METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMAIL COMMUNICATION

• US 20100250929A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Schultz, Göran, SALMELA, Patrik, PARTH ILESHKUMAR, Amin, Wager, Stefan, Susitaival, Riikka
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of verifying to a recipient of an email that a sender of the email possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with a specific telephone number. The method comprises at the sender, sending an identifier of the email content and the telephone number to a server via the Internet (A1), at the server, receiving the identifier and the phone number from the sender, generating a verification code, sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet, and storing the verification code with the identifier and the telephone number (A2), at the sender, receiving the verification code from the server and returning the verification code to the server in a Short Message Service message sent by said mobile telecommunications device (A3), at the server, confirming that the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match the stored telephone number and verification code, and then using the telephone number and the identifier to generate an authentication string, and sending the authentication string to the sender via the Internet (A4), at the sender, receiving the authentication string from the server, and sending the email including said authentication string and said telephone number to the recipient via the Internet (A5), at the recipient, receiving the email, and forwarding the authentication string, the telephone number and the identifier of the received email content to said or another server (A6), and at the receiving server, receiving the authentication string, the telephone number and the identifier, generating an authentication string using the received telephone number and identifier, confirming that the received authentication string is the same as the generated authentication string, and sending confirmation to the recipient (A7).

Claims

1. A method of verifying to a recipient of an email that a sender of the email possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with a specific telephone number, the method comprising:

at the sender, sending an identifier of the email content and the telephone number to a server via the Internet;

at the server, receiving the identifier and the phone number from the sender, generating a verification code, sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet, and storing the verification code with the identifier and the telephone number;

at the sender, receiving the verification code from the server and returning the verification code to the server in a Short Message Service message sent by said mobile telecommunications device;

at the server, confirming that the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match the stored telephone number and verification code, and then using the telephone number and the identifier to generate an authentication string, and sending the authentication string to the sender via the Internet;

at the sender, receiving the authentication string from the server, and sending the email including said authentication string and said telephone number to the recipient via the Internet;

at the recipient, receiving the email, and forwarding the authentication string, the telephone number and the identifier of the received email content to said or another server; and

at the receiving server, receiving the authentication string, the telephone number and the identifier, generating an authentication string using the received telephone number and identifier, confirming that the received authentication string is the same as the generated authentication string, and sending confirmation to the recipient.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

at the server, when sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet, starting a timer, when the verification code is received from the sender, determining if the timer has expired, and only confirming that the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match the stored telephone number and verification code if the timer has not expired.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

at the sender, including the identifier of the email content in the email sent to the recipient.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifier of the email content comprises a hash value of the email content, and the method further comprises generating the hash value of the email content.

5. A method of operating a user terminal connected to the Internet, the method comprising:

prior to sending an email from the user terminal to a recipient, sending an identifier of the email content and a telephone number to a server;

receiving a verification code from the server via the Internet;

receiving an authentication string from the server via the Internet;

including the authentication string and the telephone number in the email; and

sending the email to the recipient.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising:

including the identifier of the email content in the email sent to the recipient.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the identifier of the email content comprises a hash value of the email content, and the method further comprises generating the hash value of the email content.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein an email client of the user terminal automatically performs the steps of generating the hash value of the email content and sending the hash value and the telephone number to the server.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of including the authentication string and the telephone number in the email is performed automatically, by an email client of the user terminal, when the authentication string is received.

10. A method of operating a server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a sender of an email, an identifier of the email content and a telephone number;

generating a verification code;

sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet;

storing the verification code with the identifier and the telephone number;

receiving the verification code that has been returned to the server in a Short Message Service message; and

determining if the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match a verification code and telephone number, and, if so, using the telephone number and the identifier to generate an authentication string, and sending the authentication string to the sender via the Internet.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, and further comprising:

when sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet, starting a timer, when the verification code is received from the sender, determining if the timer has expired, and only confirming that the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match the stored telephone number and verification code if the timer has not expired.

12. A method of operating a server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a recipient of an email, a string, a telephone number and an identifier of the email content;

generating an authentication string using the received telephone number and identifier;

determining if the received string is the same as the generated authentication string; and

sending a message to the recipient confirming whether or not the sender of the email content possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with the telephone number.

13. A method of operating a user terminal connected to the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving an email from a sender, said email including a string and a telephone number;

sending the string, the telephone number and an identifier of the email content to a server; and

receiving a message from the server confirming whether or not the sender of the email content possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with the telephone number.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the identifier of the email content comprises a hash value of the email content, and the method further comprises generating the hash value of the email content.

15. An apparatus configured to operate as a user terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an email client for generating an email to a recipient, and for inserting an authentication string and a telephone number into the email prior to sending the email;

a transmitter for sending an identifier of email content and the telephone number to a server;

a receiver for receiving a verification code from the server;

a receiver for receiving the authentication string for the email from the server; and

a transmitter for sending the email including the authentication string, and the telephone number to the recipient.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the email client is arranged to generate the identifier by applying a hash function to the email content.

17. An apparatus configured to operate as a server, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving, from a sender of an email, an identifier of the email content and a telephone number;

a code generation unit for generating a verification code;

a transmitter for sending the verification code to the sender via the Internet;

a memory for storing the verification code with the identifier and the telephone number;

a receiver for receiving a verification code that has been returned to the server in a Short Message Service message;

a processing unit for determining if the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match a stored verification code and telephone number, and, if so, for using the telephone number and the identifier to generate an authentication string; and

a transmitter for sending the authentication string to the sender via the Internet.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, the apparatus further comprising:

a timer that is started when the verification is sent to the sender, wherein the processing unit is arranged to determine if the timer has expired when the verification code is received from the sender, and to only confirm that the received verification code and the telephone number from which the Short Message Service message originated match the stored telephone number and verification code if the timer has not expired.

19. An apparatus configured to operate as a server, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving, from a recipient of an email, a string, a telephone number and an identifier of the email content;

a processing unit for generating an authentication string using the received phone number and identifier;

a processing unit for determining if the received string is the same as the generated authentication string; and

a transmitter for sending a message to the recipient, the message confirming whether or not the sender of the email content possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with the telephone number.

20. An apparatus configured to operate as a user terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving an email from a sender, the email including a string and a telephone number;

an email client for extracting the string and the telephone number;

a transmitter for sending the string, the telephone number and an identifier of the email content to a server; and

a receiver for receiving, from the server, a message indicating whether or not the sender of the email content possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with the telephone number.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the email from the sender also includes the identifier and the email client is arranged to extract the identifier from the email.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the email client is arranged to generate the identifier by applying a hash function to the email content.

23. A method of operating an email client, the method comprising:

prior to sending an email to a recipient, generating an identifier of the email content;

sending the identifier and a telephone number to a server;

receiving a verification code from the server;

displaying the verification code to the user;

receiving an authentication string from the server;

including the authentication string and the telephone number in the email; and

sending the email to the recipient.

24. A method of operating an email client, the method comprising:

upon receipt of an email including a string and a telephone number, sending the string, the telephone number and an identifier of the email content to a server; and

receiving a message from the server confirming whether or not the sender of the email content possess a mobile telecommunications device associated with the telephone number.