System and method for handling electronic mail mismatches

• US 8,312,165 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Kenneth, Brown, Michael Stephen, Segato, Timothy Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US12/896,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/202, 709/235, 709/245, 713/156
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• 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 of locating a digital certificate, the method performed by a processor of a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying an e-mail address, said e-mail address consisting of a user name and a name of a first domain;

performing a first search for one or more digital certificates associated with the e-mail address;

truncating the name of the first domain to identify the name of a second domain;

performing, concurrently with the first search, a second search for one or more digital certificates associated with an address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain, wherein the first domain is a subdomain of the second domain; and

in response to performing the second search, processing a message using a located digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of a result of said second search, wherein said indication indicates whether at least one digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain was found as a result of said second search.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising truncating the user name to identify a second user name, and searching for one or more digital certificates associated with an address consisting of the second user name and the name of the second domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second search comprises searching digital certificates resident on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second search comprises searching digital certificates stored on a server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an e-mail message, and wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a recipient of the e-mail message to be sent from the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an e-mail message, and wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a sender of the e-mail message received at the computing device.

9. A computing device configured to locate a digital certificate, wherein a processor of the computing device is configured to:

identify an e-mail address, said e-mail address consisting of a user name and a name of a first domain;

perform a first search for one or more digital certificates associated with the e-mail address;

truncate the name of the first domain to identify the name of a second domain;

perform, concurrently with the first search, a second search for one or more digital certificates associated with an address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain, wherein the first domain is a subdomain of the second domain; and

in response to performing the second search, process a message using a located digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication of a result of said second search, and wherein said indication indicates whether at least one digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain was found as a result of said second search.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to truncate the user name to identify a second user name, and search for one or more digital certificates associated with an address consisting of the second user name and the name of the second domain.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a mobile device.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to perform the second search by searching for digital certificates resident on the computing device.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to perform the second search by searching for digital certificates stored on a server.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the message comprises an e-mail message, and wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a recipient of the e-mail message to be sent from the computing device.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the message comprises an e-mail message, and wherein the identified e-mail address is associated with a sender of the e-mail message received at the computing device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for a method of locating a digital certificate, the method to be performed by a processor of a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying an e-mail address, said e-mail address consisting of a user name and a name of a first domain;

performing a first search for one or more digital certificates associated with the e-mail address;

truncating the name of the first domain to identify the name of a second domain;

performing, concurrently with the first search, a second search for one or more digital certificates associated with an address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain, wherein the first domain is a subdomain of the second domain; and

in response to performing the second search, processing a message using a located digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain.

18. The medium of claim 17, the method further comprising providing an indication of a result of said second search, wherein said indication indicates whether at least one digital certificate associated with the address consisting of the user name and the name of the second domain was found as a result of said second search.