Amazon Granted Digital Signature and Data Storage Patents

Amazon was recently granted two patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relating to digital signatures and distributed data storage.

The patent for digital signatures proposes a signature delegation system which will protect the integrity of digital signatures and encrypted communications. The system provides a method to delegate signing authority from a central entity to its subordinate authorized signatories through the generation, distribution, validation and revocation of one-time-use cryptographic keys. The patent is based on the concept of Merkle trees, which are used to authenticate data in cryptocurrencies.

The patent for distributed data storage proposes an encoding technique to extend grids for data storage using groups of collected shards. A data shard is a smaller, faster component of a large database which allows for easier management. As data is added, the grid may be extended by converting null shards into data and regenerating or re-deriving shards. The new technique is intended to minimize storage redundancy, utilize the maximum availability of the storage solution and enhance durability and recovery of data.