Decentralized authoritative messaging

• US 10,110,520 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• 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:
  US15/633,047
• Time in Patent Office: 484 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 system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive, at a first device, a first encrypted communication from a second device during a secure communication session;

transmit, from the first device, a request to corroborate a validity of the first encrypted communication to at least one second device;

receive, at the first device, a response from the at least one second device that indicates the validity of the first encrypted communication; and

store, by the first device, the first encrypted communication in a secure memory when the validity of the first encrypted communication is corroborated by at least one second device; and

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

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure communication session is a group chat.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure communication session is a one-to-one communication with the second device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

record the first encrypted communication as an entry in a block chain when storing the first encrypted communication in the secure memory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the

secure memory is encrypted with a local storage key.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first encrypted communication includes state information of the secure communication session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first encrypted communication is a control message that modifies one or more parameters of the secure communication session.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a first encrypted communication from a second device during a secure communication session;

transmitting from the first device, a request to corroborate a validity of the first encrypted communication to at least one second device;

receiving, at the first device, a response from the at least one second device that indicates the validity of the first encrypted communication; and

storing, by the first device, the first encrypted communication in a secure memory when the validity of the first encrypted communication is corroborated by at least one second device.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

recording the first encrypted communication as an entry in a block chain when storing the first encrypted communication in the secure memory.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein

the secure memory is encrypted with a local storage key.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first encrypted communication includes state information of the secure communication session.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first encrypted communication is a control message that modifies one or more parameters of the secure communication session.

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

receiving a first encrypted communication from a second device during a secure communication session;

transmitting a request to corroborate a validity of the first encrypted communication to at least one second device;

receiving, at the first device, a response from the at least one second device that indicates the validity of the first encrypted communication; and

storing the first encrypted communication in a secure memory when the validity of the first encrypted communication is corroborated by at least one second device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, comprising instructions for:

recording the first encrypted communication as an entry in a block chain when storing the first encrypted communication in the secure memory.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the secure memory is encrypted with a local storage key.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first encrypted communication includes state information of the secure communication session.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first encrypted communication is a control message that modifies one or more parameters of the secure communication session.