SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURE AND/OR INTERACTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

• US 20080162646A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ceelox, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Donald R., Pizano, Erix
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

An interactive information dissemination system includes a media server (210) for receiving a plurality of media elements and storing the media elements in a database. A sender client (200) enables a first user to identify message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element from the database of media elements. A recipient client (202) presents the media element to a second user associated with the recipient identifier. The recipient client (202) further presents the message data to the second user when the second user performs a predetermined action, such as submitting authentication information or requesting the message data, to receive the message data. The message data may be secured by requiring sender and recipient authentication, and by encoding the data using a private encoding key and data package identifier managed by a main server (206) and a key server (208).

Claims

1. A computer program for enabling an information dissemination system, at least a portion of the program being stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for enabling a first computer to receive input from a first user identifying message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element;

a code segment for enabling a second computer to present the media element to a second user and to receive authentication information from the second user; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to present the message to the second user only after presenting the media element to the second user and after confirming the authentication information corresponds to the recipient identifier.

2. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate the message data, the recipient identifier, and the media element to the second computer via an electronic communications medium.

3. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the media element being chosen from the group consisting of image data, audio data, and movie data.

4. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling a third computer to receive a plurality of media elements from a third user and to store the plurality of media elements in a database; and

a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate with the database and present the plurality of media elements to the first user, wherein the input received from the first user identifies one of the plurality of media elements in the database.

5. The computer program as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a code segment for enabling the third computer to charge a fee to the third user when a media element associated with the third user is selected by the first user.

6. The computer program as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a code segment for enabling the third computer to receive and store the recipient identifier, associate the recipient identifier with the third user, and communicate the recipient identifier to the third user.

7. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the first computer and the second computer each being chosen from the group consisting of a computer workstation, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a handheld computing device.

8. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate the recipient identifier to a third computer;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to confirm that the authentication information corresponds to the recipient identifier by communicating the authentication information to the third computer and receiving a confirmation from the third computer; and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to communicate the confirmation to the second computer only if the recipient identifier matches the authentication information.

9. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a code segment for enabling the first computer to create a link to the media element;

and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to retrieve the media element from a third computer using the link.

10. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to create a link to the message data; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to retrieve the message data from a third computer using the link.

11. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to embed the message data in the media element; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to extract the message data from the media element only after presenting the media element to the second user and after confirming the authentication information corresponds to the recipient identifier

12. A computer program for enabling an information dissemination system, at least a portion of the program being stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for enabling a first computer to receive a plurality of media elements from a first user and to store the plurality of media elements in a database;

a code segment for enabling a second computer to communicate with the database and present the plurality of media elements to a second user;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to receive input from the second user identifying message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element chosen from the plurality of media elements;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the message data, media element, and recipient identifier to a third computer associated with the recipient identifier;

a code segment for enabling the third computer to present the media element to a third user and to receive a request to view the message from the third user; and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to present the message to the third user only after presenting the media element to the third user and after receiving the request.

13. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, the media element being chosen from the group consisting of image data, audio data, and movie data.

14. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a code segment for enabling the first computer to charge a fee to the first user when a media element associated with the first user is selected by the second user.

15. The computer program as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a code segment for enabling the second computer to receive and store the recipient identifier, associate the recipient identifier with the first user, and communicate the recipient identifier to the first user.

16. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, the first computer, the second computer, and the third computer each being chosen from the group consisting of a computer workstation, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a handheld computing device.

17. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the recipient identifier to a fourth computer; and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to confirm that the authentication information corresponds to the recipient identifier by communicating the authentication information to the fourth computer and receiving a confirmation from the fourth computer.

18. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, further comprising

a code segment for enabling the second computer to create a link to the media element;

and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to retrieve the media element from the first computer using the link.

19. The computer program as set forth in claim 12, further comprising

a code segment for enabling the second computer to create a link to the message data;

and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to retrieve the message data from the first computer using the link.

20. A computer program for enabling a secure data transfer system, at least a portion of the program being stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for enabling a first computer to receive input from a first user identifying message data, a media element, and a recipient identifier;

a code segment for enabling the first computer to create an encoding key, encode the message data using the key, and communicate the key and the recipient identifier to a second computer;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to associate the recipient identifier with a secure package identifier, and to communicate the secure package identifier to the first computer;

a code segment for enabling a third computer to identify the secure package identifier and the encoded message data;

a code segment for enabling the third computer to receive from a second user a user identifier and to communicate the user identifier and the secure package identifier to the second computer;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the key to the third computer only if the secure package identifier received from the third computer matches the secure package identifier created by the second computer and if the user identifier matches the recipient identifier;

a code segment for enabling the third computer to decode the message data using the key; and

a code segment for enabling the third computer to present the message to the second user only after presenting the media element to the second user.

21. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate the secure package identifier, the encoded transfer data, and the media element to the third computer via a network communications medium.

22. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate the key and the recipient identifier to the second computer via a computer network using a secure communications protocol; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the secure package identifier to the first computer via a computer network using a secure communications protocol.

23. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the third computer to communicate the user identifier and the secure package identifier to the second computer via a computer network using a secure communications protocol; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the key to the third computer via a computer network using a secure communications protocol.

24. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to receive sender authentication information from the first user and to communicate the sender authentication information to the second computer; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to compare the sender authentication information received from the first computer with authentication information stored in a database, and to communicate the secure package identifier to the first computer only if the sender authentication information matches authentication information stored in the database.

25. The computer program as set forth in claim 24, wherein the authentication information includes biometric information.

26. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the third computer to receive recipient authentication information from the second user and communicate the recipient authentication information and the secure package identifier to the second computer;

a code segment for enabling the second computer to compare the recipient authentication information with authentication information stored in a database; and

a code segment for enabling the second computer to communicate the key to the third computer only if the recipient authentication information received from the third computer matches authentication information stored in the database and if the recipient identifier received from the third computer matches the recipient identifier associated with the secure package identifier.

27. The computer program as set forth in claim 26, wherein the authentication information includes biometric information.

28. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling the first computer to collect the message data from a data buffer; and

a code segment for enabling the first computer to place the encoded message data, the secure package identifier, and the media element in the buffer as a single data file.

29. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a code segment for enabling the first computer to encode the transfer data by encrypting the data.

30. The computer program as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

a code segment for enabling a fourth computer to receive a plurality of media elements from a fourth user and to store the plurality of media elements in a database; and

a code segment for enabling the first computer to communicate with the database and present the plurality of media elements to the first user, wherein the input received from the first user identifies one of the plurality of media elements.

31. A method of disseminating information comprising:

receiving input from a first user at a first computer, the input identifying message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element;

presenting the media element to a second user at a second computer and receiving authentication information from the second user; and

presenting the message to the second user at the second computer only after presenting the media element to the second user and after confirming the authentication information corresponds to the recipient identifier.

32. A method of disseminating information comprising:

receiving a plurality of media elements from a first user at a first computer and to store the plurality of media elements in a database;

presenting the plurality of media elements to a second user via a second computer;

receiving input from the second user at the second computer identifying message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element chosen from the plurality of media elements;

communicating the message data, media element, and recipient identifier from the second computer to a third computer associated with the recipient identifier;

presenting the media element to a third user at the third computer and receiving a request to view the message from the third user; and

presenting the message to the third user only after presenting the media element to the third user and after receiving the request.