System and method for processing encoded messages for exchange with a mobile data communication device

• US 9,172,540 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Stephen, Adams, Neil Patrick, Brown, Michael Kenneth, Kirkup, Michael Grant, Little, Herbert Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarrineh, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US13/957,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 713/158
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/062 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 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• 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 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

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 one or more encryption and/or authentication aspects. 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 host system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the host system to one or more receivers.

Claims

1. A method of processing an encoded message at a host system before the message is transmitted to a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving at the host system the encoded message from a message sender addressed to a plurality of message receivers, wherein the encoded message comprises a digital signature and a message body;

determining whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding computing device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding computing device;

processing the message to modify the message with respect to an authentication aspect in order to reduce a size of the encoded message, wherein the processing of the encoded message includes verifying the digital signature and rearranging the digital signature in the encoded message;

transmitting the processed message to the computing device that corresponds to the message receiver; and

transmitting to the computing device an indication of the digital signature verification status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate aspect of the encoded message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message comprises at least one of a Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) encrypted message or a Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encrypted message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate revocation list, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate revocation list aspect of the encoded message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate, and wherein the processing further comprises 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.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is allowed to be transmitted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device only in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

8. A system for processing an encoded message, the system comprising:

a memory;

a processor, the processor configured to;

receive the encoded message from a message sender, the encoded message addressed to a plurality of message receivers, wherein the encoded message comprises a digital signature and a message body;

determine whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding computing device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding computing device;

process the message to modify the message with respect to an authentication aspect in order to reduce a size of the encoded message, wherein the processing of the encoded message includes verifying the digital signature and rearranging the digital signature in the encoded message;

transmit the processed message to the computing device that corresponds to the message receiver; and

transmit to the computing device an indication of the digital signature verification status.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate aspect of the encoded message.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded message comprises at least one of a Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) encrypted message or a Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encrypted message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate revocation list, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate revocation list aspect of the encoded message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate;

and wherein the processor is further configured to 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.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is allowed to be transmitted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device only in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor at a host system resulting in:

receiving at the host system an encoded message from a message sender addressed to a plurality of message receivers, wherein the encoded message comprises a digital signature and a message body;

determining whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding computing device; and

for each message receiver that has a corresponding computing device;

processing the message to modify the message with respect to an authentication aspect in order to reduce a size of the encoded message, wherein the processing of the encoded message includes verifying the digital signature and rearranging the digital signature in the encoded message;

transmitting the processed message to the computing device that corresponds to the message receiver; and

transmitting to the computing device an indication of the digital signature verification status.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate aspect of the encoded message.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate revocation list, and wherein the authentication aspect further comprises a certificate revocation list aspect of the encoded message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the encoded message further comprises a certificate, and wherein the processing further comprises 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.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the digital signature is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device before the certificate is allowed to be transmitted.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the certificate is transmitted to the wireless mobile communications device only in response to a request from the wireless mobile communications device.