System for, and method of, providing the transmission, receipt and content of an E-mail message to a recipient

• US 8,782,415 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPost Communications Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Original Assignee: RPost Communications Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Inventors: Tomkow, Terrance A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HENNING, MATTHEW T
• Application Number:
  US12/758,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A server transmits a message and attachments from a sender to a recipient. A hash is provided of (a) the message, (b) an identification of the sender and (c) a hash of the attachments to form a data string. Instructions may be included for the recipient to send a hashed encryption of the string to a website at the server by registered electronic mail which provides options to obtain other electronic advantages. To authenticate the message, the recipient transmits the message, the attachments and the hashed encryption of the string to the server website. The server decrypts and detaches the hashed encryption of the string to provide a first string and hashes the message, the sender identification and the hashed attachments in the first string to form a second string. The server also detaches and hashes the attachments from the message received at the server website to form first hashed attachments and detaches the hashed attachments from the string to form second hashed attachments. When the first and second hashed attachments match and the first and second strings match, the server authenticates the message to the recipient.

Claims

1. In a method of providing for an authentication of a message provided by a sender and transmitted by a server with file attachments to a recipient, the steps of:

receiving at the server from the sender the message and the file attachments of the message,

providing by the server a string including an identification of the sender, a copy of the message without the file attachments, and a hash of the file attachments,

providing an encrypted hash of the string,

concealing the encrypted hash of the string within an HTML comment field of an HTML file, the HTML file including an address at the server where the message is to be sent by a recipient for authentication,

attaching the HTML file and encrypted hash of the string to the message, and

transmitting to the recipient the message and the file attachments and the attached HTML file for use in subsequently authenticating the message and the file attachments at the recipient.

2. In a method of providing for authenticating a message provided by a sender and transmitted by a server with file attachments to a recipient, the steps at the server of:

providing attachments to the message,

providing the message stripped of the attachments,

hashing the attachments,

combining into a string information identifying the sender, the hashed attachments and the message,

hashing and encrypting the string,

concealing the encrypted string within an HTML comment field,

providing instructions in an HTML format of how to validate the message by inviting anyone wishing to authenticate the message to send the message and the attachments of the message to a particular address at the server, and

attaching the message and the HTML comment field to the instructions, and

sending the message and attachments, the HTML comment field and the instructions to the recipient.

3. A method of transmitting a message with file attachments from a sender to a recipient via a server remote from the recipient, comprising:

providing a message,

providing attachments to the message,

providing the message stripped of the attachments,

hashing the attachments,

combining into a string information identifying the sender, the hashed attachments and the message stripped of the attachments,

hashing and encrypting the string,

providing instructions in an HTML format of how to validate the message by inviting anyone wishing to authenticate the message to send the message, encrypted hash of the string and the hashed attachments of the message to a particular website at the server,

introducing the message and the encrypted hash of the string to the instructions in the HTML format, and

selecting by the sender a method of transmission selected from the group of options consisting of Send Register Unmarked, Send for Official use Only, Use a Reply Registered Feature, Use a Digital Signature Feature, Send encrypted, and Send digitally signed, and

transmitting the message, the hashed attachments to the message and the encrypted hash of the string to the instructions in the HTML format on a registered mail basis from the sender to the recipient via a server remote from the recipient.

4. In a method as set forth in claim 3, wherein transmitting includes transmitting the string of the message, the identification of the sender and the hashed attachments to the recipient.