Decentralized authoritative messaging

• US 10,044,688 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leavy, Thomas Michael, Ryan, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US15/718,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20180019981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0637 Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation

Abstract

A secure chat client is described that allows users to exchange encrypted communications via secure chat rooms, as well as one-to-one communications. In particular, the secure chat client allows users to create, configure, and manage secure chat rooms. Furthermore, the secure chat client provides users with the ability to recover secure messages when they obtain a new device or otherwise lose communications.

Claims

1. A method for recovering communications, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a recovery message from a second device;

determining, by the first device, one or more communications for which the second device was a participant in a secure group chat;

generating, by the first device, a communication information array that includes the one or more communications for which the second device was a participant in the secure group chat;

transmitting, by the first device, the communication information array to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reviewing, by the first device, one or more communications stored in a secure memory to determine the one or more communications for which the second device participated in the secure group chat.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more communications are stored in a block chain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication information array includes at least one of a communication identifier, a group identifier, and a communication encryption key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and second device are participants in the secure group chat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile device.

7. A system for recovering communications, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a recovery message from a first device;

determine one or more communications for which the first device was a participant in a secure group chat;

generate a communication information array that includes the one or more communications for which the first device was a participant in the secure group chat;

transmit the communication information array to the first device; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with data and instructions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

review one or more communications stored in a secure memory to determine the one or more communications for which the first device participated in the secure group chat.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more communications are stored in a block chain.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the communication information array includes at least one of a communication identifier, a group identifier, and a communication encryption key.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when, executed by at least one processor, perform the steps of:

receiving a recovery message from a first device;

determining one or more communications for which the first device was a participant in a secure group chat;

generating a communication information array that includes the one or more communications for which the first device was a participant in the secure group chat;

transmitting the communication information array to the first device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

reviewing one or more communications stored in a secure memory to determine the one or more communications for which the first device participated in the secure group chat.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more communications are stored in a block chain.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the communication information array includes at least one of a communication identifier, a group identifier, and a communication encryption key.