Method and apparatus for effecting secure document format conversion

• US 6,516,411 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tumbleweed Communications Corporation (Axway Software SA)
• Original Assignee: Tumbleweed Communications Corporation (Axway Software SA)
• Inventors: Smith, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew B.
• Application Number:
  US10/013,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153, 713/151, 713/152, 713/162, 713/200, 380/281, 380/285, 709/230, 709/232, 709/246
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for effecting secure document delivery in any of various document formats. A document is encrypted with the public key of a server associated with the recipient of the document, instead of with the public key of the intended recipient. The receiving server is located within a firewall. The encrypted document is forwarded to the server within the firewall. The server decrypts the document using its corresponding private key, converts the document to a now data representation, and then either forwards the document to the recipient inside the firewall, or re-encrypts the document with the public key of an intended recipient outside of the firewall or with the public key of another server that is associated with the intended recipient of the document.

Claims

1. A method for effecting secure document delivery in any of a plurality of document formats, comprising the steps of:

encrypting said document with a public key of a server associated with a recipient of the document, wherein said server is located within a firewall;

forwarding said encrypted document to said sever within said firewall;

decrypting said document with said server using said server'"'"'s corresponding private key;

converting said document to a new date representation; and

forwarding said document to said recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said recipient is located inside said firewall.

3. A method for effecting secure document delivery in any of a plurality of document formats, comprising the steps of:

encrypting said document;

forwarding said encrypted document to a server within said firewall;

decrypting said document with said server;

converting said document to a new data representation; and

forwarding said document to a recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said recipient is located inside said firewall.

5. A method for effecting secure document format conversion comprising the steps of:

sending a document having a high level representation to a recipient;

intercepting said document at a secure server and performing document format conversion in a secure environment established by said server; and

forwarding said converted document to a recipient in a secure fashion, within any of said server'"'"'s secure environment or via a secure delivery technique.

6. An apparatus for effecting secure document delivery in any of a plurality of document formats, comprising:

means for encrypting said document with a public key of a server associated with a recipient of the document, wherein said server is located within a firewall;

means for forwarding said encrypted document to said sever within said firewall;

means for decrypting said document with said sever using said server'"'"'s corresponding private key;

means for converting said document to a new data representation; and

means for forwarding said document to said recipient.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said recipient is located inside said firewall.

8. An apparatus for effecting secure document delivery in any of a plurality of document formats, comprising:

means for encrypting said document;

means for forwarding said encrypted document to a server within said firewall;

means for decrypting said document with said server;

means for converting said document to a new data representation; and

means for forwarding said document to a recipient.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said recipient is located inside said firewall.

10. An apparatus for effecting secure document format conversion comprising:

means for sending a document having a high level representation to a recipient;

means for intercepting said document at a secure server and performing document format conversion in a secure environment established by said server; and

means for forwarding said converted document to a recipient in a secure fashion, within any of said server'"'"'s secure environment or via a secure delivery mechanism.