Communications method and device

• US 7,020,774 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cornuéjols, Emmanuelle Maurecette, Georges Marc Cornuejols
• Original Assignee: Cornuéjols, Emmanuelle Maurecette, Georges Marc Cornuejols
• Inventors: Cornuéjols, Emmanuelle Maurecette, Cornuejols, Georges Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US09/719,567
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 713175-176, 713200-201, 713/50, 713/156, 713/168, 713/178, 713/150, 713/180, 713/187, 705/67, 705/75, 705/76, 705/78, 705/79, 705/53, 705/51, 705/26, 705/44, 705404-405
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4015 using location information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication method that includes an operation of receiving a succession of pages originating from a first site of a computer network. That method further includes an operation of memory storage of information representative of the succession of pages, outside the first site and an operation of associating a certificate of integrity with the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages. The certificate of integrity is stored in memory in association with the information representative of the succession of pages. The certificate of integrity makes it possible to detect any alteration to the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages, subsequent to its being stored in memory.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising the steps of:

a user accessing a first site, via a computer network, from a first device;

during access of the first site, the user successively selecting pages from the first site and receiving, from the first site to the first device, the selected pages, the successively selected and received pages forming a succession of pages,

the selected pages being originated by the first site, the succession of pages being originated by the user'"'"'s selection of pages;

storing information representative of the received succession of pages in a storage first memory located outside the first site; and

associating a certificate of integrity with the memory-stored information representative of the received succession of pages;

the certificate of integrity being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of the succession of pages,

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of any alteration, to the memory-stored information representative of the received succession of pages, made subsequent to the information being stored in the first memory,

the information representative of the received succession of pages documenting a content of the received succession of pages,

the first memory being a non-volatile memory,

a step of detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site; and

upon detection of information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, continuing to store the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages,

upon the step of detecting information not detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, a step of deleting the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages of the first site.

2. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time-stamping step attributing a date to at least one of the receiving and memory-storage steps,

the date being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of the succession of pages, and

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of an alteration to the date subsequent to the date being stored.

3. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of determining an address of the first site on the network, the address being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of the succession of pages,

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of an alteration to the address subsequent to the address being stored.

4. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of determining a display duration for each page of the succession, the duration being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of the succession of pages,

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of an alteration to the duration subsequent to the duration being stored.

5. A communications method according to claim 1, wherein said first site is one of a plurality of predetermined sites of the network, and further comprising:

a step of determining addresses of pages of said first site,

the memory-storage step including memory storage of the pages, of the first site, having the determined addresses,

the pages, having the determined addresses, being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of the succession of pages, and

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of an alteration to the pages subsequent to the pages being stored in the first memory.

6. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of displaying at least a part of each user-selected page received in the course of the receiving step, and

in the course of the memory-storage step, a step of storing the displayed parts of the selected pages.

7. A communications method according to claim 1, wherein the information permanently memory-stored in the course of the memory-storage step includes the information, in text format, of the succession of pages.

8. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of communicating with a second site of the network and of transmitting, to the second site, information dependent on the first site.

9. A communications method according to claim 8, further comprising:

a step of receiving, at the first device, information originating from the second site; and

a step of storing information representative of the information originating from the second site.

10. A communications method according to claim 8, further comprising:

a step of transmitting to the second site information representative of the received pages,

the memory-storage step being carried out by the second site.

11. A communications method according to claim 10, wherein,

the step of receiving the pages to the first device being carried out via the second site.

12. A communications method according to claim 8, further comprising:

a step of reading, on the first site, information of at least one page, the address of which page is based on received information originating from the second site.

13. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of selecting a date;

a step of storing the date;

at the date, a step of displaying a dialogue window on a visual-display screen of a terminal; and

depending on the user'"'"'s answer to the displayed dialogue, a step of automatic opening of a second communications session between the terminal and a distant site.

14. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of displaying parts of pages of the succession of pages, other parts of the succession of pages not being displayed;

a step of automatically downloading pages of the first site not selected by the user; and

a step of memory storage of information of the non-displayed pages of the first site, outside the first site.

15. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of displaying, by a computer terminal, parts of pages of the succession of pages; and

a step of memory storage, at a second site independent of the terminal, of information representative of the displayed parts of pages.

16. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an automatic step of receiving, originating from a second site, contextual information depending on an identifier of the first site;

a triggering step; and

depending on the triggering step, a step of displaying the contextual information.

17. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of communicating, via a communications network, in the course of which communicating data is exchanged between a terminal and the network;

a further step of memory storage of data originating from the communications network in the course of the communications step;

in the course of the further memory-storage step, a step of determining the necessity to keep the memory-stored data, on the basis of the data sent on the network by the terminal in the course of the communications step; and

a step of keeping the memory-stored data depending on the result of the step for determining the necessity to keep the memory-stored data.

18. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of detecting an electronic signature; and

in case an electronic signature is detected, a step of memory storage of information representative of at least one page of the succession of pages, outside the first site.

19. A communications method according to claim 1, wherein, in the course of the memory-storage step, the information stored in the first memory is representative of each page of the succession of pages accessed between a start of the memory-storage step and an end of the memory-storage step.

20. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of detecting an electronic signature; and

a step of joining at least one page of the succession of pages to a document to be signed,

the electronic signature depending on each joined page.

21. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of detecting a change to a security-protected mode of the communication on the computer network between the first device and the first site, the step of memory storage of information representative of said succession of pages depending on the detected change.

22. A communications method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of detecting predetermined information received from the first site, the step of memory storage of information representative of the succession of pages depending on the detected information.

25. A communications method according to claim 1, wherein,

the first device is a computer,

the succession of pages are selected from publicly-available pages, and

the certificate of integrity is stored in the storage first memory.

23. A communication device, comprising:

a device for, via a network, a user successively selecting pages from a first site and receiving to the device the selected pages, the selected pages being originated by the first site, the successively selected and received pages forming a succession of pages, the succession of pages being originated by the user'"'"'s selection of pages;

a non-volatile memory for storing information representative of the succession of pages, outside the first site; and

means for associate a certificate of integrity with the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages,

the certificate of integrity being stored in the memory in association with the information representative of the succession of pages,

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of any alteration made to the memory-stored information made subsequent to the memory-stored information being stored in the memory;

a step of detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site; and

upon detection of information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, continuing to store the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages,

upon the step of detecting information not detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, a step of deleting the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages of the first site.

24. An internet communication validation method, comprising the steps of:

from a first communication device, a user internet accessing a first web site;

during access of the first site, selecting at least one web pages from the first site and receiving the selected page, from the first site to the first device,

each selected page being originated by the first site;

storing information representative of each received page in a first non-volatile memory of the first communication device; and

associating a certificate of integrity with the memory-stored information representative of each received page,

the certificate of integrity being permanently memory-stored in association with the information representative of each received page,

the certificate of integrity enabling detection of any alteration, to the memory-stored information representative of each received page, made subsequent to the information being stored in the first memory,

the stored information representative of the received page together with the certificate of integrity, enabling verification of a content of each received page,

a step of detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site; and

upon detection of information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, continuing to store the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages,

upon the step of detecting information not detecting information characteristic of a transaction with the first site, a step of deleting the memory-stored information representative of the succession of pages of the first site.