Certificate Search System Using Extracted Identifiers

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for searching and retrieving certificates on mobile devices are inefficient, as they often require downloading entire certificates to determine if they are already stored, leading to wasteful use of resources and bandwidth.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that process retrieved certificates to extract unique identifying data, such as serial numbers and issuer information, or hash values, which are then used to determine if the certificates are already stored on the device, allowing for more efficient searching and retrieval by communicating only necessary data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If entire certificates are downloaded to determine if they are already stored, then certainty of identification is improved, but resource consumption and bandwidth usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertainty of certificate identificationVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying elements (serial number, issuer, subject) from the complete certificate data structure. This allows the system to work with a minimized data representation that is sufficient for identification purposes without requiring the full certificate, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and resource usage while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the certificate verification process into two distinct phases: first, a lightweight comparison using only essential identifying elements (serial number, issuer, subject) to quickly determine if a certificate is already stored; second, a complete certificate download only when necessary (i.e., when no match is found in the first phase). This segmentation eliminates unnecessary full certificate downloads and reduces overall resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If entire certificates are downloaded to determine if they are already stored, then identification accuracy is improved, but download time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoiddownload time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the certificate verification process into two distinct phases: first, a lightweight comparison using only essential identifying elements (serial number, issuer, subject) to quickly determine if a certificate is already stored; second, a complete certificate download only when necessary (i.e., when no match is found in the first phase). This segmentation eliminates unnecessary full certificate downloads and reduces overall resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs a preliminary verification using minimal certificate data (serial number, issuer, subject) before initiating a complete certificate download. This preliminary action filters out certificates that are already stored on the device, preventing unnecessary downloads and reducing the time required for the overall certificate retrieval process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If only essential data is downloaded to generate a certificate list, then resource efficiency is improved, but ability to determine if certificate is already stored deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidability to determine if certificate is already stored

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying elements (serial number, issuer, subject) from the complete certificate data structure. This allows the system to work with a minimized data representation that is sufficient for identification purposes without requiring the full certificate, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and resource usage while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS7640428B2System and method for searching and retrieving certificates

Publication Date: 2009.12.29 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one broad aspect, a method is provided in which a certificate search request is received, a search of one or more certificate servers for certificates satisfying the request is performed, located certificates are retrieved and processed at a first computing device to determine data that uniquely identifies each located certificate, and search result data comprising the determined data is communicated to a second device (e.g. a mobile device) for use in determining whether each located certificate is already stored on the second device.