Cryptographic Document Protection via Tamper-Proof Logging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for protecting and verifying the integrity and authenticity of physical documents are inefficient and prone to forgery, as they rely on manual signatures and mechanical stamps that are difficult to record and verify.

Innovation Solution

A cryptographic protection system that uses a device with a unique identifier and cryptographic key to create a cryptographically processed document representation, which is printed on the physical document and logged in a tamper-proof manner, allowing for secure verification through parameter correspondence analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If personal signatures and mechanical stamps are used to protect document integrity and authenticity, then the security against forgery is improved, but the ease of recording and verification deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocument authenticityVSAvoidverification process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical stamps and manual signatures with cryptographic algorithms. A cryptographic processing device applies cryptographic keys to document representations to generate authentication codes, substituting the mechanical verification process with computational cryptographic verification that is both secure and easily recordable in digital form

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a cryptographic processing device and transaction server as intermediaries between the document signer and verifier. These intermediaries handle the cryptographic key management and authentication code generation, eliminating the need for direct mechanical stamping and manual verification while improving both security and ease of verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If mechanical stamps are used to identify signing authority, then the document authenticity is improved, but the ability to record and track signatures deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthority identificationVSAvoidsignature tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical stamps with cryptographic authentication codes generated by a cryptographic processing device. The device identifier and cryptographic keys digitally identify the signing authority, while the transaction server automatically records all signature events in a database, eliminating information loss and enabling complete tracking of document provenance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates digital copies of the authentication process. The cryptographic processing device generates digital authentication codes that are transmitted to and stored by the transaction server, creating a permanent digital record of the signing event that can be retrieved and verified without physical document handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If every page of a physical document is signed or stapled to prevent page exchange, then the document integrity is improved, but the device complexity and ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocument integrityVSAvoidprotection mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical page-by-page signing and stapling with a single cryptographic authentication code applied to the entire document representation. The cryptographic processing device processes the document content and generates an authentication code that verifies the integrity of the complete document, eliminating the need for complex physical protection mechanisms on each page

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the authentication of multiple document pages into a single cryptographic operation. The cryptographic processing device applies the cryptographic key to the complete document representation, generating one authentication code that verifies the integrity of all pages collectively, rather than requiring separate authentication for each page

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11882214B2Technique for cryptographic document protection and verification

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A technique for controlling cryptographic document protection and verification is presented. In one implementation, a device is associated with a device identifier and with a cryptographic key is configured to obtain an electronically processable document representation (EPDR) of content of a document that is to be protected and to apply the cryptographic key to the EPDR to obtain a cryptographically processed document representation (CPDR). The device is further configured to transmit the device identifier and a verification parameter comprising at least one of the EPDR and the CPDR towards a transaction server that is configured to log the device identifier and the verification parameter in a tamper-proof manner. The device is also configured to receive a transaction identifier associated with the device identifier and the verification parameter from the transaction server, and trigger printing of the transaction identifier and the CPDR on a physical document that corresponds to the EPDR.