Private electronic message system

• US 6,230,186 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yaker, Rhoda
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/067,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/231, 709/238, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A private message, formed generally by an e-mail manager or browser, has a privacy attribute. The private message with the privacy attribute is transmitted to a receiver where only certain permitted message processing, called private message processing, may be performed in response to the detection of the privacy attribute.

For example, in response to a received privacy attribute only three message processing functions in the receiver of the message are activated, namely message reading, reply to addressee, and delete. Other edit and re-transmit functions which may exist with an e-mail manager or browser at the receiver are disabled in response to the privacy attribute so that the private message cannot be edited and retransmitted. Likewise, the message cannot be stored external from the e-mail manager or browser.

Claims

1. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver using a Transmission Control Protocol having a header, said system comprising:

a first 16 bits allocated to a source port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, said source port identifying said sender;

a second 16 bits allocated to destination port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, said destination port identifying said receiver;

six reserved bits within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol;

means at said sender for inserting a privacy attribute into said private message said privacy attribute contained within said six reserved bits; and

means for disabling one or more message processing functions at said receiver in response to detection of said privacy attribute contained within said six reserved bits as part of said Transmission Control Protocol, said private message contained within a group of 500 octets following said header.

2. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 1 wherein detection of said privacy attribute within said 6 reserved bits enables a reply addressed only to said source port originating said private message.

3. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 1 wherein detection of said privacy attribute enables deletion of said private message stored in said receiver upon manual command from said receiver.

4. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 1 wherein detection of said privacy attribute enables presentation of said private message in human perceivable form.

5. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 1 wherein said private message is deleted after a time interval at said receiver after detection of said privacy attribute.

6. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 1 further including means for encrypting said private message.

7. A system for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver, said private message formed from one or more packets each of said packets having a header part and a data part in accordance with a Transmission Control Protocol, said system comprising:

a first 16 bits allocated to a source port identification within said header part of said Transmission Control Protocol, said source port identifying said sender part;

a second 16 bits allocated to destination port identification within said header part of said Transmission Control Protocol, said destination port identifying said receiver;

six reserved bits within said header part of said Transmission Control Protocol;

means at said sender for inserting a privacy attribute into said six reserved bits of said header part for one or more packets for transmission from said sender to said receiver, said one or more packets compatible with said Transmission Control Protocol;

detecting means at said receiver for detecting within said header part of each one or more packets said privacy attribute, said detecting means having an output generated upon detection of said privacy attribute; and

means for disabling one or more message processing functions in response to said output said private message contained within a group of 500 octets following said header.

8. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 7 wherein said privacy attribute is one or more octets located within said data portion of each of said packets.

9. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 7 wherein said private message is encrypted into said data part of said packets in accordance with an encryption algorithm key and an encryption algorithm, identification of said encryption algorithm and said key contained within said six reserved bits is said header part.

10. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 9 wherein said encryption key used for said encryption is changed for each of said packet.

11. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 9 wherein said encryption algorithm used for said encryption is changed for each of said packet.

12. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 7 wherein said output enables a means for manually deleting said private message.

13. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 7 wherein said output enables presentation of said private message in human perceivable form.

14. A system for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 7 wherein said output disables presentation of said private message in human perceivable form after a time interval.

15. A method for the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver using a Transmission Control Protocol having a header, where a first 16 bits are allocated to a source port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, a second 16 bits are allocated to a destination port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, and six reserved bits are allocated within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, comprising the step of disabling one or more message processing functions at said receiver in response to detecting a privacy attribute within said six reserved bits, said private message contained within a group of 500 octets following said header.

16. A method for the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to said privacy attribute is storing of said message.

17. A method for the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to said privacy attribute is retransmission of said message to anyone other than said sender.

18. A method for the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to said privacy attribute is editing of said message.

19. A method for the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to said privacy attribute is copying of said message.

20. A method for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 further including the step of deleting of said private message after a time interval in response to detecting said privacy attribute within said message.

21. A method for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 15 further including the step of encrypting said private message at said sender, said encryption identified by a bit within said six reserved bits of said header in said Transmission Control Protocol.

