Upload security scheme

• US 9,021,249 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Zhaowei Charlie, Wu, Christopher, Sato, Joy, Cui, Yingqing Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US12/878,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 455/456.01, 455/404.02, 455/419, 455/412, 455/556.2, 455/415, 455/466, 348/207.01, 707/999.009, 707/781, 370/151, 370/201, 370/171, 370/168, 370/490, 726/12, 726/11
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

Abstract

The need for upload security arises during content sharing between users in communication link with each other and a server. In one embodiment, providing the upload security involves the server identifying a mobile device that sends an upload message destined to a user. Providing the upload security further involves the server accessing opt-in parameters predetermined by the user, determining if the identity of the sending mobile device is included in the opt-in parameters, and, if so, allowing the upload to the user'"'"'s account, otherwise blocking the upload. The opt-in parameters include the identity of mobile devices that are authorized by the user to upload data to the user'"'"'s account. In one embodiment, the communication link includes a wireless carrier network with capability for security screening of the upload message before it reaches the server based on the identity of the wireless carrier network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message comprising images destined for upload to an account associated with a receiving user on the server;

screening, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the network'"'"'s screening, the server further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by the receiving user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the further screening comprising;

accessing the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices authorized by the receiving user to upload image data to the account and a receiving user-authorized limit number of image uploads for receipt by the receiving user during a given period of time;

obtaining the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determining whether or not to allow upload of the images associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload images received by the receiving user'"'"'s account during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device; and

enabling manual upload of the images by the receiving user to the account via a redirection of the sender'"'"'s upload message to the receiving user'"'"'s email address if the images in the sender'"'"'s upload message are not allowed to be uploaded into the receiving user'"'"'s account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the method further comprising:

parsing the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to it by the bearer of the wireless network.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the sender'"'"'s mobile device is not identified in the opt-in parameters, prompting the receiving user to indicate whether the receiving user wants to add the sender'"'"'s mobile device identity to the opt-in parameters.

6. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program comprising:

program code to receive, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message comprising images being destined for upload to an account associated with a receiving user on the server;

program code to screen, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the network'"'"'s screening, program code to further screen, at the server, the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a receiving user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the program code to further screen comprising;

program code to access the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices authorized by the receiving user to upload image data to the account and a receiving user-authorized limit number of image uploads for receipt by the receiving user'"'"'s account during a given period of time;

program code to obtain the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

program code to determine whether or not to allow upload of the images associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload images received by the receiving user'"'"'s account during the given period and-the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

program code for redirecting of the sender'"'"'s upload message to the receiving user'"'"'s email address if the images in the sender'"'"'s upload message are not allowed to be uploaded into the receiving user'"'"'s account; and

program code for manual upload of the images by the receiving user via the redirection.

7. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 6, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the program code further comprising:

program code to parse the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device.

8. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 6, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to it by the bearer of the wireless network.

9. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 6, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

10. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 6, the program code further comprising:

program code to, if the sender'"'"'s mobile device is not identified in the opt-in parameters, prompt the receiving user to indicate whether the receiving user wants to add the sender'"'"'s mobile device identity to the opt-in parameters.

11. A system comprising:

a server with a processor and a memory embodying a server-side program as a portion of a computer application;

a network hosting the server;

wherein the hosting network includes a networking service with a processor for executing and a memory for storing a network security program portion of a computer application with program code for causing the hosting network'"'"'s network service processor to security screen a sender'"'"'s upload message comprising images using a network address of the sender'"'"'s gateway to determine whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the hosting network'"'"'s screening, the server-side program further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a receiving user for an account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the server-side program including program code for the further screening that causes the processor in the server to;

access the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices authorized by the receiving user to upload image data to the account and a receiving user-authorized limit number of image uploads for receipt by the receiving user during a given period of time;

obtain an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determine whether or not to allow upload of the images associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the receiving user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload images received by the receiving user'"'"'s account during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

enable manual upload of the images by the receiving user to the account via a redirection of the sender'"'"'s upload message to the receiving user'"'"'s email address if the images in the sender'"'"'s upload message are not allowed to be uploaded into the receiving user'"'"'s account.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the computer application further comprising:

program code in the networking service program for causing the network security processor to parse the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway; and

program code in the server-side program for causing the server to parse the upload message to identity of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to the wireless phone.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message comprising images being destined for upload to an account associated with a receiving user on the server;

screening, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the screening performed by the hosting network, the hosting network;

forwarding the sender'"'"'s upload message to the server for further screening of the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by the receiving user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, a number of image uploads received by the receiving user during the given period and an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device, the opt-in parameters comprising the identity of each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices authorized by the receiving user to upload image data to the account and a receiving user-authorized limit number of image uploads for receipt by the receiving user during a given period of time; and

enabling manual upload of the images by the receiving user to the account via a redirection of the sender'"'"'s upload message to the receiving user'"'"'s email address if the images in the sender'"'"'s upload message are not allowed to be uploaded into the receiving user'"'"'s account.

16. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program comprising:

program code to receive, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account associated with a receiving user on the server;

program code to screen, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

program code to forward, by the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to the server for further screening when the upload message is not blocked by the screening performed by the hosting network;

program code for further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by the receiving user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, a number of image uploads received by the receiving user during the given period, and an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device, the opt-in parameters comprising the identity of each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices authorized by the receiving user to upload image data to the account and a receiving user-authorized limit number of image uploads for receipt by the receiving user during a given period of time;

program code for redirecting of the sender'"'"'s upload message to the receiving user'"'"'s email address if the images in the sender'"'"'s upload message are not allowed to be uploaded into the receiving user'"'"'s account; and

program code for manual upload of the images by the receiving user via the redirection.