Method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system

• US 20040143740A1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hungchou Tsai
• Original Assignee: Hungchou Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Hungchou
• Application Number:
  US10/347,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures

Abstract

A method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system includes the steps of a) connecting a USB hardware element to a sender end system, using a serial number assigned to the USB hardware element to encode and produce a hardware-type electronic signature, and registering the produced hardware-type electronic signature at a receiver end system; b) using the hardware-type electronic signature at the sender end system to encode and format an original e-mail, so as to produce a packet e-mail, and transmitting the packet e-mail to a selected receiver; c) verifying the hardware-type electronic signature at a receiver end system on receipt of the packet e-mail; and d) decoding the received packet e-mail and reducing the same to the original e-mail when the hardware-type electronic signature has been verified as correct at the receiver end system.

Claims

1. A method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system, comprising the steps of:

a) connecting a USB hardware element to a sender end system, using a serial number assigned to said USB hardware element to encode and produce a hardware-type electronic signature, and registering said produced hardware-type electronic signature at a receiver end system;

b) using said hardware-type electronic signature at said sender end system to encode and format an original e-mail, so as to produce a packet e-mail, and transmitting said packet e-mail to a selected receiver;

c) verifying said hardware-type electronic signature at said receiver end system on receipt of said packet e-mail; and

d) decoding said received packet e-mail and reducing the same to said original e-mail when said hardware-type electronic signature has been verified as correct at said receiver end system.

2. The method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of registering said hardware-type electronic signature by said sender end system at said receiver end system is implemented through e-mail.

3. The method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of registering said hardware-type electronic signature by said sender end system at said receiver end system further includes the step of identifying and reducing an e-mail address of said original e-mail and said hardware-type electronic signature at said receiver end system, and storing data about said identified and reduced e-mail address and hardware-type electronic signature in said receiver end system as a basis for verifying said hardware-type electronic signature in the future.

4. The method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying said hardware-type electronic signature at said receiver end system further includes the step of ceasing the decoding and reducing of said packet e-mail when said receiver end system makes mistakes during verification of said hardware-type electronic signature.

5. The method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said e-mail has scrambled subject and message content when said receiver end system makes mistakes during verification of said hardware-type electronic signature.

6. The method of using hardware-type electronic signature in e-mail handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said e-mail has attached file that could not be opened for reading when said receiver end system makes mistakes during verification of said hardware-type electronic signature.