SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HANDLING ELECTRONIC MAIL MISMATCHES

• US 20110029627A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Segato, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A system and method for handling e-mail address mismatches between the address contained within a user'"'"'s certificate or certificate chain, and the account address actually being used is disclosed. In order to resolve address mismatches a canonical or generic domain name or user name may, for example, be used as a lifelong address of a user that is contained in the user'"'"'s certificate. Upon detection of an address mismatch, the system and method disclosed herein may automatically re-check the certificate or search for a certificate containing the canonical or generic domain name and/or user name to attempt to resolve the mismatch. This mismatch resolution is preferably transparent to the user and occurs automatically. The canonical or generic domain and/or user names that are available to the device may be typically controlled by IT policy that is in place on the system for the device. While this system is suitable for any type of electronic messaging system, it has particular applicability to systems that use mobile wireless communication devices with electronic messaging capability.

Claims

1. A method of locating a certificate, the method performed by a processor of a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying an e-mail address, said e-mail address comprising a user name and a name of a first domain;

truncating the name of the first domain to identify the name of a second domain; and

searching for one or more certificates associated with an address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain, wherein the first domain is a subdomain of the second domain.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of a result of said searching, wherein said indication indicates whether at least one certificate associated with an address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain was found as a result of said searching.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for one or more certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the searching for one or more certificates associated with the address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain is performed upon determining that no certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain are found.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said searching for one or more certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain and said searching for one or more certificates associated with the address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain are performed concurrently.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising truncating the user name to identify a second user name, and searching for one or more certificates associated with an address comprising the second user name and the name of the second domain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching comprises searching certificates resident on the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching comprises searching certificates stored on a server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a recipient of an e-mail message to be sent from the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a sender of an e-mail message received at the computing device.

12. A computing device configured to locate a certificate, wherein a processor of the computing device is configured to:

identify an e-mail address, said e-mail address comprising a user name and a name of a first domain;

truncate the name of the first domain to identify the name of a second domain; and

search for one or more certificates associated with an address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain, wherein the first domain is a subdomain of the second domain.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication of a result of said searching, and wherein said indication indicates whether at least one certificate associated with an address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain was found as a result of said searching.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to search for one or more certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the search for one or more certificates associated with the address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain is performed upon determining that no certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain are found.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the search for one or more certificates associated with the e-mail address comprising the user name and the name of the first domain and the search for one or more certificates associated with the address comprising the user name and the name of the second domain are performed concurrently.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to truncate the user name to identify a second user name, and search for one or more certificates associated with an address comprising the second user name and the name of the second domain.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a mobile device.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to search for certificates resident on the computing device.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to search for certificates stored on a server.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a recipient of an e-mail message to be sent from the computing device.

22. The device of claim 12, wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a sender of an e-mail message received at the computing device.