SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELIVERING CONFIDENTIAL ELECTRONIC FILES

• US 20120110322A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shazzle LLC
• Original Assignee: Shazzle LLC
• Inventors: McGill, Robert E., SLEPININ, Igor V., Boyle, Clifford F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/152
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A private document delivery system and method includes a sending computer configured to transmit an electronic document over a computer network, a dynamically established encrypted line to traverse the computer network from a receiving computer to the sending computer where the delivery address of the receiving computer is resolved a at the time of transmission of the private message such that no third parties to the message receive a permanent copy of the message. The system and method also includes a signaling mechanism configured to notify the receiving computer that the electronic document is waiting for delivery. The system and method includes a verification agent configured to verify the receiving computer'"'"'s identity with a protocol specified by the sending computer and to provide access instructions to the receiving computer with which the receiving computer locates the sending computer via the dynamically established encrypted line and receives the transmitted electronic document.

Claims

1. A method of sending a private message over a computer network comprising:

resolving a delivery address of the receiving computer at the time of transmission of the private message;

establishing an encrypted line from a receiving computer to a sending computer; and

transmitting the private message from the sending computer directly to the receiving computer over the encrypted line to the delivery address resolved at the time of transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dynamically establishing the encrypted line from the receiving computer to the sending computer whereby no third parties to the private message receive a permanent copy of the private message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a time of transmitting the private message is indeterminate.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining when a recipient of the private message on a receiving computer is a member of a private messaging network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sender is a member of the private messaging network and the receiving computer is a non-member of the private messaging network, and the receiving computer is notified through a non-private message to directly access the private message from the sending computer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

specifying an authentication, by the sending computer, to ensure the private message is delivered to the correct receiving computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein specifying the authentication includes the sending computer specifying a single use unique id which expires in a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein specifying the authentication includes the sending computer providing an authentication to the receiving computer notified with the non-private message indicating that a private message is waiting for the receiving computer to access,

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authentication provided to the receiving computer includes a password with which the receiving computer gains access to the waiting private message.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the authentication includes the sending computer providing an authentication to the receiving computer separate from the non-private message indicating that a private message is waiting for the receiving computer.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

specifying, by the sender, a third party authentication protocol to be used to ensure the message is delivered to the correct receiver.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

signaling the receiving computer, by the sending computer, that a private message is waiting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein signaling the receiving computer includes not ring the receiving computer by at least one of email, Instant message, or short message service (SMS),

14. The method of claim 12, wherein signaling the receiving computer includes the sending computer setting a flag for the receiving computer in a system registry database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending computer and the receiving computer are members of the same private messaging network and track their network location and online status.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking a network location of at least one of the sending computer and the receiving computer at the time of transmission by a presence monitoring tool.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the network location of the at least one of the sending compute and the receiving computer is communicated to other interested network members by the presence monitoring tool.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

delivering the private message to a secure message delivery service when the receiving computer is unavailable.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is delivered by waking up the sending computer using at least one of Wake-on-LAN and Wake on Wireless LAN.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending computer and the receiving computer are on separate networks with separate firewalls.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

delivering the message by hole punching in the sender'"'"'s local firewall and the recipient'"'"'s local network firewall.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

delivering the private message by at least one of a mail submission agent, a mail user agent, and a message relay server accessible to both the sending computer and the receiving computer, wherein no persistent copy of the private message is saved on the at least one mail submission agent, mail user agent, and message relay server.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

marshaling the at least one mail submission agent, and mail user agent, and message relay server on demand.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

integrating the transmission of the private message from the sending computer directly to the receiving computer into a non-private delivery mechanism-including at least one of email clients, web email services and instant messaging services.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sending computer and the receiving computer include a mobile device connected to a public network.

26. A private document delivery system comprising:

a sending computer configured to transmit an electronic document over a computer network;

a dynamically established encrypted line to traverse the computer network from a receiving computer to the sending computer such that no third parties to the message receive a permanent copy of the message;

a signaling computer configured to notify the receiving computer that the electronic document is waiting for delivery;

a verification agent configured to verify the receiving computer'"'"'s identity with a protocol specified by the sending computer and further configured to provide access instructions to the receiving computer with which the receiving computer locates the sending computer via the dynamically established encrypted line and receives the transmitted electronic document.