SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELIVERING CONFIDENTIAL ELECTRONIC FILES

• US 20150134948A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shazzle LLC
• Original Assignee: Shazzle LLC
• Inventors: BOYLE, Clifford F., McGILL, Robert E., SLEPININ, Igor V.
• Granted Patent: US 10,200,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/152
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 sending computer (sender) delivers private messages over a network via dynamically established encrypted channels where no copies of the message are persisted on third party computers. Private messages are routed dynamically based on membership status of the receiving computer (receiver) and direct addressability status of the sender and receiver. The system determines membership status of the receiver and provides a notification message and delivery link to the receiver when the receiver is not a member of the private network. When the receiver is a member, direct addressability of sender and receiver is determined, and the message is delivered directly to the receiver over an encrypted channel when the sender is directly addressable. When the sender is not directly addressable, the encrypted channel between the sender and receiver is established through a third party relay without persisting a copy of the private message on the third party relay.

Claims

1. A method of resolving a communications path and sending a private message from a sending computer under the physical possession of a sender to a receiving computer over a computer network, the method comprising:

identifying, with a system registry, the receiving computer to which the private message is sent;

determining, with the system registry, when the receiving computer is a member of a private messaging network that includes the sending computer;

determining, with the system registry, when the receiving computer is online;

storing the private message on the sending computer when the receiving computer is not online and polling the receiving computer until the receiving computer is online;

determining, with a network management service when the receiving computer is directly addressable by the sending computer;

determining, with the network management service, when the sending computer is directly addressable by the receiving computer;

resolving a delivery address of the receiving computer at the time the receiving computer is directly addressable; and

releasing the private message directly to the receiving computer when the receiving computer pulls the private message from the sending computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a notification message to the receiving computer with a link to pull the private message from the sending computer when the receiving computer is not a member of the private message network that includes the sending computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein accessing the link activates a service at the system registry that dynamically locates the sending computer and connects the sending computer and the receiving computer via an encrypted channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

marshaling a relay that provides an encrypted channel between the sending computer and the receiving computer when the sending computer is not directly addressable;

and releasing the private message to the receiving computer via the encrypted channel established by the relay between the sending computer and the receiving computer when the receiving computer pulls the private message from the sending computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the encrypted channel comprises:

a sender-relay encrypted channel between the sending computer and the relay;

a relay-receiver encrypted channel between the relay and the receiving computer; and

wherein the private message is not persisted on the relay.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the encrypted channel provides no persistent copy and storage of the private message by an intermediary device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending computer is a mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a network attachment status of the sending computer; and

enforcing a private message policy based on the identified network attachment status.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the enforced private message policy includes a message size policy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network management service determines when the sending computer is directly addressable using a mail service component of the network management service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the receiver is a member of the private message network includes:

identifying, with the system registry, a receiving computer user profile indicative of membership in the private message network of the sending computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving computer user profile includes:

an electronic mail delivery address of the receiving computer;

an indication that private message network delivery software is installed on the receiving computer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking, with the network management service, on-line status of at least one of the sending computer and the receiving computer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the on-line status includes an IP address.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the on-line status includes a direct addressability status.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking, with the network management service, on-line status of the sending computer after storing the private message on the sending computer;

polling the sending computer with the network management service when the receiving computer is back on-line;

determining when the sending computer is directly addressable using a mail service component of the network management service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the on-line status of the sending computer includes an IP address.

19. A computer system for resolving a communications path and sending a private message from a sending computer under the physical possession of a sender to a receiving computer over a computer network, the system comprising:

a system registry configured to identify the receiving computer to which the private message is sent, determine when the receiving computer is a member of a private messaging network that includes the sending computer, and determine when the receiving computer is online;

a computer storage memory on the sending computer configured to store the private message when the receiving computer is not online and polling the receiving computer until the receiving computer is online; and

a network management service configured to determine when the receiving computer is directly addressable by the sending computer, determine when the sending computer is directly addressable by the receiving computer, resolve a delivery address of the receiving computer at the time the receiving computer is directly addressable, and release the private message directly to the receiving computer when the receiving computer pulls the private message from the sending computer.

20. A computer system of claim 19, wherein the network management service is further configured to send a notification message to the receiving computer with a link to pull the private message from the sending computer when the receiving computer is not a member of the private message network that includes the sending computer.

21. A computer system of claim 19, wherein the network management service is further configured to marshal a relay that provides an encrypted channel between the sending computer and the receiving computer when the sending computer is not directly addressable and release the private message to the receiving computer via the encrypted channel established by the relay between the sending computer and the receiving computer when the receiving computer pulls the private message from the sending computer.