System and method for handling electronic mail mismatches

• US 7,814,161 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Segato, Timothy, Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh; Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US11/473,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 713/156
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A system and method for handling e-mail address mismatches between the address contained within a user'"'"'s certificate or certificate chain, and the account address actually being used is disclosed. In order to resolve address mismatches a canonical or generic domain name or user name may, for example, be used as a lifelong address of a user that is contained in the user'"'"'s certificate. Upon detection of an address mismatch, the system and method disclosed herein may automatically re-check the certificate or search for a certificate containing the canonical or generic domain name and/or user name to attempt to resolve the mismatch. This mismatch resolution is preferably transparent to the user and occurs automatically. The canonical or generic domain and/or user names that are available to the device may be typically controlled by IT policy that is in place on the system for the device. While this system is suitable for any type of electronic messaging system, it has particular applicability to systems that use mobile wireless communication devices with electronic messaging capability.

Claims

1. A method for locating a certificate in an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, comprising:

obtaining a recipient address for an electronic message to be sent by the electronic messaging system, said recipient address comprising a first user name and a first domain name;

searching for a certificate of the recipient based on a match with the recipient address;

automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on a canonical name associated with the recipient address if no match occurs based on the recipient address, wherein the canonical name is the recipient address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name; and

providing an indication of whether the certificate of the recipient has been found.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address comprises:

first searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and if no matching certificate is found then searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address comprises:

searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name, concurrently.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic messaging system resides on a mobile wireless communication device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the match with the recipient address, and said automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address if no match occurs based on the recipient address are conducted on said mobile wireless communication device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the match with the recipient address, and said automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address if no match occurs based on the recipient address are conducted on a server associated with said electronic messaging system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said canonical name comprises at least one of multiple canonical domain names and multiple canonical user names.

8. A method for locating a certificate for an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, the acts comprising:

searching for a certificate of a recipient of an electronic message based on a canonical name associated with a recipient address of the recipient,

wherein the recipient address comprises at least a first user name and at least a first domain name and wherein the canonical name is the recipient address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said canonical name comprises at least one of multiple canonical domain names and multiple canonical user names.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the searching for the certificate of the recipient of the electronic message based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address comprises:

first searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and if no matching certificate is found then searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the searching, for the certificate of the recipient of the electronic message based on the canonical name associated with the recipient address comprises:

searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name, concurrently.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the electronic messaging system resides on a mobile wireless communication device, and wherein the searching is conducted on at least one of said mobile wireless communication device and a server associated with said electronic messaging system.

13. A method for locating a certificate in an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, comprising:

obtaining a sender address for an electronic message received by the electronic messaging system, said sender address comprising a first user name and a first domain name;

searching for a certificate of the sender based on a match with the sender address;

automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on a canonical name associated with the sender address if no certificate of the sender is found based on a match with the sender address, wherein the canonical name is the sender address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name; and

providing an indication of whether the certificate of the sender has been found.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on the canonical name associated with the sender address comprises:

first searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and if no matching certificate is found then searching for the certificate of the sender based on the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on the canonical name associated with the sender address comprises:

searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and searching for the certificate of the sender based on the first user name truncated to identify the second user name, concurrently.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein said searching for the certificate of the sender based on the match with the sender address, and said automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on the canonical name associated with the sender address if no certificate of the sender is found based on the match with the sender address are conducted on a mobile wireless communication device.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said searching for the certificate of the sender based on the match with the sender address, and said automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on the canonical name associated with the sender address if no certificate of the sender is found based on the match with the sender address are conducted on a server of the messaging system.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein said canonical name comprises at least one of multiple canonical domain names and multiple canonical user names.

19. A method for locating a certificate for an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, the acts comprising:

searching for a certificate of a sender of an electronic message based on a canonical name associated with a sender address of the sender,

wherein the sender address comprises at least a first user name and at least a first domain name and wherein the canonical name is the sender address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said canonical name comprises at least one of multiple canonical domain names and multiple canonical user names.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the searching for the certificate of the sender of the electronic message based on the canonical name associated with the sender address of the sender comprises:

first searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and if no matching certificate is found then searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the searching for the certificate of the sender of the electronic message based on the canonical name associated with the sender address of the sender comprises:

searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name, concurrently.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the electronic messaging system resides on a mobile wireless communication device, and wherein the searching is conducted on at least one of said mobile wireless communication device and a server associated with said electronic messaging system.

