Privacy-Preserving Identity Verification via Hash-Based Tokenization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing identity verification methods for e-commerce and web-based activities often require advanced cryptographic operations and storage of sensitive information, making them inefficient and cumbersome for individuals and small businesses, and may violate legal or contractual agreements by sharing readable data.
Innovation Solution
A method where a Trusted Provider hashes and shares specific information about a requesting entity with an authenticating entity, generating a secure token to create a verification link that allows instant identification without sharing readable data, using basic computations and minimal storage, thus minimizing managerial and resource overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If digital certificates and advanced cryptographic operations are used for identity verification, then verification reliability is improved, but device complexity and resource overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification functionality from complex cryptographic systems. Instead of implementing full digital certificate validation with public key infrastructure, the system uses simplified hash-based verification where the authenticating entity only needs to verify a hash value against stored data, eliminating the need for complex cryptographic libraries and certificate management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, long-lived digital certificates with inexpensive, ephemeral hash values. Each verification uses a freshly generated hash that is discarded after use, eliminating the need for complex certificate lifecycle management while maintaining verification security
2Reliability
If digital certificates and sensitive information storage are implemented, then identity verification reliability is improved, but loss of substance and resource overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the minimal necessary data for verification - storing hash values and basic identifying information rather than complete digital certificates, personal identifiers, and cryptographic keys. This reduction from storing comprehensive identity data to storing only verification essentials dramatically decreases storage requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hash copies of identity information instead of storing the original sensitive data. The authenticating entity stores only hash values that verify identity without containing the actual personal information, enabling verification while minimizing storage of substantive data
3Reliability
If readable data about requesting entity is shared with authenticating entity, then verification reliability is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transmits hash copies of identity information instead of readable personal data. The authenticating entity receives and stores only hash values that verify identity without revealing any actual personal information about the requesting entity, maintaining both verification reliability and privacy protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms identity information from readable form to hashed form before transmission and storage. This parameter change from plaintext to hash representation maintains the verification function while eliminating privacy risks associated with storing and transmitting readable personal data
4Reliability
If Trusted Provider performs advanced cryptographic operations, then verification reliability is improved, but productivity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heavy cryptographic computation from the Trusted Provider's responsibilities. The Trusted Provider only needs to generate and transmit hash values using simple hashing functions, while the computationally intensive verification is performed by the authenticating entity using straightforward hash comparison, dramatically improving processing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex cryptographic mechanical operations with simple hash function computations. Instead of requiring the Trusted Provider to manage public key pairs, digital signatures, and certificate validation, the system substitutes these with lightweight hash generation and comparison operations that can be performed efficiently
Data Source
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AI summary
Aspects of the technology implement a authenticating protocol that enables a Trusted Provider to vouch for a requesting entity when that entity seeks verification from an authenticating entity (Fig. 1). This is done without sharing the requesting entity's confidential or other personal information directly with the authenticating entity (Fig. 1). Instead, the Trusted Provider is able to use specific information about a requesting entity, such as contact information that forms an identity record (404), and generate a hash of the record (408). The hash is sent to an authenticating entity (410), which returns a secure token to the Trusted Provider (508). The secure token and identity record information are used to create a verification URL (414), which is shared with the requesting entity (416). The verification URL, when clicked, links back to the authenticating entity (Fig. 1), which validates the requesting entity (512, 514). This allows for instant identification of the requesting entity without the parties having to perform advanced cryptographic operations (516).