Instant messaging private tags

• US 8,484,478 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kent, Larry G. Jr., Daniell, W. Todd, Davis, Joel A., Daigle, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Application Number:
  US13/183,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Systems for instant messaging private tags preferably comprise a parser for parsing an instant message for sensitive data and an encryption engine for encrypting the sensitive data. A modified uuencoder is also preferably included for converting the encrypted sensitive data into a data stream that complies with an XML format. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for decrypting a message comprising:

a parser to parse a received data stream and identify and remove private tags from the received data stream, the private tags surrounding sensitive data; and

a decryption engine to decrypt the sensitive data based on information in the private tags, the information comprising a name and value pair identifying a decryption method to utilize in decrypting the sensitive data, the decryption engine further to determine a key associated with the name and value pair to decrypt the sensitive data and decrypt the sensitive data using the key identified by the name and value pair.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the private tags includes a start tag and an end tag.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a uudecoder to convert the received data stream into an extensible markup language compliant format.

4. A method comprising:

parsing a received data stream to identify private tags, the private tags surrounding sensitive data and identifying a name and value pair to utilize in decrypting the sensitive data;

determining a key associated with the name and value pair;

decrypting the sensitive data using the key associated with the name and value pair; and

removing the private tags from the received data stream.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the private tags includes a start tag and an end tag.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising uudecoding the received data stream into an extensible markup language compliant format.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

parsing a received data stream to identify private tags, the private tags surrounding sensitive data and identifying a name and value pair to utilize in decrypting the sensitive data;

determining a key associated with the name and value pair;

decrypting the sensitive data using the key associated with the name and value pair; and

removing the private tags from the received data stream.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein each of the private tags includes a start tag and an end tag.