System and method for processing encoded messages for exchange with a mobile data communication device

• US 20040196978A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Godfrey, James A., Little, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to one or more encryption and/or authentication aspects. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a host system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the host system to one or more receivers.

Claims

1. A method of processing an encoded message at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the host system the encoded message from a message sender addressed to a plurality of message receivers;

determining whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

processing the message so as to modify the message with respect to an encryption aspect; and

transmitting the processed message to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message from the message sender is an S/MIME encrypted message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message from the message sender is a PGP encrypted message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encryption aspect comprises an encryption-related key.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the encryption-related key comprises a session key.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of processing comprises the step of removing a session key that is unrelated to the wireless mobile communication device to which the processed message is to be transmitted.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of processing further comprises removing a RecipientInfo list from the encoded message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processed message is a new message that has been generated from the encoded message based upon the encryption aspect.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of processing comprises the step of decrypting the encoded message; and

the decrypted message is used to generate the processed message that is to be transmitted to the wireless mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the encoded message includes an encrypted session key for each of the plurality of message receivers; and

the method further comprises the steps of, for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

generating an intermediary message for the wireless mobile communication device with only the encrypted session key for the corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

transmitting the intermediary message to the wireless mobile communication device so that the session key may be decrypted at the wireless mobile communication device and transmitted to the host system, wherein the decrypted session key is received by the host system;

decrypting the encoded message using the decrypted session key; and

transmitting the decrypted message to the wireless mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step, before the step of transmitting, of encoding the decrypted message using a wireless-friendly encoding scheme.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the encoded message from the message sender comprises an encrypted message body; and

the processed message sent to the wireless mobile communications device comprises substantially the entire encrypted message body.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein redirection means is used in said determining step.

14. A method of processing an encoded message at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the host system the encoded message from a message sender addressed to a plurality of message receivers;

determining whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

processing the message so as to modify the message with respect to an authentication aspect; and

transmitting the processed message to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the authentication aspect comprises a certificate aspect of the encoded message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the authentication aspect comprises a certificate revocation list aspect of the encoded message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the authentication aspect comprises a sender'"'"'s digital signature aspect of the encoded message.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the encoded message comprises a digital signature, a certificate, and a message body; and

the step of processing comprises the step of rearranging the digital signature and certificate in the encoded message so that the message body is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the digital signature and the certificate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is allowed to be transmitted.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device only in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the authentication aspect comprises a digital signature; and

the step of processing comprises the steps of verifying the digital signature and indicating a digital signature verification status.

22. A method of processing an encoded message from a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message addressed to one or more message receivers from a wireless mobile communication device;

attaching digital signature-related information onto the received message; and

sending the message with the attached signature-related information to the one or more receivers.

23. A method of processing an encoded message from a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message addressed to one or more message receivers from a wireless mobile communication device;

performing an encryption-related operation upon the received message; and

sending the encrypted message to the one or more receivers.