Patent ID: 6216128
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for privately retrieving selected information from a database in a communications network including a server, an inquiring processor distinct from said server and said database, and the database without requiring replication of the database, said method comprising the steps of:determining, at the server, a first and a second commodity, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:identifying a random address in the database;determining a query for encoding the random address such that the random address is not revealed to the database;including the random address in the first commodity; andincluding the query in the second commodity;communicating the first commodity and the second commodity to the inquiring processor and the database, respectively; andretrieving the selected information from the database based on the first commodity and the second commodity such that the selected information is not revealed to the database.