Centralized Secret-Sharing Storage Across Multiple Cloud Servers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing secret sharing systems are expensive and require costly communication channels and processing devices for encryption and secret sharing, making them less accessible for widespread adoption, especially when multiple secret sharing locations are needed.

Innovation Solution

A secret sharing-based storage method that utilizes a centralized secret sharing location connected to user locations and cloud servers via optical and internet networks, distributing encrypted data and keys across multiple cloud servers, reducing the need for physical random number generators at each user location and allowing flexible deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a secret sharing location is provided for each user and physical random number generators are used, then high confidentiality is achieved, but system cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconfidentialityVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple user locations share a single secret sharing location, combining resources to reduce overall system cost while maintaining security. The patent describes a system where multiple users (20-1, 20-2, ..., 20-n) share a common secret sharing location (40) instead of each user having their own dedicated location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single secret sharing location serves multiple user locations simultaneously, making the system more cost-effective. The secret sharing location (40) functions as a universal resource that can handle secret sharing operations for numerous users through the network (NW-1).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If physical random number generators are used at each secret sharing location, then key generation security is improved, but the number of required devices and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey generation securityVSAvoidnumber of devices

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of distributing physical random number generators to multiple secret sharing locations, the patent consolidates the random number generation function into a single location. The secret sharing location (40) centrally generates random numbers and distributes them to multiple user locations through the network, reducing the total number of physical devices required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If expensive communication channels are used for encryption and secret sharing, then data security is improved, but system accessibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a secret sharing location as an intermediary that manages encryption and secret sharing operations. This mediator handles the complex security operations using standard communication channels, making the system more accessible while maintaining security through proper key management and distributed storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces expensive dedicated communication channels with standard network communication (Internet Protocol networks). Security is maintained not through expensive physical channels but through cryptographic methods and distributed secret sharing, substituting mechanical/physical security measures with information-theoretic security approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If multiple secret sharing locations are deployed, then system reliability is improved, but cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of secret sharing locations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the secret sharing functionality into two distinct components: a secret sharing location that manages key generation and distribution, and cloud servers that store the distributed secret shares. This segmentation allows a single secret sharing location to serve multiple users while maintaining reliability through distributed storage across multiple cloud servers (S11-S1n).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4625879A1Secret sharing-based storage method and secret sharing-based storage system

Publication Date: 2025.10.01 KK TOSHIBA

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AI summary

According to one embodiment, a user location (20,30) encrypts plain text data with a common key sent from a secret sharing location (40) and sends the encrypted data to the secret sharing location via a network (NW1-1). The secret sharing location generates multiple pieces of key-distributed data, generates multiple pieces of encrypted data distributed data obtained from the encrypted data, and distributes and sends the multiple pieces of key-distributed data and the multiple pieces of encrypted data distributed data to multiple cloud servers (S11,S12,S13,S21,S22,S23) via other network (NW2). The multiple cloud servers (S11,S12,S13,S21,S22,S23) store the received encrypted data distributed data and the corresponding received key-distributed data.