Method and system for controlling the use of addresses using address computation techniques

• US 20030200334A1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amiram Grynberg
• Original Assignee: Amiram Grynberg
• Inventors: Grynberg, Amiram
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the use of addresses by using address computation techniques is described. A system comprising alias address creation software generates multiple alias addresses representing a single real address of a particular recipient. Each alias address is computed from data representing a prospective sender and a recipient. A sender is provided with an alias address by a recipient for communicating back to said recipient. Messages sent by a sender, employing alias addresses are analysed to a forwarding server which validates each alias address and checks it against a blocking list. Messages which pass these checks are directed to the recipient'"'"'s real address registered with said forwarding server.

Claims

1. A method for producing a plurality of alias addresses for use in place of a first address, comprising the steps of:

accessing a first partial address item associated with first address;

accessing a first data item associated with first address;

accessing a variable data item;

computing a second partial address from first data item and variable data item; and

combining second partial address with first partial address to produce an alias address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing first data item includes accessing the first address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing first data item includes accessing the first partial address item.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing said variable data item includes accessing a list of data items to produce essentially a different value each access.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing said variable data item includes accessing a pseudo random string generator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing said variable data item includes accessing an identifier related to a sender.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing step includes the sub-steps of:

combining said variable data item with first data item;

creating a digital signature of the combined item; and

encoding digital signature to conform to allowable characters of second partial address.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing step includes the sub-steps of:

combining said variable data item with first data item;

encrypting the combined item; and

encoding the encrypted string to conform to allowable characters of second partial address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing step includes the sub-steps of:

combining said variable data item with first address;

encrypting the combined item; and

encoding the encrypted string to conform to allowable characters of second partial address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein address is an e-mail address.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein address is a postal address.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein address is a telephone number.

13. A method for determining a first address from an alias address comprising the steps of:

extracting a first data item and a second data item from alias address;

decoding first data item to produce a decoded first data item;

decrypting decoded first data item to produce a third data item;

validating third data item; and

extracting first address from third data item if third data item is valid.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the validation step further includes looking up the third data item in a blocking list.

15. A method for determining a first address from an alias address comprising the steps of:

extracting a first data item and a second data item from alias address;

computing a third data item from first data item;

validating third data item; and

retrieving a fourth data item associated with second data item to compute first address, if third data item is valid.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the steps of computing and validating third data item are based on digital signature techniques.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the steps of computing and validating third data item are based on decryption techniques.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the validation step further includes looking up the third data item in a blocking list.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the validation step further includes:

extracting a fifth data item from alias address; and

matching fifth data item with address of sender.

20. A system for communicating using alias addresses, comprising:

at least one first device comprising a processing unit, memory and input/output means;

a first program adapted to be executed on said first device, to;

accept input of a first address, first data item and a first partial address;

store said inputs in memory;

access a variable data item;

compute a second partial address from stored first data item and from variable data item;

combine second partial address with first partial address to produce an alias address; and

output said alias address;

at least one second device comprising a processing unit, memory and input/output means;

a second program adapted to be executed on said second device, to;

accept input of an alias address produced by first program;

extract a first data item and a second data item from alias address;

compute and validate a third data item from first data item and second data item;

compute a first address if third data item is valid;

output said first address if first address is valid; and

output rejection message if first address is not valid;

21. A system in accordance with claim 20 wherein first device and second device are one and the same.

22. A system in accordance with claim 20 further including a third program adapted to be executed on first device, to browse the internet and wherein the step of accessing a variable data item of first program includes retrieving a Web address from said third program.

23. A system in accordance with claim 21 further including a fourth program adapted to be executed on first device, to programmatically fill out electronic forms loaded by third program and wherein the step of output alias address includes programmatically filling in a field in said electronic forms.

24. A system in accordance with claim 20 further including a third program adapted to be executed on first device, for sending e-mail message and wherein the step of accessing a variable data item of first program includes accessing the e-mail address of a recipient of said message.

25. A system in accordance with claim 20 further including a third program adapted to be executed on first device, for intercepting e-mail message and wherein the step of accessing a variable data item of first program includes accessing the e-mail address of a recipient of an intercepted message.