Patent Application Titled “System And Method Of Authenticating Devices For Secure Data Exchange” Published Online (USPTO 20220400009): Get Heal Inc.

2022 DEC 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a patent application by the inventors Chun, Jaewook (San Diego, CA, US); Flores, Andrew (San Diego, CA, US); Nuziale, Salvatore (Playa Vista, CA, US); Persaud, Anthony (San Diego, CA, US); Ryder, Avery (San Diego, CA, US); Spindell, Henry (San Diego, CA, US), filed on June 9, 2021, was made available online on December 15, 2022.

The assignee for this patent application is Get Heal Inc. (Los Angeles, California, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Digital data exchange between devices is everywhere, with data constantly being exchanged between phones, laptops, servers, and other devices. As data is transferred between many devices, it becomes a challenge to ensure that the data is being exchanged securely, particularly when sensitive data is exchanged. Various methods for authenticating data exist. For example, many systems use account registration and login systems to ensure a given user or device is authorized to receive certain data. In other examples, a link and/or password can be provided to a device to give the device access to a meeting room where data is exchanged. These systems come with flaws, including that they rely on authentication information which can potentially be compromised and used by an unauthorized device.

“In certain environments, additional challenges are presented to ensure data is exchanged securely, and in compliance with other requirements of the relevant environment. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) includes a number of requirements that come into play when considering the exchange of data related to healthcare, including restrictions on how protected health information (PHI) can be stored. This makes it difficult to facilitate a telemedicine visit between a doctor and patient, since personal information about the patient cannot be stored and used to authenticate the patient as they join the meeting room.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent application, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “In at least one aspect, the subject technology relates to a method of authenticating devices for secure data exchange. The method starts, at step a), with receiving, by a system, a scheduling request, and in response to the scheduling request, generating a ledger of participants authorized to be admitted to a particular communication session during a time window. The ledger includes, for each participant, a participant identifier, a participant key, and a meeting identifier corresponding to the particular communication session. The participant key and meeting identifier are encoded into a short-code for the corresponding participant. The participants include a host and at least one client. At step b) the host redeems, from the system, a short-code corresponding to an access token authorizing the host to connect to the particular communication session during the time window and defining privileges for the host. At step c), the short-code corresponding to each client is provided to that client. At step d), each client requests redemption of the short-code corresponding to said client for an access token corresponding to said short-code. At step e), in response to a client requesting redemption of a short-code, the system de-codes the short-code into separate parts including the participant key and the meeting identifier, and if a match is found with the ledger, the system provides an access token to said client. The access token provides information for, and authorizes entering, a meeting room based on the meeting identifier, the meeting room allowing for a peer-to-peer connection between devices within the meeting room during the particular communication session.

“In some embodiments, during step e), the short-code is redeemable during the time window. In some cases, if the client redeems the short-code prior to the start of the time window, no access token will be granted. In some embodiments, if the short-code is redeemed after the time window, no access token will be granted and the short code will be rendered non-functional.

“In some embodiments, the time window includes a first time period representing the time parameters for the particular communication session and a second time period outside of the first time period. The short-codes can then be redeemable during the first time period, with the access tokens authorizing a connection to the particular communication session during the first time period. At least one short-code can be redeemable during the second time period.

“In some embodiments, the system wraps each short-code in a vendor specific payload based on a device type associated with the client corresponding to short-code. In some cases, each client includes an application associated with the method of authenticating devices. The system can then send a push notification to each client and launch the application on said client, the launch of the application causing each client to connect to the system and execute steps d)-e). In some embodiments, the access tokens do not include information related to the user of the corresponding device.

“In some embodiments, the system is a telemedicine system and the peer-to-peer connection enables the transmission of video streams. The host can also be a device operated by a healthcare provider, with each client being a device operated by a patient. After step e), the method can include healthcare provider provides telemedicine care to at least one patient through the particular communication session. In some cases, during the particular communication session, the host can revoke access for any client within the meeting room.

“In some embodiments, the ledger includes a numeric tuple generated for each participant based on the particular communication session and time window, each numeric tuple including the participant identifier and participant key for said participant. In some cases, the numeric tuples further include a signing secret kept by the system, wherein the signing secret is the same for all numeric tuples and changing the signing secret invalidates all access tokens.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method of authenticating devices for secure data exchange comprising: a) receiving, by a system, a scheduling request, and in response to the scheduling request, generating a ledger of participants authorized to be admitted to a particular communication session during a time window, the ledger including, for each participant, a participant identifier, a participant key, and a meeting identifier corresponding to the particular communication session, the participant key and meeting identifier being encoded into a short-code for the corresponding participant, wherein the participants include a host and at least one client; b) redeeming, by the host and from the system, a short-code corresponding to an access token authorizing the host to connect to the particular communication session during the time window and defining privileges for the host; c) providing, to each client, the short-code corresponding to said client; d) requesting, by each client, redemption of the short-code corresponding to said client for an access token corresponding to said short-code; and e) in response to a client requesting redemption of a short-code, de-coding, by the system, the short-code into separate parts including the participant key and the meeting identifier, and if a match is found with the ledger, providing an access token to said client, wherein the access token provides information for, and authorizes entering, a meeting room based on the meeting identifier, the meeting room allowing for a peer-to-peer connection between devices within the meeting room during the particular communication session.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein, during step e), the short-code is redeemable during the time window.

“3. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the client redeems the short-code prior to the start of the time window, no access token will be granted.

“4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the short-code is redeemed after the time window, no access token will be granted and the short code will be rendered non-functional.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the time window includes a first time period representing the time parameters for the particular communication session and a second time period outside of the first time period; the short-codes are redeemable during the first time period; the access tokens authorize a connection to the particular communication session during the first time period; and at least one short-code is redeemable during the second time period.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the system wraps each short-code in a vendor specific payload based on a device type associated with the client corresponding to short-code.

“7. The method of claim 1, wherein: each client includes an application associated with the method of authenticating devices; and the system sends a push notification to each client and launches the application on said client, wherein launch of the application causes each client to connect to the system and execute steps d)-e).

“8. The method of claim 1, wherein access tokens do not include information related to the user of the corresponding device.

“9. The method of claim 1, wherein: the system is a telemedicine system; the peer-to-peer connection enables the transmission of video streams; the host is a device operated by a healthcare provider; and each client is a device operated by a patient, wherein, after step e), the healthcare provider provides telemedicine care to at least one patient through the particular communication session.

“10. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the particular communication session, the host can revoke access for any client within the meeting room.

“11. The method of claim 1, wherein the ledger includes a numeric tuple generated for each participant based on the particular communication session and time window, each numeric tuple including the participant identifier and participant key for said participant.

“12. The method of claim 11, wherein the numeric tuples further include a signing secret kept by the system, wherein the signing secret is the same for all numeric tuples and changing the signing secret invalidates all access tokens.”

For more information, see this patent application: Chun, Jaewook; Flores, Andrew; Nuziale, Salvatore; Persaud, Anthony; Ryder, Avery; Spindell, Henry. System And Method Of Authenticating Devices For Secure Data Exchange. U.S. Patent Application Number 20220400009, filed June 9, 2021 and posted December 15, 2022. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(20220400009)&db=US-PGPUB&type=ids

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