Messaging systems and methods

• US 8,949,943 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landsman, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, KARI L
• Application Number:
  US13/597,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/7, 726/27, 713/157, 713/163, 713/182, 709/205, 709/223, 380/255
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

A third-party can subscribe to one or more electronic message group lists without joining the group lists by creating a trust relationship between the subscriber and a group list member. In particular, the subscriber can send a trust indicator to the group member, who can then determine whether to accept the trust indicator for all or specific groups that are associated with the group member, as appropriate. In at least one embodiment, the group member can send a trust indicator acceptance message to the subscriber that identifies the group member, and any or all group lists associated with the group member. The subscriber can then receive messages directed to the trusted group member or group lists, and can send group messages to the group lists subject to a receive setting associated with the group lists or group members of the group lists.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing, using at least one processor, a group that includes a plurality of group members, wherein membership in the group establishes a first trust level among the plurality of group members that enables each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages without a trust challenge;

establishing a second trust level between one or more subscribers that are not one of the plurality of group members and the group;

receiving a message from a sender that is intended for the group;

determining a trust level between the sender and the group based on whether the sender is a group member or a subscriber;

in response to the sender being a group member and the trust level between the sender and the group is the first trust level, sending the message to the group members;

in response to the sender being a subscriber and the trust level between the sender and the group is the second trust level, determining if a trust relationship exists between the sender and each member of the group,

if no trust relationship exists between a particular member of the group and the sender, delivering the message to the particular member of the group only if the sender passes a trust challenge; and

if a trust relationship exists between the particular member of the group and the sender, delivering the message to the particular member of the group without the trust challenge; and

in response to the sender being neither a group member nor a subscriber and there is no trust level between the sender and the group, blocking the message from being delivered to the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the group comprises establishing the second trust level between at least one subscriber and at least one of the plurality of group members.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the plurality of group members is a member of a plurality of groups, and wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the at least one of the plurality of group members comprises establishing a limited trust relationship that establishes a trust level between at least one subscriber and less than all of the plurality of groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trust level enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages includes enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive messages to or from the group generally.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending and/or receiving messages to or from the group generally comprises sending and/or receiving messages to or from a group address that is associated with the group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trust level enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages includes enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive messages to or from others of the plurality of group members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the group comprises verifying that a network address associated with the one or more subscribers is one or both of valid or trusted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is associated with default subscriber receive privileges, and wherein the default subscriber receive privileges are applied to the second trust level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is associated with default subscriber accept privileges, and wherein the default subscriber accept privileges are applied to the second trust level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the group comprises a first group and wherein the one or more subscribers comprises a second group, and wherein establishing the second trust level comprises establishing a reciprocal trust relationship between the first group and the second group.

11. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to implement a method, comprising:

establishing a group that includes a plurality of group members, wherein membership in the group establishes a first trust level among the plurality of group members that enables each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages without a trust challenge;

establishing a second trust level between one or more subscribers that are not one of the plurality of group members and the group;

receiving a message from a sender that is intended for the group;

determining a trust level between the sender and the group based on whether the sender is a group member or a subscriber;

in response to the sender being a group member and the trust level between the sender and the group is the first trust level, sending the message to the group members;

in response to the sender being a subscriber and the trust level between the sender and the group is the second trust level, determining if a trust relationship exists between the sender and each member of the group,

if no trust relationship exists between a particular member of the group and the sender, delivering the message to the particular member of the group only if the sender passes a trust challenge; and

if a trust relationship exists between the particular member of the group and the sender, delivering the message to the particular member of the group without the trust challenge; and

in response to the sender being neither a group member nor a subscriber and there is no trust level between the sender and the group, blocking the message from being delivered to the group.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the group comprises establishing the second trust level between at least one subscriber and at least one of the plurality of group members.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the plurality of group members is a member of a plurality of groups, and wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the at least one of the plurality of group members comprises establishing a limited trust relationship that establishes a trust level between at least one subscriber and less than all of the plurality of groups.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first trust level enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages includes enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive messages to or from the group generally.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first trust level enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages includes enabling each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive messages to or from others of the plurality of group members.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein establishing the second trust level between the one or more subscribers and the group comprises verifying that a network address associated with the one or more subscribers is one or both of valid or trusted.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the group is associated with default subscriber receive privileges, and wherein the default subscriber receive privileges are applied to the second trust level.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the group is associated with default subscriber accept privileges, and wherein the default subscriber accept privileges are applied to the second trust level.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the group comprises a first group and wherein the one or more subscribers comprises a second group, and wherein establishing the second trust level comprises establishing a reciprocal trust relationship between the first group and the second group.

20. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to implement a method, comprising;

establishing a group that includes a plurality of group members, wherein membership in the group establishes a first trust level among the plurality of group members that enables each of the plurality of group members to send and/or receive group messages without a trust challenge;

establishing a second trust level between one or more subscribers that are not one of the plurality of group members and the group;

receiving a message from a sender that is intended for the group;

determining a trust level between the sender and the group based on whether the sender is a group member or a subscriber;

in response to the sender being a group member and the trust level between the sender and the group is the first trust level, sending the message to the group members;

in response to the sender being a subscriber and the trust level between the sender and the group is the second trust level, determining if a trust relationship exists between the sender and each member of the group,

if no trust relationship exists between a particular member of the group and the sender˜

delivering the message to the particular member of the group only if the sender passes a trust challenge; and

if a trust relationship exists between the particular member of the group and the sender, delivering the message to the particular member of the group without the trust challenge; and

in response to the sender being neither a group member nor a subscriber and there is no trust level between the sender and the group, blocking the message from being delivered to the group.