Methods and systems for archiving and verification of electronic communications

• US 7,020,688 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Financial Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Financial Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Sykes, George H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, NGHI V
• Application Number:
  US09/948,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A method and system for archiving and/or verifying electronic communications. The method and system provide verification of an email sent by a sender to a recipient, comprising receiving a copy of an email as an addressee; indexing the email according to at least one of sender, recipient, date, or subject matter; and storing an exact copy of the email as received. The method and system also provide for secure electronic communication between a sender and at least one recipient, comprising receiving from the sender view a secure internet connection a message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the message; sending an email message to the at least one intended recipient of the message that a message is waiting; transmitting the message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient; and sending an email message to the sender that the at least one recipient has been sent the message. The method and system also provide for transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the comprising: receiving an electronic facsimile message from the sender together with the facsimile number of the recipient; storing a copy of the electronic facsimile message; transmitting the facsimile message to the facsimile number of the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of secure electronic communication comprising:

transmitting to a third party via a secure Internet connection an email message to be sent, and an email address of at least one intended recipient of the email message, the third party storing an exact copy of the email message for a time specified by a sender, and sending an email notification to the intended recipient indicating that the email message is waiting for the intended recipient via a secure Internet website of the third party, wherein the intended recipient enters a valid username and password to log on to the third party'"'"'s Internet website to establish the secure Internet connection with the third party, and clicks on an inbox to initiate delivery of the email message waiting for the intended recipient, and the third party transmits the email message to the intended recipient who establishes the secure Internet connection with the third party, and sends the email notification to the sender when the email message has been transmitted to the intended recipient, the third party alerting the sender when the copy of the email message that was stored for a time period specified by the sender is about to be deleted if the sender does not extend the time period, and the third party extending the time period for storing the copy of the email message for a fee when requested by the sender.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the secure Internet connection between the sender and the third party is an SSL connection.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the secure Internet connection between the at least one intended recipient and the third party is SSL connection.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the email message to the at least one intended recipient includes instructions on how to establish a secure Internet connection to receive the message.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the email message includes at least a URL to establish the secure Internet connection.