22. A method for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver, said private message formed from one or more Transmission Control Protocol packets, each packet having a header, where a first 16 bits are allocated to a source port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol a second 16 bits are allocated to a destination port identification within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, and six reserved bits are allocated within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, said method comprising the steps of:

forming one or more of said packets at said sender, each of said packets having a header part and a data part, said one or more packets compatible with said Transmission Control Protocol; and

inserting a privacy attribute into said one or more packets within said six reserved bits of said Transmission Control Protocol, said private message contained within a group of 500 octets following said header;

said method further comprising the step of disabling one or more message processing functions residing at said receiver upon detection of said privacy attribute at said receiver.

23. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 wherein said privacy attribute is inserted within said header of at least one of said packets.

24. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 wherein said privacy attribute is placed in one or more octets located within said data portion of at least one of said packets.

25. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 including the additional step of encrypting said private message contained in said packets in accordance with an encryption key and an encryption algorithm.

26. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 including the additional step of including said encryption key used for said encryption in said six reserved bits of said Transmission Control Protocol header of at least one of said packets.

27. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 including the step of changing said encryption key for each of said packets.

28. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 including the step of changing said encryption algorithm for said encryption for each of said packets.

29. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22, further including the steps of presenting said message in human perceivable form and enabling manual deletion of said private message upon detection of said privacy attribute.

30. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 further including the steps of presenting said message in human perceivable form, enabling manual deletion of said private message, and replying only to said sender of said message upon detection of said privacy attribute.

31. A method for the transmission of a private message between a sender and a receiver as described in claim 22 wherein said receiver overwrites said private message after a time interval.

32. An apparatus for transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver using a Transmission Control Protocol having a header where a first 16 bits are allocated to a source port identification, a second 16 bits are allocated to a destination port identification, and six reserved bits are allocated within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, comprising

a sender processor, said sender processor having a plurality of registers, each of said registers longer than or equal to said six reserved bits, said processor interfaced to an input means, said input means for generating said private message;

and

a converter, using said sender processor for embedding a privacy attribute within said six reserved bits in said header of said private message, said private message contained within a group of 500 octets following said header;

said sender processor further comprising means for disabling one or more message processing functions upon detection of said privacy attribute at said sender.

33. An apparatus for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 32 wherein said converter at said receiver encrypts said private message.

34. An apparatus for transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver using a Transmission Control Protocol having a header where a first 16 bits within said header are allocated to a source port identification, a second 16 bits are allocated to a destination port identification, and six reserved bits are allocated to a privacy attribute within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, comprising:

a detector for generating an output in response to detection of a privacy attribute within said six reserved bits in said header of said private message; and

one or more enableable message processing functions, said functions being enabled as a function of detection of said output from said detector wherein said private message is contained within a group of 500 octets following said header.

35. An apparatus for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 34 wherein a function for verifying a reply addressed only to said sender of said private message is enabled in response to said output.

36. An apparatus for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 34 wherein said output enables one of said message processing function that performs deletion of said message stored in said receiver upon manual command from said receiver.

37. An apparatus for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receiver as described in claim 34 wherein a timer deletes said private message at said receiver after a time interval in response to detecting said privacy attribute.

38. An apparatus for the transmission of a private message from a sender to a receive as described in claim 34 wherein said detector at said receiver decrypts said private message.

39. An apparatus for receiving a message from a sender using a Transmission Control Protocol having a header where a first 16 bits are allocated to a source port identification of said Transmission Control Protocol, a second 16 bits are allocated to a destination port identification of said Transmission Control Protocol, and six reserved bits are allocated within said header of said Transmission Control Protocol, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a message said message containing said six reserved bits within said header and 500 octets following said header; and

a processor for detecting a privacy attribute within said six reserved bits of said header, said processor having a plurality of registers longer than or equal to said six reserved bits for processing said message wherein said processor disables one or more message processing functions for said message in response to detection of said privacy attribute.

40. A receiver as described in claim 39 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to detection of said privacy attribute is storing of said message.

41. A receiver as described in claim 39 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to detection of said privacy attribute is retransmission of said message to anyone other than said sender.

42. A receiver as described in claim 39 wherein one of said message processing functions disabled in response to detection of said privacy attribute is editing of said message.

43. A receiver as described in claim 39 wherein one of said message processing function disabled in response to detection of said privacy attribute is copying of said message.