Contact Information Retrieval System and Communication System Using the Same

• US 20080288774A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telnic Limited
• Original Assignee: Telnic Limited
• Inventors: Mahdavi, Khashayar
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• 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 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• 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

Abstract

There is described a communication system allowing communication over one or more communication networks. The communication system includes a domain name server storing a zone data file for a domain associated with a first party, the zone data file including contact information associated with the first party, the contact information including a plurality of electronic communication identifiers associated with the first party with each electronic communication identifier being associated with a corresponding communication protocol. An access granting system enables the first party to grant a second party access to one or more of the plurality of electronic communication identifiers. In particular, the access granting system encrypts one or more electronic communication identifiers to generate encrypted contact information, stores the encrypted contact information in the zone data file in association with a sub-domain of the domain associated with the first party, and provides the second party with access to the identity of said sub-domain.

Claims

1. A communication system allowing communication over one or more communication networks, the communication system comprising:

a domain name server storing a zone data file for a domain associated with a first party, the zone data file including contact information associated with the first party, the contact information including a plurality of electronic communication identifiers associated with the first party with each electronic communication identifier being associated with a corresponding communication protocol;

an access granting system enabling the first party to grant a second party access to one or more of the plurality of electronic communication. identifiers, said access granting means being operable to encrypt said one or more electronic communication identifiers to generate encrypted contact information, to store said encrypted contact information in the zone data file; and

a network apparatus remote from said database means, the network apparatus comprising;

means for retrieving said encrypted contact information from the zone data file; and

means for decrypting said encrypted contact information to recover said one or more electronic communication identifiers associated with the first party.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the network apparatus further comprises means for receiving a user selection of one of said one or more electronic communication identifiers;

and means for initiating communication with the first party in accordance with said selected electronic communication identifiers.

3. A communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the encrypted contact information is stored in the form on one or more NAPTR records.

4. A communication system according to any preceding claim, wherein contact information is asymmetrically encrypted using a public key associated with the second party, and the encrypted contact information is decrypted using a private key associated with the second party.

5. A communication system according to claim 4, wherein said public key is published in a zone data file.

6. A communication system according to any preceding claim, wherein the access granting mechanism comprises a server operable to store account information for the first party and the second party.

7. A communication system according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one electronic communication identifier is in the form of a Universal Resource Identifier.

8. A communication system according to any preceding claim, wherein the access granting mechanism is operable to store the encrypted contact information in association with a sub-domain of the domain, said sub-domain being associated with the second party, and to provide the second party with access to the identity of said sub-domain, and

wherein the network apparatus is operable to retrieve the encrypted contact information from the part of the zone datafile associated with said sub-domain.

9. A domain name server storing a zone datafile for a domain associated with a first party, the zone data file including contact information associated with the first party, the contact information including a plurality of electronic communication identifiers associated with the first party with each electronic communication identifier being associated with a corresponding communication protocol,

wherein the contact information comprises encrypted contact information.

10. A domain name server according to claim 9, wherein the encrypted contact information is stored in the form of one or more NAPTR records.

11. A domain name server according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the encrypted contact information is encrypted using an asymmetric encryption algorithm.

12. A domain name server according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the zone data file stores a plurality of sets of encrypted contact information.

13. A domain name server according to claim 12, wherein each set of encrypted contact information is stored in association with a respective sub- domain.

14. A network apparatus comprising:

a browser program operable to retrieve encrypted contact information for a person from a zone datafile associated with the person; and

a decryption engine operable to decrypt retrieved encrypted contact information using a cryptographic key to recover one or more electronic communication identifiers.

15. A network apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a user interface enabling a user to select a recovered electronic communication identifier; and

a communicator operable to initiate network communication using the selected electronic communication identifier.

16. A network apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the communicator is operable to initiate communication automatically following selection of the selected electronic communication identifier.

17. A network apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein said decryption engine is operable to decrypt the encrypted contact information using an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm.

18. A network apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein said browser is operable to retrieve NAPTR records including said encrypted contact information.

19. A network apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 18, further comprising a database storing a plurality of domain names, wherein for each domain name the database stores a corresponding sub-domain, and

wherein in response to user input of a domain name, the browser is arranged to retrieve the identity of the corresponding sub-domain from the database and send a request for contact information identifying the corresponding sub-domain.

20. A computer program comprising computer-implementable instructions for programming a network apparatus to:

retrieve encrypted contact information for a person from a zone datafile associated with the person; and

decrypt retrieved encrypted contact information using a cryptographic key to recover one or more electronic communication identifiers.

21. A computer program according to claim 20, further comprising computer-implementable instructions for programming the network apparatus to:

in response to user input of a domain name, retrieve a corresponding sub-domain from a database; and

send a request for contact information identifying the corresponding sub-domain.

22. A method of providing access to contact information for a first party to a second party, the method comprising:

the second party sending an access request to the first party;

following receipt of said access request, the second party encrypting one or more electronic communication identifiers associated with the first party to generate encrypted contact information, and storing the encrypted contact information in a zone datafile for a domain associated with the first party.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the encrypted contact information is stored in the format of NAPTR records.

24. A method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the encrypted contact information is stored in association with a sub-domain specific to the second party, and the first party sends the identity of said sub-domain to the second party.