Certified email system and method

• US 8,374,930 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustifi LLC
• Original Assignee: Trustifi Corporation
• Inventors: Benisti, Peter S, Bramson, Steven J, Chaltiel, Victor M. G., Kantor, Philip A
• Primary Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US12/486,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A certified email system for providing a time stamp for a presented file, particularly when the presented file is an email. Preferably a demanding party receives the email; generates a unique HASH; digitally signs the unique HASH; and sends the signed HASH and a time-stamp request call to a web services time-stamp conduit (WSTC). The WSTC receives the request and signed HASH from the demanding party and obtains a time stamp. The WSTC sends the time stamp back to the demanding party, which sends a time-stamp notification to the original sender of the email and, optionally, the recipient(s) of the email. Multiple branded or customized demanding servers can efficiently run using one web services time-stamp conduit.

An integrated detailed billing system capable of pass-through client billing, keyword search functionality, a multi-party content management system, and convenient web-based automated verification (file or HASH) services are provided.

Claims

1. A system to provide categorization of a time stamp, comprising:

a time-stamp authority having a secure clock and executing at least one application for performing the function of providing said time stamp; and

a time-stamping system comprising a processor executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

receiving a copy of an email from a message originator, said email copy having at least one recipient electronic-delivery address associated therewith that directs transmission of said email to at least one recipient and having a time-stamp system email address associated therewith;

wherein said time-stamp system email address has a local-part and has a domain-part that directs transmission of said email copy to said time-stamping system;

wherein receipt of said email copy by said time-stamping system comprises a solicitation for said time stamp; and

wherein said time-stamp system email address is created by said message originator;

extracting said local-part and email-transmission data from said email copy;

wherein said email-transmission data comprise at least one of a “

TO;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

FROM;

Address”

of said email copy, said time-stamp system email address of said email copy, said recipient electronic-delivery address, a “

CC;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

BCC;

Address”

of said email copy, a portion of an email header of said email copy, an Internet Protocol (IP) address from which said email copy was sent, or transmission data of said email copy;

preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp;

obtaining said time stamp from said time-stamp authority; and

utilizing at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by at least associating said time stamp and said email copy with an account accessible to one of said message originator and one of said at least one recipients.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database for storing data accessible to said time-stamping system;

a web server having access to said data of said database and executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

providing a website allowing access to said account of at least one of said message originator or said at least one recipient; and

allowing at least one of said message originator or said at least one recipient to view and retrieve said time stamp through said website.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said time-stamping system further comprises:

a demanding party computing system executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

receiving said email copy;

extracting said email-transmission data;

preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp;

associating said time stamp and said email copy with said account; and

a web services time-stamp conduit executing at least one application for performing the function of obtaining said time stamp from said time-stamp authority.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said time-stamp system email address comprises at least one IDENTIFIER within said local-part of said time-stamp system email address;

wherein said IDENTIFIER is used to provide said categorization of said time stamp; and

wherein said at least one IDENTIFIER comprises one or more of;

a project-associable code associable with a project of said message originator;

a pseudo-random code associable with said project or client;

a client-associable code associable with said client of said message originator;

a TCC;

Address password code usable to confirm the identity of said message originator;

or

a message originator-associable code usable to identify said message originator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said time-stamping system further utilizes at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by associating said time stamp with a project of said account.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said time-stamping system is operable to provide a search function operable to search within data associated with said account; and

said search function is operable to return a search result.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said time-stamping system further utilizes at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to derive billing-associable details usable to provide detailed billing for said message originator by associating the cost for said time stamp with at least one of a client or a project.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said time-stamping system further comprises a web server configured to provide a website providing access to said account and configured to provide at least one user/participant console associated with said account; and

one of said at least one user/participant consoles is configured with at least one project folder corresponding to said project and allowing access to said time stamp and to said email copy associated with said project.

20. The system of claim 8, wherein said web server is further configured to provide a corporate administrative console, wherein said corporate administrative console provides administrative tools, wherein said administrative tools include at least one of:

management of said project folder and additional account project folders;

authorization of participants;

authorization of users;

configuration of privileges for said users and said participants;

management of account payments;

or

viewing or exporting usage reports.

21. The system of claim 3, wherein said demanding party and said web services time-stamp conduit are embodied in a single architectural element.

9. A system for providing categorization of a time stamp, comprising:

a time-stamping system comprising an accessible database and a processor executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

receiving a copy of an email from a message originator, said email copy having at least one recipient electronic-delivery address associated therewith that directs direct transmission of said email to at least one recipient and having a time-stamp system email address associated therewith;

wherein said time-stamp system email address has a local-part and has a domain-part that directs transmission of said email copy to said time-stamping system, wherein said receipt of said email copy by said time-stamping system comprises a solicitation for said time stamp, wherein said time-stamp system email address is created by said message originator;

extracting said local-part and email-transmission data from said email copy;

wherein said email-transmission data comprise at least one of a “

TO;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

FROM;

Address”

of said email copy, said time-stamp system email address of said email copy, said recipient electronic-delivery address, a “

CC;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

BCC;

Address”

of said email copy, a portion of an email header of said email copy, an Internet Protocol (IP) address from which said email copy was sent, or transmission data of said email copy;

preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp;

obtaining said time stamp; and

utilizing at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by associating said time stamp and said email copy with an account accessible to one of said message originator or one of said at least one recipients; and

a web server having access to the data of said database and executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

providing a website accessible to said account of at least one of said message originator or said recipient; and

allowing at least one of said message originator or said recipient to view and retrieve said time stamp through said website.

