Method and apparatus for providing secure document distribution

• US 8,342,392 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Overtouch Remote LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kiliccote, Han
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/546,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/382, 235/462.01, 713/172
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption

Abstract

A system for providing secure document distribution is disclosed. The system includes an application configured to: allow an author to create a document, allow the author to secure the document using an access code, wherein the access code is needed to gain access to the document, encrypt the access code, and forward a message to a recipient, wherein the message includes the document and the encrypted access code, a terminal configured to: allow the recipient to open the message, and generate an image, the image having information embedded therein, the embedded information including the encrypted access code, and a portable device configured to: allow the recipient to capture the image, store predetermined information, wherein the predetermined information is usable to decrypt the encrypted access code, capture input information from the recipient, the input information to be used to ensure that the recipient is authorized to use the portable device, extract the information embedded in the image, decrypt the encrypted access code using the predetermined information, and generate an output, the output including the access code. The terminal is further configured to receive the output generated by the portable device and evaluate the output to determine if the correct access code needed for access to the document is provided.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a message that includes a document and an encrypted access code;

in response to opening of the message, generating an image having embedded information that includes the encrypted access code;

capturing a copy of the image at a portable device;

decrypting the encrypted access code from the copy of the image using information stored in the portable device to yield a decrypted access code; and

generating an output that includes the decrypted access code, the output allowing access to the document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

securing the document using the decrypted access code;

encrypting the access code to yield the encrypted access code; and

forwarding the message, including the encrypted access code and the document, to a recipient device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the decrypting comprises using a cryptographic algorithm to decrypt the encrypted access code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing access to the document based on manual input received at the portable device; and

performing the decrypting and the generating the output in response to the authorizing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the authorizing comprises authorizing based on at least one of a personal identification number or biometric information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the image comprises generating one or more barcodes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the output.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the message comprising receiving the message via email.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an encrypted passcode capable of being decrypted by the portable device,

wherein the generating the image comprises including the encrypted passcode in the image.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

extracting and decrypting, by the portable device, the encrypted passcode to yield a decrypted passcode;

encrypting, by the portable device, the decrypted access code using the decrypted passcode.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components that, in response to execution, cause a computing device to perform operations including:

based on content of a received message including a document and an encrypted access code, generating an image having embedded information that includes the encrypted access code;

capturing a copy of the image;

decrypting the encrypted access code from the copy of the image using stored information to yield a decrypted access code; and

generating an output that includes the decrypted access code, the output allowing access to the document.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the capturing includes receiving the copy of the image from a portable device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

authorizing the generating of the output based on input received at the portable device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the authorizing comprises authorizing based on at least one of a personal identification number or biometric information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the decrypting includes decrypting the encrypted access code using a cryptographic algorithm.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the generating the image comprises generating one or more barcodes.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving the message comprises receiving the message via email.

18. A system comprising:

means for receiving a message that includes a document and an encrypted access code;

means for generating an image, based on the message, that includes the encrypted access code;

means for capturing a copy of the image;

means for decrypting the encrypted access code from the copy of the image using information stored in the means for capturing to yield a decrypted access code; and

means for generating an output, including the decrypted access code, that allows access to the document.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for securing the document using the decrypted access code;

means for encrypting the access code to yield the encrypted access code; and

means for forwarding the message, including the encrypted access code and the document, to a receiving device.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for displaying the output.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing component configured to generate an image having embedded information that includes an encrypted access code in response to opening a received message including a document and an encrypted access code, and capture a copy of the image at a portable device; and

a decryption component configured to decrypt the encrypted access code from the copy of the image using information stored in the portable device to yield a decrypted access code, wherein the processing component is further configured to generate an output that includes the decrypted access code that allows access to the document.