Method and system for automatic deletion of information based on time synchronization and trusted counting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12373463-B2
Application number	US-202418631790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2024
Priority date	Apr 27, 2023
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A method and system for automatic deletion of information based on time synchronization and trusted counting is provided, the method including: defining different data structures including configurations in a normalized manner; setting triggering conditions for automatic information deletion, including conditions for automatic deletion based on time synchronization and/or based on trusted counting; maintaining synchrony of the configurations across different domains; and after satisfying the triggering conditions, making an information source domain and/or an information propagation domain perform the automatic information deletion. Considering that existing data deletion mechanisms cannot delete information according to preset retention periods, the present application employs synchrony across system clocks to perform automatic deletion of authorization information under circulation after a certain time period, and further limits a circulation count for information of interest so as to ensure that the information and its copies are all deleted after reaching a preset maximum permittable circulation count.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatic deletion of information based on time synchronization and trusted counting, the method at least comprising:
implementing via a processor with a memory for instructions, wherein the processor performs the following steps:
defining different types of data structures in a normalized manner, wherein the data structures at least include configurations;
setting triggering conditions for automatic deletion of information, wherein the triggering conditions include conditions for automatic deletion based on the time synchronization and/or conditions for automatic deletion based on the trusted counting;
maintaining synchrony of the configurations across different domains; and
satisfying the triggering conditions based on information circulation data;
making an information source domain and/or an information propagation domain perform the automatic deletion of the information;
establishing a log deposit to record a process of the automatic deletion; and
wherein the step of defining the different types of data structures in the normalized manner at least comprises:
making the information source domain, on basis of information it has acquired, generate corresponding configurations, and
sending the information to at least one information propagation domain, making the information propagation domain generate a new copy of the information; and

wherein for the automatic deletion based on the time synchronization, the configurations at least include preset deletion time points; and
for the automatic deletion based on trusted counting, the configurations at least include a maximum permittable circulation count of the information, and circulation domains of the information,
wherein the triggering conditions for automatic deletion based on the time synchronization at least comprises:
confirming by the time synchronization across domains a predetermined expiration time identical to a global system time of the information;
making the domains automatically delete the information; and

wherein the triggering conditions for automatic deletion based on the trusted counting at least comprises:
equalizing a circulation count of the information to the predetermined maximum permittable circulation count; and
making the domains automatically delete the information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of,
satisfying the triggering conditions based on information circulation data; and
making the information source domain and/or the information propagation domain synchronize the configurations and automatically delete the information at least comprises:
for the automatic deletion of the information based on the time synchronization,
generating by the information source domain D 0 circulation of the information, making the information source domain D 0 query a location of the current copy from a propagation chain P and synchronize the configuration C 0 to the information propagation domain;
circulating the copy again, generating a new copy I n in the information propagation domain D n , and synchronously generating the corresponding configuration C n ; and
satisfying the triggering conditions for automatic deletion based on the global system time T reaching the predetermined expiration time t, and accomplishing automatic deletion of the information and all its copies.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of,
satisfying the triggering conditions based on information circulation data; and
making the information source domain and/or the information propagation domain synchronize the configurations and automatically delete the information at least comprises:
with automatic deletion of the information based on the trusted counting,
circulating a copy I m in one of the domains to the information propagation domain D n again, generating a new copy I n in the information propagation domain D n , and simultaneously generating the corresponding configuration C n , wherein the configuration C n is updated with a circulation count r−n, and the information propagation domain D n is added to the information circulation domain F;
making the information propagation domain D n send the new configuration C n to the information source domain D 0 , making the information source domain D 0 query locations {D 0 , D 1 , . . . , D n−1 } of all the copies {I 0 , I 1 , . . . , I n−1 } through the propagation chain P, and performing synchronization of the configurations, so as to update the circulation count in the configurations corresponding to copies in the other domains into r−n, and to add the information propagation domain D n to the information circulation domain F; and
zeroing the circulation count in the counting configuration, initiating the conditions for automatic deletion, so that the corresponding information and its copies are all automatically deleted.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of establishing the log deposit to record the automatic deletion process at least comprises:
generating process data structure information during circulation of the information;
generating triggering data structure information after the information satisfies the automatic deletion initiating conditions, and
after the information is deleted automatically, storing the corresponding process data structure and/or triggering data structure information as an operation log.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data structures include the information subject identifier UserID, an information expiration time t, an information circulation count r,
setting automatic deletion at the time t s , an information retention domain D s where automatic deletion is configured, triggering the automatic deletion at the time t e , the information retention domain D s where automatic deletion is triggered, an expiration time t set for automatic deletion, an information circulation count r set for automatic deletion, w entries of process information, and a log generating time t D .

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises:
after the information subject submits the information I 0 in the information source domain D 0 , the information source domain D 0 traces the information I 0 ;
circulating the information, the configurations are made synchronously, and a circulation list for the information source domain is generated in the information source domain D 0 ; the information is circulated to information propagation domains {D 1 , D 2 , . . . , D n−1 }, new copies {I 1 , I 2 , . . . , I n−1 } are generated.

7. A system for automatic deletion of information based on time synchronization and trusted counting, the system at least comprising
a first processor and a first memory to store first instructions, wherein the first instructions are executed by the first processor to perform;
a second processor and a second memory to store second instructions, wherein the second instructions are executed by the second processor to perform, wherein
the first processor defining different types of data structures in a normalized manner, wherein the data structures at least include configurations; and
the first processor setting triggering conditions for automatic deletion of information, wherein the triggering conditions include conditions for automatic deletion based on the time synchronization and/or conditions for automatic deletion based on the trusted counting;
wherein synchrony of the configurations is maintained between the first processor and the second processor; and
satisfying the triggering conditions based on information circulation data;
an information source domain in the first processor and/or an information propagation domain in the second processor performs automatic deletion of the information;
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Assignees

• Univ Huazhong Science Tech

Inventors

• Xu Peng
• Pi Yinjia
• Wang Wei
• Xu Shuning
• Zheng Yubo
• Jin Hai

Classifications

• G06F21/64

  Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures · CPC title

• G06F21/6218

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• G06F16/27 Primary

  Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor · CPC title

• G06F16/215 Primary

  Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors · CPC title