Secure electronic transactions using a trusted intermediary with non-repudiation of receipt and contents of message
First Claim
1. A system for use with a communication network to transmit a message thereover from a sender to a recipient, via an intermediary, such that the recipient may not repudiate receipt thereof, the system comprising:
- the sender having logic to form a version of the message and to cause the version to be transmitted on the communication network to the intermediary;
the intermediary having logic to receive the message and to cause a new version to be transmitted to the recipient, the new version of the message containing the message;
the recipient having logic to receive the new version of the message and, in response thereto, to generate an informational value that is uniquely indicative of the message received by the recipient and to include the uniquely indicative value in a confirmation message, and logic to transmit the confirmation message to an entity for storage and retrieval thereof, such that the value may be retrieved to prove that the recipient received the message represented by the uniquely indicative value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Secure electronic transactions using a trusted intermediary with non-repudiation of receipt and contents of message. A system of, and method for, securely transmitting a package from a sender to a recipient, via an intermediary, are described, as is a novel data arrangement, stored in a computer-readable medium. A sender encrypts the message to form an encrypted inner envelope. A waybill is formed that among other things identifies the recipient as the destination and includes information indicating various levels of services desired, e.g., electronic notarization. The waybill and inner envelope are used to form an encrypted outer envelope that is addressed to a trusted intermediary. The intermediary receives the package and decrypts the outer envelope. It is unable to decrypt the inner envelope, due to the keys employed during encryption. The service information is processed, and the package is used to form a second package addressed to the recipient. The recipient decrypts the package and confirms receipt thereof, using a digest of the message. In this way, receipt and opening of the message cannot be properly repudiated by the recipient. An extra level of encryption to form an outer envelope from the intermediary to the recipient may be included, and the various envelopes and confirmation digests may be signed so that the contents and identities may be authenticated.
170 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for use with a communication network to transmit a message thereover from a sender to a recipient, via an intermediary, such that the recipient may not repudiate receipt thereof, the system comprising:
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the sender having logic to form a version of the message and to cause the version to be transmitted on the communication network to the intermediary;
the intermediary having logic to receive the message and to cause a new version to be transmitted to the recipient, the new version of the message containing the message;
the recipient having logic to receive the new version of the message and, in response thereto, to generate an informational value that is uniquely indicative of the message received by the recipient and to include the uniquely indicative value in a confirmation message, and logic to transmit the confirmation message to an entity for storage and retrieval thereof, such that the value may be retrieved to prove that the recipient received the message represented by the uniquely indicative value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient, via an intermediary, such that the recipient may not repudiate receipt thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a version of the message and causing the version to be transmitted on the communication network to the intermediary;
(b) the intermediary receiving the version of the message and sending a new version of the message to the recipient;
(b) the recipient receiving the version of the message and, in response thereto, generating an informational value that is uniquely indicative of the message received by the recipient;
(c) including the uniquely indicative value in a confirmation message, and (d) transmitting the confirmation message to an entity for storage and retrieval thereof, such that the value may be retrieved to prove that the recipient received the massage represented by the uniquely indicative value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An arrangement of data stored in a computer-readable medium for providing a confirmation of receipt and of the contents of the message so that the recipient may not repudiate receipt thereof, the stored data arrangement comprising:
a multipart message, one part of which includes a digest of the received message and a digital signature thereof, wherein the multipart message is encrypted. - View Dependent Claims (16)
Specification