Method and system for encrypting data delivered over a network

• US 8,209,222 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adknowledge
• Original Assignee: Adknowledge
• Inventors: Esclamada, Arthur G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAFORGIA, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/449,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 705 144- 1473, 709/206, 709/207, 713/162
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for delivering e-mail, typically with time relevant content, to users, whose e-mail addresses are encrypted. Specifically, the e-mails are administered by a host or home server that is transparent to the e-mail addresses of the computers and e-mail clients, that electronic communications are being sent to and received from.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing time-relevant content into electronic communications, over a network, comprising:

receiving encrypted data corresponding to an address of a recipient from a first computer over the network;

providing an electronic communication with the encrypted data and a communication identifier corresponding to a second computer for decrypting the encrypted data, the electronic communication including a request for obtaining content that is automatically transmitted from a machine associated with the recipient over the network when the electronic communication is opened;

decrypting the encrypted data by the second computer associated with the communication identifier to obtain the address of the recipient, and sending the electronic communication to the machine associated with the recipient corresponding to the address of the recipient from the decrypted data, over the network;

receiving the request for obtaining content that was automatically transmitted from the machine associated with the recipient over the network when the recipient opened the electronic communication; and

providing content to the opened electronic communication in response to receiving the request for obtaining content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing content to the opened electronic communication includes assembling the content for the opened electronic communication at a time proximate to the time the electronic communication was opened and in response to receiving the request for obtaining content that was automatically transmitted from the machine associated with the recipient over the network when the electronic communication is opened.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic communication includes at least one electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the electronic communication includes, sending data for a body of the electronic communication when the electronic communication is opened.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the request for obtaining content includes at least one keyword, and assembling the content for the opened electronic communication is based on the at least one keyword, and includes obtaining at least one listing in text format from at least one source over the network, the at least one listing associated with at least one entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one listing includes data for directing a browser of the machine associated with the recipient with the opened electronic communication, to at least one target web site.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data for directing the browser includes a string for accessing a redirect uniform resource locator for the browser, the redirect uniform resource locator including at least one address for the at least one target web site.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the string includes a click uniform resource locator (URL) provided in the electronic communication.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one target web site includes at least one web site associated with the at least one entity associated with the at least one listing.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the at least one listing in text format includes, linking to at least one search engine to obtain the at least one listing based on the at least one keyword.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one listing in text format is converted into at least one image and the at least one image is sent to the opened electronic communication for placement therein.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one keyword is selected from the group consisting of single and multiple words.

13. A computer-implemented method for providing time-relevant content into electronic communications over a network comprising:

receiving, from a first computer linked to the network, over the network, encrypted address data corresponding to a recipient;

creating an electronic communication including the encrypted address data and a request for obtaining content that is automatically transmitted from a terminal of the recipient over the network when the electronic communication is opened, to a content obtaining device linked to the network;

sending the electronic communication including the encrypted address data, for decryption to a second computer linked to the network, over the network, the second computer for sending the electronic communication to the terminal of the recipient, the terminal of the recipient corresponding to the address of the recipient, which was decrypted by the second computer from the encrypted address data;

receiving the request for obtaining content, that was automatically transmitted over the network, from the terminal of the recipient associated with the address of the recipient, when the electronic communication was opened; and

responding to receiving the request for obtaining content, that was automatically transmitted from the terminal of the recipient when the electronic communication was opened, including;

opening a connection between the terminal of the recipient with the opened electronic communication and the content obtaining device; and

,

providing content to the opened electronic communication through the connection.

14. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising:

closing the connection between the terminal of the recipient and the content obtaining device when a body for the opened electronic communication has been built, and the content has been provided to the body.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing content to the opened electronic communication includes obtaining listings based on at least one key word, and providing redirect uniform locators to target web sites associated with each listing, when the redirect uniform resource locator is activated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic communication includes a data string activatable by activating a link in the opened electronic communication, to open a connection between the terminal of the recipient and the content obtaining device, the data string including data for activating redirect uniform resource locators to direct the browsing application of the terminal of the recipient, when the recipient has activated the link, to one of the target web sites.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data string includes a click uniform resource locator, provided in the electronic communication, the click uniform resource locator including the address for the location of the redirect uniform resource locator, an electronic mail identifier, and a mailing identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electronic communication includes electronic mail.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the content is provided in real time when the electronic communication is opened.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the encrypted address data is encrypted with a one-way encryption application.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the encrypted address data is encrypted with a two-way encryption application.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the content obtaining device includes at least one server for linking to at least one content source over the network.

