Secure data interchange
View Patent ↗A system for exchanging data includes a communication system, a first and a second party connected to the communication system, wherein each party has personal data, and each party has a disclosure policy to control dissemination of its data, and a secure intermediate party connected to the communication system, wherein the secure intermediate party exchanges data between the first and second parties in accordance with their respective disclosure policies.
1. A method of allowing access to data over a distributed data processing system, the method comprising:
providing an automated infrastructure for the exchange of information between multiple self-interested parties;
providing a trusted server with at least one data warehouse for the storage of said information, wherein the trusted server includes a processor;
associating a price rule with particular data records of said information which establishes a cost of accessing said particular data records, and which controls the access to that data;
wherein said price rule enables a data owner associated with said data to specify a different price for different types and amounts of information access;
within said trusted server, providing a data processing platform which is accessible to multiple third-party data processing software programs which operate as software agents;
wherein a plurality of seller-side software agents have defined relationships to said price rules and associated data records, and maintain absolute access control to said data records;
wherein a plurality of buyer-side software agents have regulated query access to said data processing platform and may request pricing information from said seller-side software agents;
wherein said plurality of seller-side software agents and said plurality of buyer-side software agents operate as persistent data processing systems which interact with one another repeatedly over time and which thus define a virtual marketplace.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said trusted server is accessed via a network.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said network is a wireless network.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said network is a cellular network.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein said network is the Internet.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said software agents are associated with at least one individual.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said software agents are associated with at least one company.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said cost of accessing said particular data records is the price that said buyer-side software agents must pay before accessing said particular data records.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said information access is encrypted through the use of a security certificate.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said security certificate is managed by a public key infrastructure.