Patent ID: 7146500
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for creating a unique authoritative record, obtaining and validating a digital signature on the authoritative record, and upon successful validation creating a unique revised authoritative record, comprising the steps of: receiving a record in a secure environment, wherein the secure environment is connected to a network and comprises at least one server that stores and executes software; generating identifying information; generating a receipt, wherein the receipt includes a digital signature of a combination of the record and the appended identifying information; generating supplemental information that includes a provable representation of the receipt; prepending the receipt to a beginning of the record; appending the identifying information and supplemental information to an ending of the record; storing the record with prepended receipt and appended identifying information and supplemental information as the unique authoritative record; receiving a request to sign the authoritative record; computing a partially completed message digest of the authoritative record, wherein the partial message digest is related to a proper subset of the authoritative record; sending the partial message digest and at least a complement of the proper subset of the authoritative record to a remote location; completing the computation of the message digest, at the remote location, using the partial message digest, the complement of the proper subset and other identifying information; creating a digital signature with the use of the message digest and a private key; transmitting at least the digital signature and the other identifying information to the secure environment; validating the digital signature in the secure environment, and upon affirmative validation; revising the authoritative record with the digital signature and other information to create a revised authoritative record.