24. A method for locating a certificate for an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, comprising:

obtaining a recipient address of a recipient of an electronic message to be sent by the electronic messaging system, said recipient address comprising a first user name and a first domain name;

searching for a certificate of the recipient based on a match with the recipient address, and automatically searching for the certificate of the recipient based on a canonical name associated with the recipient address concurrently with said searching for the certificate of the recipient based on the recipient address, wherein the canonical name is the recipient address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name; and

providing an indication of whether the certificate of the recipient has been found.

25. A method for locating a certificate for an electronic messaging system, wherein acts of the method are performed by a processor of a computing device, comprising:

receiving a sender address for an electronic message received by the electronic messaging system, said sender address comprising a first user name and a first domain name;

searching for a certificate of the sender based on a match with the sender address, and automatically searching for the certificate of the sender based on a canonical name associated with the sender address concurrently with said searching for the certificate of the sender based on the sender address, wherein the canonical name is the sender address with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name; and

providing an indication of whether the certificate of the sender has been found.

26. A system for locating a certificate in an electronic messaging system, comprising:

a plurality of devices capable of sending and receiving electronic messages;

a server for processing at least some electronic messages;

program logic executable by a processor and operable to locate a certificate of a sender or a recipient of an electronic message based on a canonical name associated with the sender or the recipient respectively, wherein said program logic operates to search for the certificate based on an address of the sender or recipient of the message, said address comprising a first user name and a first domain name, and if no certificate is found, wherein said program logic further operates to automatically search for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the address of the sender or the recipient of the message, and provide an indication of whether the certificate of the sender or the recipient has been found, wherein the canonical name is the address of the sender or the recipient with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said program logic is resident on at least one of said plurality of devices capable of sending and receiving electronic messages.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein said program logic is resident on said server.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein said plurality of devices comprises a mobile wireless communication device.

30. The system according to claim 26, wherein said program logic is embodied in a computer readable medium capable of being read by at least one of said plurality of devices or said server.

31. A system for locating a certificate for an electronic messaging system, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices capable of sending and receiving electronic messages;

a server for processing at least some electronic messages;

program logic executable by a processor and operable to search for a certificate of a sender or a recipient of an electronic message based on a canonical name associated with an address of the sender or the recipient respectively,

wherein the address of the sender or the recipient comprises at least a first user name and at least a first domain name, and wherein the canonical name is the address of the sender or the recipient with both the first domain name truncated to identify a second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify a second user name.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said program logic is resident on at least one of said plurality of devices capable of sending and receiving electronic messages.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein said program logic is resident on said server.

34. The system according to claim 32, wherein said plurality of devices comprises a mobile wireless communication device.

35. The system according to claim 31, wherein said program logic is embodied in a computer readable medium capable of being read by at least one of said plurality of devices or said server.

36. The system according to claim 31, wherein before searching for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the address of the sender or the recipient respectively, said program logic operates to obtain the address of the sender or the recipient and to search for a certificate of the sender or the recipient based on a match with the address of the sender or the recipient respectively, wherein the program logic operates to automatically perform said searching for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the address of the sender or the recipient respectively if no match occurs when searching based on the address of the sender or the recipient, and provide an indication of whether the certificate of the sender or the recipient has been found.

37. The system according to claim 31, wherein when searching for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the address of the sender or the recipient respectively address, the program logic operates to first search for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the address of the sender or the recipient with the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name, and if no matching certificate is found then searching for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the address of the sender or the recipient with the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

38. The system according to claim 31, wherein when searching for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the canonical name associated with the address of the sender or the recipient respectively, the program logic operates to concurrently search for the certificate of the sender or the recipient based on the address of the sender or the recipient with both the first domain name truncated to identify the second domain name and the first user name truncated to identify the second user name.

39. The system according to claim 31, wherein said canonical name comprises at least one of multiple canonical domain names and multiple canonical user names.