Methods and systems for a digital trust architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021258161-A1
Application number	US-202117308857-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2021
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Aug 19, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some aspects, methods and systems for a digital trust architecture are provided. In some aspects, the architecture includes a user account provisioning process. The provisioning process may make use of in person verifications of some personal information to ensure authenticity of the user information. Once the authenticity of user information is established, an account may be created. The user account may include a user email account, with integrated access to digital certificates linked to the user account. Account creation may also automatically publish the new user's public key in a publicly accessible directory, enabling encrypted email information to be easily sent to the new user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A digital trust architecture system comprising:
a hardware processor configured to:
receive, from a network, a request to create an account for a user;
verify the user account for the user based on user identity information, the user identity information comprising a first item of user information received when the user is at a first location and a second item of user information received when the user is at a second location where the second item of user information is verified in-person, wherein the first location is different from the second location
associate the user account with an electronic key,
identify electronic data regarding the user, wherein the electronic data is to be communicated electronically with respect to a transaction involving the user;
sign the electronic data based on the electronic key, and
convey the electronic data over the network to a recipient associated with a recipient device; and
a memory configured to store the user identity information, the user account, and the electronic key.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive the first item of user information from a user device and the second item of user information from an in-person verification device via the network.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
generate a prompt to the in-person verification system for the second item of user identity information, and receive the second item of user identity information in response to the generated prompt.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
receive input identifying the recipient associated with the recipient device and input indicating the electronic data, search for a public key associated with the recipient, wherein the key comprises, at least in part, the public key, and encrypt the electronic data with the public key.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
receive input indicating whether information indicating that the encrypted electronic data is to be stored in a blockchain; and store the information in the blockchain in response to the input.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processors is further configured to:
receive a visibility input indicating whether the information stored in the blockchain is publicly accessible, and set access privileges of the blockchain in response to the visibility input.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to selectively publish the public key associated with the user to a publicly accessible directory database.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
generate a digital signature for the electronic data, and invalidate the digital signature based on revoking access to the sensitive data.

9 . A method implementing a digital trust architecture, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, from a network, a request to create an account for a user; verifying by a processor, the user account for the user based on user identity information, the user identity information comprising a first item of user information received when the user is at a first location and a second item of user information received when the user is at a second location where the second item of user information is verified in-person, wherein the first location is different from the second location associating, by a processor, the user account with an electronic key, identifying, by a processor, electronic data regarding the user, wherein the electronic data is to be communicated electronically with respect to a transaction involving the user; signing, by a processor, the electronic data based on the electronic key, and conveying, by a processor, the electronic data over the network to a recipient associated with a recipient device; and storing, in a memory the user identity information, the user account, and the electronic key.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, receiving the first item of user information from a user device and the second item of user information from an in-person verification device via the network.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating a prompt to the in-person verification system for the second item of user identity information, and receiving the second item of user identity information in response to the generated prompt.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving input identifying the recipient associated with the recipient device and input indicating the electronic data; searching for a public key associated with the recipient, wherein the key comprises, at least in part, the public key; and encrypting the electronic data with the public key.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving input indicating whether information indicating that the encrypted electronic data is to be stored in a blockchain; and storing the information in the blockchain in response to the input.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a visibility input indicating whether the information stored in the blockchain is publicly accessible, and setting access privileges of the blockchain in response to the visibility input.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising selectively publishing the public key associated with the user to a publicly accessible directory database.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating a digital signature for the electronic data; and invalidating the digital signature based on revoking access to the sensitive data.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Bonnell Clayton C

Classifications

• H04L9/50 Primary

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L63/123

  received data contents, e.g. message integrity · CPC title

• H04L9/006

  involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models (network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823) · CPC title

• H04L9/3239

  involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD · CPC title

• H04L63/0442

  wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30) · CPC title