System and method for providing S/MIME-based document distribution via electronic mail mechanisms

• US 20060174118A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gaucas, Dale Ellen, Austin, Paul R., Koomen, Johannes A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A content or document management system includes a content or document repository; a dedicated e-mail account; and a mail agent associated with the dedicated e-mail account. The mail agent processes a received e-mail message to determine a sender'"'"'s identity; authenticates the identity of the sender and an authorization of the sender with respect to the content or document repository; parses, when a sender is authenticated and authorized, document request information from the e-mail message; and either stores a document to or retrieves a document from the content or document repository. The mail agent may authenticate the identity of the sender using a digital signature, or may authenticate the identity of the sender using an e-mail address in a FROM header field of the received e-mail message header. The mail agent may decrypt encrypted messages from the sender, and may sign and encrypt responses to the sender.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a repository;

a dedicated e-mail account; and

a mail agent associated with said dedicated e-mail account;

said mail agent processing a received e-mail message to determine a sender'"'"'s identity;

said mail agent authenticating the identify of the sender and an authorization of the sender with respect to said repository;

said mail agent, when a sender is authenticated and authorized, parsing document request information from the e-mail message, authorizing the specific request, and forwarding a formal request to said repository.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mail agent authenticates the identity of the sender using a digital signature.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mail agent authenticates the identity of the sender using an e-mail address in a FROM header field of the received e-mail message header.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mail agent decrypts a received encrypted e-mail message prior to determining a sender'"'"'s identity.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said repository, in response to a formal retrieve request, stores a document associated with the e-mail message at a location in the repository associated with the parsed document request.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said repository, in response to the formal request, retrieves a requested document specified in the parsed document request information if the formal request is a retrieve request.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said mail agent attaches the retrieved document to an e-mail message and sends the retrieved document to the sender.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said mail agent attaches the retrieved document to an e-mail message and encrypts the e-mail message with the retrieved document before sending.

9. A method for managing the distribution of documents in a repository, using a dedicated e-mail account and a mail agent associated with the dedicated e-mail account, comprising:

(a) processing a received e-mail message to determine a sender'"'"'s identity;

(b) authenticating the identity of the sender and authorizing sender with respect to the repository;

(c) parsing, when a sender is authenticated and authorized for the repository, document request information from the e-mail message;

(d) authorizing the specific request; and

(e) forwarding a formal request to the repository.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

(d) retrieving, in response to the formal request and if the formal request is a retrieve request, the requested document specified in the parsed document request information from the repository.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

(e) attaching the retrieved document to an e-mail message and sending the retrieved document to the sender.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

(e) attaching the retrieved document to an e-mail message and encrypting the e-mail message with the retrieved document before sending.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

(d) storing, in response to the formal request and if the formal request is a store request, a document associated with the e-mail message at a location in the repository specified in the parsed document request information.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

(d) decrypting a received encrypted e-mail message prior to processing a received e-mail message to determine a sender'"'"'s identity.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein authenticating the identity of the sender uses a digital signature.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein authenticating the identity of the sender uses an e-mail address in a FROM header field of the received e-mail message header.