Certified Email System and Method

• US 20100325005A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustifi LLC
• Original Assignee: Trustifi Corporation
• Inventors: Kantor, Philip A., Bramson, Steven J., Benisti, Peter S., Chaltiel, Victor M. G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

A certified email system for providing a time stamp for a presented file, particularly when the presented file is an email. Preferably a demanding party receives the email; generates a unique HASH; digitally signs the unique HASH; and sends the signed HASH and a time-stamp request call to a web services time-stamp conduit (WSTC). The WSTC receives the request and signed HASH from the demanding party and obtains a time stamp. The WSTC sends the time stamp back to the demanding party, which sends a time-stamp notification to the original sender of the email and, optionally, the recipient(s) of the email. Multiple branded or customized demanding servers can efficiently run using one web services time-stamp conduit.

An integrated detailed billing system capable of pass-through client billing, keyword search functionality, a multi-party content management system, and convenient web-based automated verification (file or HASH) services are provided.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a time stamp, comprising:

providing a verification utility configured to compare a challenge file with said time stamp;

receiving said challenge file from an end user;

comparing said challenge file to archived time-stamp-related data; and

returning a content-verification result from among a plurality of forms of said content-verification results based at least in part on comparing said challenge file to said archived time-stamp-related data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a website accessible to said end user and configured with an operable upload function, wherein receiving said challenge file from an end user comprises uploading said challenge file through said upload function.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a website accessible to said end user and configured with an operative drag-and-drop utility, wherein receiving said challenge file from an end user comprises receiving said challenge file through said drag-and-drop utility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving said challenge file from an end user comprises receiving a verification-request email from said end user requesting verifying of said time stamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said challenge file is associated with a previously-sent email and said archived time-stamp-related data comprises:

body text from a previously-time-stamped email;

email header information associated with the transmission of said previously-time-stamped email; and

one or more attachments of said previously-time-stamped email, if said previously-time-stamped email was originally sent with said one or more attachments.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein returning said content-verification result from among a plurality of forms of said content-verification results comprises informing said end user of any particular elements of said challenge file that match the corresponding particular elements of said previously-time-stamped email from said archived time-stamp-related data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of forms of said content-verification results comprise a “

complete match”

result, a “

body and attachments match”

result, a “

body only match”

result, an “

attachment only match”

result, a “

partial body match”

result, and a “

no match”

result.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

comparing said challenge file to said archived time-stamp-related data comprises delineating the differences between said challenge file and said previously-time-stamped email; and

returning said content-verification result comprises returning said delineated differences between said challenge file and said previously-time-stamped email.

9. An email certification method, comprising:

receiving, by a first demanding party, an email having at least one recipient electronic-delivery address associated therewith for transmitting said email to at least one recipient and having a TCC;

Address associated therewith for transmitting said email to said first demanding party;

wherein receipt of said email by said first demanding party comprises a solicitation for a time stamp;

preparing, by said first demanding party, said email to produce conduit-input data;

transmitting, by said first demanding party, said conduit-input data and a first request call to a web services time-stamp conduit, wherein said first request call comprises a time-stamp request call;

receiving, by said web services time-stamp conduit, said conduit-input data and said first request call from said first demanding party;

acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said first request call; and

outputting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, data associated with said first request call, wherein said data associated with said first request call comprises said time stamp.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said first request call comprises requesting a first service from a first providing party.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first providing party comprises a third-party time stamp authority.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising:

transmitting, by said first demanding party, a second request call to said web services time-stamp conduit;

receiving, by said web services time-stamp conduit, said second request call from said first demanding party;

acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said second request call; and

outputting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, data associated with said second request call.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said second request call comprises requesting a second service from a second providing party.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said second request call comprises a verification request call;

acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said second request call comprises attempting to verify a time stamp; and

outputting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, said data associated with said second request call comprises outputting a verification result to said first demanding party.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said second request call comprises a credit request call;

acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, upon said second request call comprises determining credit-related information; and

outputting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, said data associated with said second request call comprises outputting said credit-related information to said first demanding party.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by said web services time-stamp conduit, a third request call from a second demanding party; and

acting, by said web services time-stamp conduit, on said third request call.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a web-based corporate administrative console configured to allow creation of an account for a user and to allow management of a credit purchase option;

providing a database configured to archive said time stamp; and

providing a web-based user/participant console configured to allow said user access to said archived time stamp.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said credit purchase option comprises a credit block purchase method.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said credit purchase option comprises a pay-as-you-go purchase method.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said credit purchase option comprises combining a credit block purchase method with a pay-as-you-go purchase method.

21. A method for purchasing and managing time stamps, comprising:

receiving, by a time-stamping system, an email from an email sender;

wherein said email has at least one recipient electronic-delivery address associated therewith for transmitting said email to at least one recipient and has a TCC;

Address associated therewith for transmitting said email to said time-stamping system;

wherein receipt of said email by said time-stamping system comprises a solicitation for said time stamp;

obtaining said time stamp for said email;

determining a time-stamp cost for said time stamp;

creating one or more client folders, each of which is associated with a particular client of a particular user account;

associating said time stamp with a particular one of said one or more client folders; and

associating said time-stamp cost with said particular one of said one or more client folders, wherein such client time-stamp cost association allows for detailed client billing.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a coded IDENTIFIER within the local part of said TCC:

Address, wherein;

said coded IDENTIFIER comprises unregistered text; and

creating said one or more client folders comprises dynamically creating one of said one or more client folders based on the receipt of said coded IDENTIFIER.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a coded IDENTIFIER within the local part of said TCC:

Address, wherein;

said coded IDENTIFIER comprises registered text; and

creating said one or more client folders comprises manually creating said one or more client folders.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising additionally associating said time-stamp cost with a particular project linked to said particular one of said one or more client folders wherein such project time-stamp cost association additionally allows for detailed project billing.