Patent ID: 7539869

Claim:
A method for transmitting data according to a signature-based protocol comprising: generating, at a server and in response to a request from a nonsigning client device, a signature corresponding to a signature block having a covered data portion and an information object portion, the signature computed only on data in the covered data portion such that payload data is not included in computing the signature, the server conversant in a predetermined protocol and the signature and signature block conformant with the predetermined protocol; storing, at the server, the signature in the signature block, the signature covering the covered data portion and the information object portion remaining independent of the signature; transmitting from the server to the nonsigning client device, the signature block, the nonsigning client device conversant in the predetermined protocol and unable to generate the signature in the signature block, the signature block further operable to store, in the information object portion, payload data in a nondestructive manner so as to preserve the covered data portion and corresponding signature generated by the server without regenerating the signature, the covered data portion remaining unwritten by the nonsigning client device; and storing, at the nonsigning client device, payload data in the information object portion, the signature block receivable by a recipient destination having capability to authenticate the signature and conversant in the predetermined protocol.