Patent ID: 8886932
Filing Date: 2014-11-11
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for storing and transferring content, the apparatus comprising: an interface configured to send and receive messages through a communications medium, the interface including a first cryptographic function for protecting messages being sent, and a second cryptographic function for verifying received messages; a memory storing at least a current content, a respective unique identifier of the storage media, and a log of content transfers; and a controller operatively coupled to the interface and the memory, the controller operating under control of instruction code to execute a Transfer-In process to record a transfer of message content to a storage media, and to execute a Transfer-Out process to record a transfer of message content from the storage media: wherein the Transfer-In process comprises steps of: receiving, via the interface, a content transfer message including at least a message content to be transferred; determining, using the second cryptographic function, a validity of the received content transfer message; determining, using the log, whether the received content transfer message is likely a duplicate; responsive to determination that the received content transfer message is valid and is likely not a duplicate, increasing the current content by the message content to be transferred and recording information of the content transfer in the log; and responsive to determination that either the received content transfer message is invalid or is likely a duplicate, discarding the content transfer message; and wherein the Transfer-Out process comprises steps of: receiving, via the interface, a content transfer request message including at least a message content to be transferred; determining whether the current content is equal to or greater than the message content to be transferred, and generating an error message responsive to determination that the current content is not equal to or greater than the message content to be transferred, and otherwise generating a content transfer message including the message content to be transferred, decreasing the current content by the message content amount to be transferred; recording information of the content transfer in the log, and using the first cryptographic function to protect the generated content transfer message; and wherein the information recorded in the log comprises a digest of each transfer message and each transfer request message contains a challenge word, and wherein detecting a likely duplicate transfer request message comprises: for each content transfer process completed by the controller, storing the challenge word contained in the respective transfer request message, as part of the information of the content transfer stored in the log; and upon receipt of a new transfer request message, comparing the respective challenge word contained in the new transfer request message to challenge words already stored in the log.