23. A system for providing time-relevant content into electronic communications over a network comprising:

at least one server linked to the network, comprising;

a storage medium for storing computer components; and

a processor for executing the computer components comprising;

a first component configured for receiving encrypted address data corresponding to a recipient, and providing the encrypted address data to an electronic communication;

a second component configured for creating electronic communications, each electronic communication including (i) a request for obtaining content that is automatically transmitted from the terminal of the recipient of an electronic communication over the network when the electronic communication is opened, and (ii) the encrypted address data from the first component, and, the second component configured for sending the electronic communication including the encrypted address data, for decryption, for obtaining the address of the recipient of the electronic communication;

a third component configured for receiving the request for obtaining content that was automatically transmitted from the terminal of the recipient associated with the decrypted address data for the electronic communication, when the recipient opened the electronic communication; and

,

a fourth component configured for opening a connection to the terminal of the recipient with the opened electronic communication and configured for obtaining content for the opened electronic communication, through the connection, in response to receiving the request for obtaining content that was automatically transmitted from the terminal of the recipient.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one server includes a host server.

25. The system of claim 24, additionally comprising:

an encryption device including a functionality for sending encrypted address data to the host server.

26. The system of claim 25, additionally comprising:

a decryption device configured for decrypting the encrypted address data from the electronic communication, and including a functionality for sending an electronic communication to a machine associated with the intended recipient of the decrypted address data.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the first component includes a module with electronic mail functionality.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the fourth component configured for obtaining content is configured for obtaining listings for target web sites.

29. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon, for causing a suitably programmed system to provide content to electronic communications, by performing the following steps, when such program is executed on the system, the steps comprising:

receiving encrypted address data corresponding to an address of a recipient;

creating an electronic communication including the encrypted address data, the electronic communication including a request for obtaining content that is automatically transmitted from a computer, linked to a network, the computer associated with the address of the recipient, over the network, when the electronic communication is opened, to a content obtaining device;

sending the electronic communication including the encrypted address data, the encrypted address data for decryption into the addressof the recipient, and for causing the sending of the electronic communication to the computer associated with the address of the recipient, the address of the recipient corresponding to the decrypted address data; and

responding to receiving the request for obtaining content, that was automatically transmitted from the computer associated with the address of the recipient when the electronic communication was opened, including;

opening a connection between the computer associated with the address of the recipient with the opened electronic communication, and the content obtaining device; and

,

providing content to the opened electronic communication through the connection.

30. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps additionally comprise:

closing the connection between the computer and the content obtaining device when a body for the opened electronic communication has been built and the content has been provided to the body.

31. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 30, where the step of providing content to the electronic communication includes obtaining listings based on at least one key word, and providing redirect uniform locators to target web sites associated with each listing, when the redirect uniform resource locator is activated.

32. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the electronic communication includes an electronic mail.

33. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the content obtaining device includes at least one server for linking to at least one content source over the network.

34. A computer-implemented method for providing time-relevant content into electronic communications over a network comprising:

receiving, by a computer system linked to the network, encrypted address data corresponding to a recipient, over the network, and the computer system creating an electronic communication including the encrypted address data and a request for obtaining content that is automatically transmitted from a terminal of the recipient over the network when the electronic communication is opened, to the computer system, the request for obtaining content including at least one keyword;

sending, by the computer system, the electronic communication including the encrypted address data, for decryption, to a computer linked to the network and configured for decryption, over the network;

receiving, by the computer system, the request for obtaining content, which was automatically transmitted over the network, from the terminal of the recipient associated with the address corresponding to the decrypted address data, when the electronic communication was opened; and

responding, by the computer system, to receiving the request for obtaining content, which was automatically transmitted from the terminal of the recipient when the electronic communication was opened, by;

obtaining content in text format based on the at least one keyword of the request for obtaining content; and

providing content to the opened electronic communication.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer system i) converts the content in text format into an image;

and ii) provides the image to the opened electronic communication in association with an activatable location.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the content is linked to a target web site, such that when the activatable location is activated, the computer system directs the browsing application of the computer of the recipient of the electronic communication, from which the activation occurred, to the target web site.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer system includes a host server for linking to at least one content source over the network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one content source includes at least one content server linked to the network.