a fact certification library containing executable code allows repetition of the deductive reasoning process;
• receiving a fact certificate at the fact presenter from the fact certifier, responsive to a certification by the fact certifier of the deduced fact sent from the fact presenter or the observer to the fact certifier;
• responsive to reception of the fact certificate by the fact presenter, transmitting fact information from the fact presenter directly to a fact receiver;
• wherein the transmitted fact information includes any of the deduced fact and the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the deduced fact or the fact certificate.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• sending a deduced fact from a fact presenter to a fact certifier for certification of the deduced fact, wherein the deduced fact is based on any of a deductive reasoning process and one or more basis facts;
• receiving a fact certificate at the fact presenter from the fact certifier, responsive to a certification by the fact certifier of the deduced fact sent from the fact presenter or the observer to the fact certifier;
• responsive to reception of the fact certificate by the fact presenter, transmitting fact information from the fact presenter directly to a fact receiver;
• wherein the transmitted fact information includes any of the deduced fact and the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the deduced fact or the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact presenter and the fact receiver are enabled to achieve lasting or permanent consensus that a statement regarding the deductive reasoning process used to deduce the deduced fact from other facts represents a description of the deductive reasoning process used.

A computer-implemented method for certifying an event, comprising:

• sending a deduced fact from a fact presenter to a fact certifier for certification of the deduced fact, wherein the deduced fact is based on any of a deductive reasoning process and one or more basis facts;
• receiving a fact certificate at the fact presenter from the fact certifier, responsive to a certification by the fact certifier of the deduced fact sent from the fact presenter or the observer to the fact certifier;
• responsive to reception of the fact certificate by the fact presenter, transmitting fact information from the fact presenter directly to a fact receiver;
• wherein the transmitted fact information includes any of the deduced fact and the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact receiver is enabled to establish that the event is valid, using the deduced fact or the fact certificate;
• wherein the fact presenter and the fact receiver are enabled to achieve lasting or permanent consensus that the deduced fact that was deduced from other facts by the deductive reasoning process represents the result of an application of the deductive reasoning process.