IP Library Granted Patent US 12,470,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,470,367 · App. 18/029,303 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Identifier change management apparatus, identifier change management method, and identifier change management program

Inventors: Shigeru Fujimura (Musashino, JP); Shigenori Ohashi (Musashino, JP); Atsushi Nakadaira (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04L9/0825H04L9/3247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,470,367
App. No.
18/029,303
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An identifier change management apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a distributed ledger in which an identifier change program holding a public key used in an identifier change is registered; a distributed ledger management unit that manages the distributed ledger; an identifier change key input unit that receives a secret key used in the identifier change; a transaction issuing unit that issues an identifier change transaction including a signature value of an electronic signature that has been performed using the secret key; and a program control management unit that changes the identifier when the distributed ledger management unit receives the identifier change transaction, by the identifier change program, on condition that the signature value included in the identifier change transaction is verifiable by using the public key.

Claims (28)

1 . An identifier change management apparatus connectable to a distributed ledger network, the identifier change management apparatus comprising:

a distributed ledger in which an identifier change program holding a public key used in an identifier change is registered;

circuitry configured to:

manage the distributed ledger;

receive a secret key used in the identifier change;

issue an identifier change transaction including a signature value of an electronic signature that has been performed using the secret key; and

change the identifier in response to receiving the identifier change transaction, by the identifier change program, on condition that the signature value included in the identifier change transaction is verifiable by using the public key.

2 . The identifier change management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier change program includes a first public key that is the public key used in the identifier change, and a second public key used to calculate a currently available identifier,

the secret key used in the identifier change is a first secret key paired with the first public key, and

the circuitry is further configured to verify the signature value included in the identifier change transaction by using the first public key, and to change the second public key used to calculate the currently available identifier to the first public key when it is determined that the identifier change transaction has been properly issued as a result of the verification.

3 . The identifier change management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to acquire a third secret key different from the first secret key and used for next identifier change, the identifier change transaction includes a third public key generated using the third secret key, and

the circuitry is configured to set the third public key as the first public key used in a next identifier change when it is determined that the electronic signature has been properly issued.

4 . The identifier change management apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the identifier change transaction further includes an ID of an identifier change program for identifying the identifier change program from the distributed ledger, and function information for specifying a function to be executed by an identifier management program, and

the signature value is a signature value of an electronic signature that has been performed with the first secret key on a hash value of a message including an ID of the identifier change program, the function information, and the third public key.

5 . The identifier change management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first public key is used only once to change the identifier, and is managed in a storage place different from the identifier change management apparatus.

6 . An identifier change management method performed by an identifier change management apparatus connectable to a distributed ledger network, the identifier change management method comprising:

registering in a distributed ledger an identifier change program holding a public key used in an identifier change;

managing the distributed ledger;

receiving a secret key used in the identifier change;

issuing an identifier change transaction including a signature value of an electronic signature that has been performed using the secret key; and

changing the identifier when receiving the identifier change transaction, by the identifier change program, on condition that the signature value included in the identifier change transaction is verifiable by using the public key.

7 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program which is executed by an identifier change management apparatus connectable to a distributed ledger network to provide the steps of:

registering in a distributed ledger an identifier change program holding a public key used in an identifier change;

managing the distributed ledger;

receiving a secret key used in the identifier change;

issuing an identifier change transaction including a signature value of an electronic signature that has been performed using the secret key; and

changing the identifier when receiving the identifier change transaction, by the identifier change program, on condition that the signature value included in the identifier change transaction is verifiable by using the public key.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073005/0213 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2023
From: FUJIMURA, SHIGERU; OHASHI, SHIGENORI; NAKADAIRA, ATSUSHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063160/0029 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230361990A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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