| CPC G06Q 30/0246 (2013.01) [H04L 9/0816 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |

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1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a server deployed in a communications network, a uniform resource locator from a user endpoint device, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on a sign that is scanned by the user endpoint device, wherein the uniform resource locator includes an identifier and a string of encrypted data appended to the identifier a nonce string of a plurality of nonce strings, wherein the nonce string of encrypted data encodes a time of day and a location of the sign;
extracting, by the processor, the nonce string identifier from the uniform resource locator;
identifying, by the processor, a shared cryptographic key associated with the identifier;
using, by the processor, the shared cryptographic key to decrypt the string of encrypted data;
extracting, by the processor, information from the nonce string of encrypted data, where the information describes conditions under which the sign was scanned by the user endpoint device, wherein the information is hidden in the nonce string of encrypted data appended to the identifier; and
identifying, by the processor from the information, the conditions associated with the nonce string of encrypted data, wherein the conditions comprise the time of day at which the sign was scanned by the user endpoint device and the location of the sign that was scanned by the user endpoint device.
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