Verifiable Credential Encryption for Selective Data Disclosure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing verifiable credentials (VCs) present issues such as the need to disclose all claims, lack of control over data access, and difficulties in verifying the validity of credentials, particularly in decentralized environments.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves encrypting verifiable credentials with the credential issuer's public key, allowing the credential holder to request specific data subsets or derived information, and granting permission to relying entities through a scope of permission, which can be managed using decentralized identifiers and distributed ledgers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If verifiable credentials disclose all claims to relying entities, then verification is complete and reliable, but data privacy is compromised and unnecessary information is exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification reliabilityVSAvoiddata privacy harm

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the verifiable credential into a first part containing claims and a second part containing encrypted data. The relying entity receives only the first part and is not provided with the encrypted second part, allowing verification of claims while preventing exposure of sensitive personal information. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling selective disclosure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary claims from the full verifiable credential and separates them from the encrypted personal information. The claiming entity can provide verification of specific claims without extracting or exposing the encrypted data portion, thus maintaining privacy while enabling verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If verifiable credentials provide complete access to all data, then relying entities can verify everything, but the credential holder loses control over data access and disclosure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access flexibilityVSAvoiddata control ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic control over data access through encryption. The credential holder can determine which data is encrypted and under what conditions it can be accessed. The relying entity's access is limited to unencrypted claims, while encrypted data requires additional authentication, creating a dynamic access control mechanism that resolves the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses encryption as an intermediary mechanism between the credential holder and the relying entity. The encrypted data acts as a mediator that can be accessed only with proper authorization, allowing the credential holder to maintain control while still enabling verified access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If decentralized identifiers are used without centralized management, then independence and privacy are improved, but verification of credential validity becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedecentralization versatilityVSAvoidverification difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses cryptographic signatures that can be verified by copying and comparing digital fingerprints. The claiming entity signs the verifiable credential with its private key, and relying entities can verify the signature using the public key, creating a copy-based verification mechanism that works in decentralized environments without requiring centralized management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical centralized verification systems with cryptographic verification mechanisms. Instead of requiring physical access to centralized databases, the system uses mathematical cryptography to enable distributed verification, resolving the contradiction between decentralization and verification capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250139258A1Encrypted verifiable credentials

Publication Date: 2025.05.01 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Encrypting a verifiable credential (VC) and generating one or more instructions, at least one of which grants a scope of permission associated with the VC to the relying entity. The scope of permission includes permission to access a subset of data contained in the VC or a portion of data that can be derived from data contained in the VC. The encrypted VC and the one or more instructions are sent to the credential issuer or the relying entity to cause the credential issuer to generate a response containing the subset of data or the derived data and a proof code. The proof code is configured to prove the validity of the subset of data or the derived data.