Customizable instant messaging private tags

• US 7,464,268 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kent, Jr., Larry G., Daniell, W. Todd, Davis, Joel A., Daigle, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Application Number:
  US10/368,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/176, 713/186, 713/160, 713/150, 713/166, 713/182, 713/171, 713/170, 713/167, 713/165, 713/156, 726/28, 726/12, 726/4, 726/27, 726/1, 380/259, 380/261, 380/274, 380/286, 709/206
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Systems for customizing the privatizing of instant messages preferably comprise a processing device configured to detect a marking of select portions of an instant message as sensitive data. The instant message is parsed for marked sensitive data. An encryption engine encrypts the sensitive data. A modified unencoder is also preferably included for converting the encrypted sensitive data into a data stream that complies with an XML format. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for customizing the privatizing of instant messages, comprising:

detecting a marking of selected information in an instant message as displayed in a chat window as sensitive data;

encrypting the sensitive data;

converting the encrypted sensitive data into XML compliant privately tagged data;

sending the privately tagged data over a communications network to at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device;

parsing received data streams for the privately tagged data;

determining whether the at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device has accepted a decryption key by accessing a certificate authority for a list of keys associated with a selected recipient;

if accepted, decrypting the privately tagged data utilizing the decryption key and creating a text message including the decrypted privately tagged data;

if not accepted, creating the text message including the non-privately tagged data without the privately tagged data;

sending the text message to a display device of the at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device for recipients that have accepted the decryption key;

upon finding the selected recipient among the list, determining whether the key has been accepted by the selected recipient;

utilizing an accepted key to decrypt the encrypted privately tagged data;

offering a decryption key to a selected recipient for decrypting the privately tagged data;

notifying a certificate authority of acceptance of the decryption key;

storing information on the decryption key and recipient;

storing information on decryption keys in a certificate authority by updating records in the certificate authority when a change occurs in at least one of decryption keys, owners of decryption keys, or recipients of decryption keys;

notifying the owner of the decryption key of the refusal of the decryption key by any of the selected recipients;

receiving the privately tagged data by selected recipient'"'"'s processing device and communicating to selected recipients a decryption key for decrypting the privately tagged data; and

decrypting the privately tagged data into a text message and displaying the text message on a display device coupled to the selected recipient'"'"'s processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the privately tagged data over a communications network to at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

parsing received data streams for the privately tagged data;

determining whether the at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device has accepted a decryption key; and

if accepted, decrypting the privately tagged data into a text message utilizing the decryption key.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying the text message on a display device of the at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device for recipients that have accepted the decryption key.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining whether the at least one recipient'"'"'s processing device has accepted a decryption key further comprises accessing a certificate authority for a list of keys associated with a selected recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, upon finding the selected recipient among the list, determining whether the key has been accepted by the selected recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising utilizing an accepted key to decrypt the encrypted privately tagged data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering a decryption key to a selected recipient for decrypting the privately tagged data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accepting the decryption key by the selected recipient;

notifying a certificate authority of acceptance of the decryption key; and

storing information on the decryption key and recipient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information on decryption keys in a certificate authority.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising notifying the owner of the decryption key of the refusal of the decryption key by any of the selected recipients.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the storing information on decryption keys further comprises updating records in the certificate authority when a change occurs in at least one of decryption keys, owners of decryption keys, or recipients of decryption keys.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the privately tagged data by selected recipient'"'"'s processing device and communicating to selected recipients a decryption key for decrypting the privately tagged data.