Electronic Credential Binding via Digital Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic identity systems are vulnerable to identity theft, fraud, and lack robust assurance mechanisms, as they rely on password-based authentication and digital certificates that are not effectively bound to the identity owner, leading to compromised security and trust issues in online transactions.
Innovation Solution
The system employs personal identity devices that securely manage electronic credentials, using cryptographic binding and digital sealing to ensure only the credential owner can use their identities for authentication and secure operations, with multiple authentication factors and biometric integration to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If password-based authentication and digital certificates are used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to identity theft and fraud
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted third party (TTP) that issues digital seals binding electronic credentials to identity owners. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by providing a reliable authentication mechanism that prevents identity theft while maintaining ease of use through automated credential verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces password-based mechanical authentication with cryptographic digital seals and public key infrastructure. This substitution eliminates vulnerabilities to password theft while maintaining user-friendly access through seamless cryptographic verification processes.
2Productivity
If digital certificates are distributed electronically, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of binding to identity owners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges electronic credential distribution with cryptographic binding mechanisms. Digital seals combine the credential data with identity owner verification, ensuring that efficiently distributed credentials are reliably bound to their intended owners through cryptographic signatures from trusted issuers.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing identity technologies are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to prevent fraudulent identity use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary identity verification and digital seal issuance before credential distribution. Trusted third parties pre-verify identity ownership and attach cryptographic seals to credentials, preventing fraudulent use before it can occur while maintaining straightforward system deployment through standardized protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for registering and acquiring e-credentials using personal devices and an identity registry system that combines the method for handling digital seals with a proof-of-existence method. The identity registry system is used to register and verify e-credentials. Device owners register their e-credentials when created and updated and verify acquired e-credentials to safeguard against tampering and errors. When registering an e-credential, the e-credential is hashed and digitally sealed creating an identifying thumbprint that is stored in the identity registry system. When verifying an acquired e-credential, the e-credential is hashed, the identity registry system is searched to locate the identifying thumbprint, and the digital seal of the thumbprint is verified. A requesting owner can request an issuing owner to proof, attest, and digitally seal an e-credential of the requester.