Patent EA-004379-B1 (EA)
Title: Electronic information inquiring method
IPC: G06F21/64
Filed: 2000-04-20
Abstract: 1. An electronic information inquiry method comprising: a step of contacting an inquired destination storing first electronic information with an inquiring source storing second electronic information through an information transmission means; steps conducted by said inquired destination of deciding an information cutting procedure, cutting out a part of information elements from said first electronic information in accordance with said decided procedure, generating first characteristic information indicating characteristics of said part of information elements, and transmitting said first characteristic information and said cutting procedure information to said inquiring source; and steps conducted by said inquiring source of receiving said first characteristic information and said cutting procedure information, cutting out an information element from said second electronic information in accordance with said cutting procedure information, generating second characteristic information indicating characteristic of said cut information element in accordance with the same method as that of said inquired destination, and contrasting said second characteristic information with said first characteristic information, thereby confirming the identity between said second electronic information and said first electronic information. 2. The electronic information inquiry method according to claim 1, characterized in that said cutting procedure is based on a splitting/selecting algorithm capable of similarly splitting electronic information into information elements and selecting the same information elements by applying the same argument, said inquired destination shares said splitting/selecting algorithm with said inquiring source, said inquired destination decides said argument to select said information elements in accordance with said argument, and sends said argument to said inquiring source as said cutting procedure information, and, said inquiring source applies said argument to said splitting/selecting algorithm to generate said second characteristic information in accordance with said first electronic information. 3. The electronic information inquiry method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said characteristic information is a hash value of an information element. 4. An electronic information inquiry method comprising: a step of contacting among a first concerned party storing first electronic information, a second concerned party storing second electronic information, and an authentication bureau through an information transmission means; a step for said authentication bureau of transmitting the information of a cutting procedure information to said first concerned party and second concerned party; steps for said first and second concerned parties of respectively cutting out a predetermined information element from said first and second electronic information in accordance with said cutting procedure information, generating first and second characteristic information indicating characteristics of said information elements, and transmitting the generated characteristic information to said authentication bureau; and a step for said authentication bureau of contrasting the received first characteristic information with the cutting procedure information, thereby confirming the identity between said first electronic information and second electronic information.