10. The system, as recited in claim 9 wherein said time-stamping system comprises:

a demanding party computing system executing at least one application for performing the functions of;

receiving said email copy;

extracting said email-transmission data;

preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp;

associating said time stamp and said email copy with said account; and

a web services time-stamp conduit executing at least one application for performing the function of obtaining said time stamp from said time-stamp authority.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said time-stamp system email address comprises at least one IDENTIFIER within said local-part of said time-stamp system email address;

wherein said IDENTIFIER is used to provide said categorization of said time stamp; and

wherein said at least one IDENTIFIER comprises one or more of;

a project-associable code associable with a project of said message originator;

a pseudo-random code associable with said project or a client;

a client-associable code associable with said client of said message originator;

a TCC;

Address password code usable to confirm the identity of said message originator; and

a message originator-associable code usable to identify said message originator.

12. The system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said time-stamping system further utilizes at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to derive billing-associable details usable to provide detailed billing for said message originator by associating the cost for said time stamp with at least one of a client or a project.

13. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said time-stamping system is operable to provide a search function operable to search within data associated with said account; and

said search function is operable to return a search result.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein said web server is further configured to provide a corporate administrative console accessible to said message originator, wherein said corporate administrative console provides administrative tools, wherein said administrative tools include at least one of:

management of said project folder and additional account project folders;

authorization of participants;

authorization of users;

configuration of privileges for said users and said participants;

management of account payments;

or

viewing or exporting usage reports.

23. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said time-stamping system further utilizes at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by associating said time stamp with a project of said account.

24. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein:

said web server is configured to provide access to said account and configured to provide at least one user/participant console associated with said account; and

one of said at least one user/participant consoles is configured with at least one project folder corresponding to said project and allowing access to said time stamp and to said email copy associated with said project.

25. The system of claim 10, wherein said demanding party and said web services time-stamp conduit are embodied in a single architectural element.

14. A method to provide categorization of a time-stamp, comprising:

receiving, by a time-stamping system comprising a processor for executing at least one application, a copy of an email from a message originator, said email copy having at least one recipient electronic-delivery address associated therewith that directs transmission of said email to at least one recipient and having a time-stamp system email address associated therewith;

wherein said time-stamp system email address has a local-part and has a domain-part that directs transmission of said email copy to said time-stamping system;

wherein receipt of said email copy by said time-stamping system comprises a solicitation for said time stamp; and

wherein said time-stamp system email address is created by said message originator;

extracting, by said time-stamping system, said local-part and email-transmission data from said email copy;

wherein said email-transmission data comprise at least one of a “

TO;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

FROM;

Address”

of said email copy, said time-stamp system email address of said email copy, said recipient electronic-delivery address, a “

CC;

Address”

of said email copy, a “

BCC;

Address”

of said email copy, a portion of an email header of said email copy, an Internet Protocol (IP) address from which said email copy was sent, or transmission data of said email copy;

preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp;

obtaining said time stamp from a time-stamp authority having a secure clock and executing at least one application for performing the function of providing said time stamp;

utilizing, by said time-stamping system, at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by at least associating said time stamp and said email copy with an account accessible to one of said message originator or one of said at least one recipients.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said time-stamping system comprises a database for storing data accessible to said time-stamping system, and wherein said method further comprises:

providing a website allowing access to said account, wherein said website is provided by a web server having access to said data of said database and having a processor for executing at least one application; and

allowing, by said web server, at least one of said message originator or said at least one recipient to view and retrieve said time stamp through said website.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said time-stamp system email address comprises at least one IDENTIFIER within the local-part of said time-stamp system email address;

wherein said IDENTIFIER is used to provide said categorization of said time stamp; and

wherein said at least one IDENTIFIER comprises one or more of;

a project-associable code associable with a project of said message originator;

a pseudo-random code associable with said project or a client;

a client-associable code associable with a client of said message originator;

a TCC;

Address password code usable to confirm the identity of said message originator;

or

a message originator-associable code usable to identify said message originator.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

deriving billing-associable details from at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data;

associating, by said time-stamping system, the cost for said time stamp with at least one of a client or a project.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising further utilizing at least one of said local-part or said email-transmission data to provide said categorization of said time stamp by associating said time stamp with a project of said account.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a search function operable to search within data associated with said account upon receipt of input data; and

returning a search result.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing at least one user/participant console;

associating said at least one user/participant console with said account;

creating a project folder corresponding to said project;

associating said time stamp and said email copy with said project folder; and

allowing access to an owner of said account to said time stamp and said email copy stored in association with said project folder.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a corporate administrative console;

allowing access by said message originator to said corporate administrative console;

providing administrative tools accessible through said corporate administrative console, wherein said administrative tools include at least one of;

management of said project folder and additional account project folders;

authorization of participants;

authorization of users;

configuration of privileges for said users and said participants;

management of account payments;

or

viewing or exporting usage reports.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing at least one user/participant console associable with an account of said message originator;

configuring a project folder to correspond to said project;

allowing, upon said authorization of said participant, said participant to access said project folder through said website; and

allowing said participant to view and retrieve said time stamp and said email copy associated with said project folder through said website.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said receiving said email copy is performed by a demanding party computing system executing at least one application;

said extracting said email-transmission data is performed by said demanding party computing system;

said preparing said email copy for obtaining said time stamp is performed by said demanding party computing system;

associating said time stamp and said email copy with said account is performed by said demanding party computing system; and

said obtaining said time stamp from said time-stamp authority is performed by a web services time-stamp conduit executing at least one application.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said demanding party and said web services time-stamp conduit are embodied in a single architectural element.