System and method for verifying delivery and integrity of electronic messages

• US 8,468,198 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPost Communications Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Original Assignee: RPost International Limited
• Inventors: Tomkow, Terrance A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US13/448,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for determining when a message is received by a recipient or an agent for the recipient. A link is activated at the recipient to provide an indication that the message has been opened by the recipient. The activation of the link may cause a server remote from the recipient to take some further action.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient and providing an indication that the message was opened by the recipient, comprising:

receiving the message at a server from the sender, the server being displaced from the recipient,

associating a link with the message by the server, the link configured to execute when the link is activated at the recipient to provide an indication that the message has been opened by a recipient,

transmitting the message and the link from the server to the recipient,

executing the link when the link is activated at the recipient to control the server to provide an indication that the message has been delivered to the recipient,

providing an authenticatible information related to the message, including the indication of the delivery of the message at the recipient, at the server, and

transmitting the indication of the delivery of the message at the recipient, and the authenticatible information from the server to the sender.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is activated by a server at the recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the link is automatically activated by the server at the recipient upon the first interaction of the link with the server at the recipient.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the link is activated by any servers encountered by the message as the message is relayed through a network when the message is transmitted from the server to the recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, where each activation of the link results in a record being made at the server of the activation of the link, and

storing the record in a memory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is activated at the recipient to provide an indication that the message has been opened by the recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication of the opening of the message at the recipient, and the authenticatible information are stored in a memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the memory is associated with the server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the memory is in communication with the server, but is not associated with the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the delivery of the message, and the authenticatible information are stored in a memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory is associated with the server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory is in communication with the server, but is not associated with the server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is transmitted to the recipient using a web-services protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the link with the message includes associating the link or a different link with an attachment to the message, the link configured to activate when the attachment is opened at the recipient to provide an indication that the attachment was opened at the recipient.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is activated when the recipient clicks on the link.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein activating the link also causes information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the information displayed.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information displayed contains a second link, the second link being activated when the recipient clicks on the second link, wherein activating the second link causes a second information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the second information displayed.

18. A system transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient and providing an indication that the message was opened by the recipient, comprising:

a server in electronic communication with the sender and the receiver, the server programmed to receive a message from the sender, to associate a link with the message, the link configured to execute when the link is activated at the recipient to provide an indication that the message has been opened by a recipient, to transmit the message and the link from the server to the recipient, wherein

the link is executed when the link is activated at the recipient to control the server to provide an indication that the message has been opened at the recipient, and

wherein the server is programmed to form an authenticatible information related to the message, and to transmit the indication of the opening of the message at the recipient and the authenticatible information from the server to the sender.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the link is activated by a server at the recipient.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the link is automatically activated by the server at the recipient upon the first interaction of the link with the server at the recipient.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the link is activated by any servers encountered by the message as the message is relayed through a network when the message is transmitted from the server to the recipient.

22. The system of claim 21, where each activation of the link results in a record being made at the server of the activation of the link, and the server is programmed to store the record in a memory.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication of the opening of the message at the recipient, and the authenticatible information are stored in a memory.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory is associated with the server.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory is in communication with the server, but is not associated with the server.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the link is transmitted to the recipient using a web-services protocol.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the server associates the link or a different link with an attachment to the message, the link configured to activate when the attachment is opened at the recipient to provide an indication that the message was delivered to the recipient.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the server associates the link or a different link with an attachment to the message, the link configured to activate when the attachment is opened at the recipient to provide an indication that the attachment was opened at the recipient.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the link is activated when the recipient clicks on the link.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein activating the link also causes information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the information displayed.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the information displayed contains a second link, the second link being activated when the recipient clicks on the second link, wherein activating the second link causes a second information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the second information displayed.

32. A system transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient and providing an indication that the message was opened by the recipient, comprising:

a server in electronic communication with the sender and the receiver, the server programmed to receive a message from the sender, to associate a link with the message, the link configured to execute when the link is activated at the recipient to provide an indication that the message has been delivered to a recipient, to transmit the message and the link from the server to the recipient, wherein

the link is executed when the link is activated at the recipient to control the server to provide an indication that the message has been delivered to the recipient, and

wherein the server is programmed to form an authenticatible information related to the message, and to transmit the indication of the delivery of the message to the recipient and the authenticatible information from the server to the sender.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the link is activated by a server at the recipient.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the link is automatically activated by the server at the recipient upon the first interaction of the link with the server at the recipient.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the indication of the delivery of the message to the recipient, and the authenticatible information are stored in a memory.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the link is activated by any servers encountered by the message as the message is relayed through a network when the message is transmitted from the server to the recipient.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein each activation of the link results in a record being made at the server of the activation of the link, and the server is programmed to store the record in a memory.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the server associates the link or a different link with an attachment to the message, the link configured to activate when the attachment is opened at the recipient to provide an indication that the message was delivered to the recipient.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the server associates the link or a different link with an attachment to the message, the link configured to activate when the attachment is opened at the recipient to provide an indication that the message was opened by the recipient.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the link is activated when the recipient clicks on the link.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein activating the link also causes information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the information displayed.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the information displayed contains a second link, the second link being activated when the recipient clicks on the second link, wherein activating the second link causes a second information to be displayed to the recipient and to control the server to make a record of the second information displayed.