System and method for virtual team collaboration in a secure environment

• US 8,499,148 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi Eng, Eugene Dmytrichenko, Eugene Myasushkin
• Original Assignee: Chi Eng, Eugene Dmytrichenko, Eugene Myasushkin
• Inventors: Eng, Chi, Dmytrichenko, Eugene, Myasushkin, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS, LINGLAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/938,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155, 380/44, 705 50- 52, 705/64, 705/71, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0631 Substitution permutation network [SPN], i.e. cipher composed of a number of stages or rounds each involving linear and nonlinear transformations, e.g. AES algorithms

Abstract

A computing platform for facilitating dynamic connection and collaboration of users to transact services in a secure computing environment. The users include service providers and service requesters. The platform includes a registration module for registering users including service requesters and service providers, a connection module for connect users to form groups based on users'"'"' selective invitations to other users, and a collaboration module for creating a virtual secure data room for collaboration and sharing of encrypted data by the connected users in a user-friendly and transparent manner. The platform further comprises a transaction module for settling payments between the service requesters and the service providers based on completion of previously agreed project milestones.

Claims

1. A computing platform for facilitating connection and collaboration of users including service providers and service requesters in a secure computing environment, comprising:

(a) a registration module for registering users including service requesters and service providers;

(b) a data storage for receiving a set of data from a first registered user, wherein the set of data represents one of documents and messages of the first registered user;

(c) a web application module for associating a first unique identifier with the first registered user and a second unique identifier with the set of data of the first registered user, and for defining a security passphrase;

(d) an encoder for encrypting the set of data based on the first unique identifier, the second unique identifier, and the security passphrase;

(e) a connection module for connecting the first registered user to form a group of connected users based on the first registered user'"'"'s invitations to other registered users and for defining a subgroup of connected users based on the first registered user'"'"'s invitations to the connected users for sharing the set of data;

(f) a collaboration module for facilitating the sharing of the encrypted set of data between the first registered user and the subgroup of connected users without requiring the members of the subgroup to input any of the first and second unique identifiers and the security passphrase in order to receive the set of data in unencrypted form, wherein the collaboration module retrieves the encrypted set of data based on the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier, and the encoder decrypts the encrypted set of data for the members of the subgroup based on the first unique identifier, the second unique identifier and the security passphrase; and

(g) a matching module for receiving requirements for a project from a second registered user who is a service requester and matching the requirements to one or more registered users who are service providers based on profiles of the registered users.

2. The platform of claim 1, further comprising a software program for generating a key by combining the first and second unique identifiers and the security passphrase, the key being subsequently used by the encoder to one of encrypt and decrypt the set of data.

3. The platform of claim 1, further comprising a transaction module configured to settle payments between the matched one or more registered users and the second registered user based on agreed project milestones.

4. The platform of claim 1, further comprising a work product preview module configured to allow the service requester to preview portions of a work product prior to payment of an agreed project milestone associated with the work product.

5. The platform of claim 4, wherein the work product preview module employs video streaming technology to display the portions of the work product.

6. The platform of claim 1, wherein the encoder uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

7. The platform of claim 1, wherein the encoder uses AES-128.

8. A computer implemented method for facilitating connection and collaboration of users including service providers and requesters in a secure computing environment, comprising the steps of:

(a) registering, using a computer processor, users including service requesters and service providers;

(b) associating, using a computer processor, a first unique identifier with a first registered user;

(c) defining, using a computer processor, a security passphrase;

(d) connecting, using a computer processor, the first registered user to other registered users to form a group based on the first registered user'"'"'s invitations to the other registered users;

(e) receiving, using a computer processor, from the first registered user a set of data, wherein the set of data represents one of messages and documents of the first registered user;

(f) associating, using a computer processor, a second unique identifier with the set of data;

(g) encrypting, using a computer processor, the set of data using the first and second unique identifiers and the security passphrase;

(h) sharing, using a computer processor, by the first registered user the encrypted set of data with select members of the group without requiring the select members to input any of the first and second unique identifiers or the security passphrase to receive an unencrypted form of the set of data;

(i) retrieving, using a computer processor, the encrypted set of data using the first and second unique identifiers, and decrypting the encrypted set of data based on the first and second unique identifiers and the security passphrase;

(j) receiving, using a computer processor, requirements for a project from a second registered user who is a service requester; and

(k) matching, using a computer processor, the requirements to one or more registered users who are service providers based on profiles of the registered users.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of combining, using a computer processor, the first and second unique identifiers and the security passphrase to generate a key and wherein the steps of encrypting and decrypting uses said key.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of settling payments, using a computer processor, between the matched one or more registered users based on completion of previously agreed milestones.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of allowing, using a computer processor, the service requester to preview a portion of a work product of the matched one or more registered users prior to payment of a previously agreed milestone associated with the work product.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of previewing work product uses video streaming technology.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of encrypting uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of encrypting uses AES-128.