Managing data on computer and telecommunications networks

• US 10,715,476 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Privowny, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Privowny, Inc.
• Inventors: Le Jouan, Herve
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US16/667,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20200067869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709205, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/009 specially adapted for networks, e.g. wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, RFID networks or cloud networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

Protecting personal information by generating entity-specific aliases for use in communication with third parties is disclosed.

Claims

1. An email management server system for supporting multiple users of multiple client devices, the email management server system being remote from the multiple client devices, the email management server system comprising:

an alias data store operative to store a key email address for each of a plurality of different users, the alias data store further operative to store one or more alias email addresses in association with each of the key email addresses, the alias data store further operative to store user forwarding preferences for each of the plurality of different users, the alias data store further operative to store a particular key email address associated with a particular user, to store a particular alias email address in association with the particular key email address, and to store particular user forwarding preferences for the particular user, the particular alias email address being provided to a particular entity;

an alias generation engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to;

generate each alias email address of the one or more alias email addresses, including the particular alias email address associated with the particular user, each alias email address having a domain associated with the email management server system; and

store in the alias data store the particular alias email address in association with the particular key email address; and

an alias agent engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to;

receive an email message from a third party, the email message having a message source associated with the third party and having a first message destination that includes the particular alias email address;

retrieve the particular user forwarding preferences;

determine whether the particular user forwarding preferences indicate to forward the email message; and

when the particular user forwarding preferences indicate to forward the email message, address the email message to a second message destination of the particular key email address stored in the alias data store in association with the particular alias email address, and send the email message to the second message destination.

2. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the alias generation engine is located on a client device of the multiple client devices.

3. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the alias agent engine is located on a cloud-based server system.

4. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the alias data store is located on a cloud-based server system.

5. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the particular alias email address is operable only for a limited time period.

6. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the email management server system is operative to receive the key email address from a client device of the multiple client devices.

7. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the alias generation engine is further operative to send each alias email address to a client device of the multiple client devices.

8. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the particular user forwarding preferences is based on the third party.

9. The email management server system of claim 1, wherein the particular user forwarding preferences is based on an active/inactive forwarding state.

10. A method on an email management server system for supporting multiple users of multiple client devices to manage emails, the email management server system being remote from the multiple client devices, the method comprising:

storing in an alias data store a key email address for each of a plurality of different users, the storing including storing a particular key email address associated with a particular user of the plurality of different users;

generating and storing one or more alias email addresses in association with each of the key email addresses, the generating and storing including generating and storing a particular alias email address associated with the particular user, each alias email address having a domain associated with the email management server system, the particular alias email address being provided to a particular entity;

storing in the alias data store user forwarding preferences for each of the plurality of different users, the storing including storing particular user forwarding preferences for the particular user;

receiving an email message from a third party, the email message having a message source associated with the third party and having a first message destination that includes the particular alias email address;

retrieving the particular user forwarding preferences;

determining whether the particular user forwarding preferences indicate to forward the email message;

when the particular user forwarding preferences indicate to forward the email message, addressing the email message to a second message destination of the particular key email address stored in the alias data store in association with the particular alias email address, and sending the email message to the second message destination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the particular alias email address is performed by a client device of the multiple client devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the email message from the third party is performed by a cloud-based server system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the alias data store is located on a cloud-based server system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular alias email address is operable only for a limited time period.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the key email address from a client device of the multiple client devices.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending each alias email address to a client device of the multiple client devices.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular user forwarding preferences is based on the third party.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular user forwarding preferences is based on an active/inactive forwarding state.