Content Certifier Integrating Acquisition and Cryptographic Certification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems separate the content acquisition and certification processes, leaving original content vulnerable to modifications before certification, and rely on operator input for device identification, which can lead to errors or malicious tampering.
Innovation Solution
A content certifier that integrates content acquisition and certification into a single contemporaneous process, automatically obtaining the device identity and using it to produce a certification value, ensuring the integrity of the original content without operator intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If content acquisition and certification are performed as separate processes, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the content acquisition process and certification process into a single integrated operation. The content acquisition device performs both functions simultaneously: acquiring content from a physical source and generating a certification value that cryptographically binds the content to the acquisition event, eliminating the vulnerability window between separate processes
2Ease of operation
If operator input is used for device identification, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential errors or malicious tampering
Solution Approach 1:
The content acquisition device performs self-identification by automatically providing its own identity information to the certification process. This eliminates dependency on operator input for device identification, preventing both human error and malicious tampering while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual operator input mechanisms with automated cryptographic authentication. The device identity is automatically verified through cryptographic protocols, substituting the mechanical/manual verification process with a secure automated system that prevents tampering
3Ease of operation
If content is stored in file system before certification, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The certification value is generated and stored in advance during the acquisition process itself, before the content is made accessible in the file system. This preliminary certification action creates a cryptographic seal that prevents any subsequent modifications to the content, maintaining both accessibility and integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A system produces certified content by receiving original content acquired from a content acquisition device and receiving a device identity associated with the content acquisition device. The system produces a certification value indicating the original content was acquired from the content acquisition device having the device identity. The system associates the certification value to the original content to produce certified content that can be verified to represent the original content that was acquired from a content acquisition device having the associated device identity while preventing modification to the original content by processing not associated with certification processing. This process is performed in an uninterrupted manner to ensure certified content reflects an accurate device identity. The system can be implemented entirely within a content acquisition device itself, or in a computer system coupled to a content acquisition device.