System and method for compressing secure E-mail for exchange with a mobile data communication device

• US 8,898,473 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Godfrey, James A., Little, Herbert A., Brown, Michael K., Adams, Neil P., Cherry, Carl L., Tyhurst, Timothy R., Brown, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US13/611,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device: the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to encryption and/or authentication aspect. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a remote system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the remote system to one or more receivers.

Claims

1. A method of reducing size of an encoded message at a host system before the encrypted message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising:

receiving at the host system the encoded message from a message sender addressed to at least one message receiver, the encoded message comprising a digital signature, a certificate, and a message body; and

determining whether any of the at least one message receiver has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

rearranging the digital signature and certificate in the encoded message so that the message body is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the digital signature and the certificate; and

transmitting the processed message to said corresponding wireless mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is transmitted.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, verifying the digital signature and indicating a digital signature verification status.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message comprises a Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message is encrypted according to Pretty Good Privacy.

7. A system for reducing size of an encoded message for transmission to a wireless mobile communication device, the system comprising:

a host system configured to receive the encoded message from a message sender addressed to at least one message receiver, the encoded message comprising a digital signature, a certificate, and a message body; and

a wireless connector system associated with the host system and configured to determine whether any of the at least one message receiver has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, and, for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

rearrange the digital signature and certificate in the encoded message so that the message body is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the digital signature and the certificate; and

transmit the processed message to said corresponding wireless mobile communication device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is transmitted.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless connector system is further configured to, for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, verify the digital signature and indicate a digital signature verification status.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the encoded message comprises a Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) e-mail message.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the encoded message is encrypted according to Pretty Good Privacy.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions for carrying out a method of reducing size of an encoded message at a host system before the encrypted message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising:

receiving at the host system the encoded message from a message sender addressed to at least one message receiver, the encoded message comprising a digital signature, a certificate, and a message body; and

determining whether any of the at least one message receiver has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device;

rearranging the digital signature and certificate in the encoded message so that the message body is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the digital signature and the certificate; and

transmitting the processed message to said corresponding wireless mobile communication device.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is transmitted.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising, for each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, verifying the digital signature and indicating a digital signature verification status.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the encoded message comprises a Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) e-mail message.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the encoded message is encrypted according to Pretty Good Privacy.