Patent ID: 7949867

Claim:
A method for providing a secure trustworthy communication channel between a first agent operative on a first computing device connected to a network and a second agent operative on a second computing device connected to the network, the method comprising: a third computing device initially establishing a relative identity relationship between the first agent and the second agent including: defining a first relative identity for the first agent, defining a second relative identity for the second agent; wherein the first relative identity and second relative identity are both unique to the relationship between the first agent and the second agents, and there is a mathematical relationship between the first relative identity and the second relative identity; wherein a key for communicating between the first and second agent is generated based on the mathematical relationship by: using a first intermediate key defined by a mathematical algorithm, function, or hash of an absolute key of the first agent, a partial relative key of the first agent, and a partial relative key of the second agent, using a second intermediate key defined by a mathematical algorithm, function, or hash of an absolute key of the second agent, the partial relative key of the first agent, and the partial relative key of the second agent, generating a first encryption key by using a mathematical algorithm, function or hash of the first intermediate key and the second absolute key of the second agent generating a second encryption key by using a mathematical algorithm, function, or hash of the second intermediate key and the first absolute key of the first agent wherein the first encryption key and the second encryption key are equivalent; a fourth computing device verifying the first and second relative identities at the start of subsequent communication between the first and second agents; wherein the third computing device is either the first computing device, the second computing device or another computing device; wherein the fourth computing device is either the first computing device, the second computing device, the third computing device or another computing device; wherein relative identity uniquely identifies one particular agent's relationship to another particular agent.