System and method for securing privacy of chat participants

• US 7,366,756 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nilsson, Mikael, Lindskog, Helena
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIANERSI, MITRA
• Application Number:
  US09/901,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-206, 709216-219, 709/226, 709/230, 709/237, 709/246, 707507-508
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and method for providing privacy to a client accessing a chat application on a chat server via the Internet wherein a request is transmitted for a chat application from a client to a first proxy server. The request is forwarded from the first proxy server to a second proxy server. In response to the receipt of the request at the second proxy server, a unique ID is forwarded back to the first proxy server and the request along with the unique ID are forwarded on to the chat server. A response to the request is transmitted from the chat server back to the second proxy server along with the originally provided unique ID. The response and unique ID are stored within the second proxy server and may be accessed form the first proxy server by providing the unique ID.

Claims

1. A method for providing privacy to a client accessing a chat application on a chat server, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for the chat application from the client to a first proxy server;

transmitting the request for the chat application from the first proxy server to a second proxy server;

providing a unique ID to the first proxy server from the second proxy server responsive to the request;

transmitting the request for the chat application and the unique ID from the second proxy server to the chat server;

transmitting a response and the unique ID from the chat server to the second proxy server responsive to the request;

storing the response at the second proxy server with the unique ID; and

accessing the stored response from the first proxy server by providing the unique ID.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of erasing the stored response and the unique ID in the second proxy server responsive to an access by the first proxy server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pushing the response from the first proxy server to the client.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a position of the client to the first proxy server.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of encrypting transmissions from the first proxy server to the second proxy server using both a first public key of the chat server and a second public key of the second proxy server.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of encrypting transmissions from the second proxy server to the chat server using the first public key of the chat server.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the step of encrypting transmissions from the chat server to the second proxy server using both a first private key of the first proxy server and a second private key of the second proxy server.

8. A method for providing privacy to a client accessing a chat application on a chat server, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for the chat application from the client to a first proxy server;

encrypting transmissions from the first proxy server to the second proxy server using both a first public key of the chat application server and a second public key of a second proxy server;

transmitting the request for the chat application from the first proxy server to a second proxy server;

providing a unique ID to the first proxy server from the second proxy server responsive to the request;

encrypting transmissions from the second proxy server to the chat server using the first public key of the chat server;

transmitting the request for the chat application and the unique ID from the second proxy server to the chat application server;

encrypting transmissions from the chat server to the second proxy server using both a first private key of the first proxy server and the second private key of the second proxy server;

transmitting a response and the unique ID from the chat server to the second proxy server responsive to the request;

storing the response at the second proxy server with the unique ID;

accessing the stored response from the first proxy server by providing the unique ID; and

erasing the stored response and the unique ID in the second proxy server responsive to the access.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of pushing the response from the first proxy server to the client.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing a position of the client to the first proxy.

11. A system for protecting location data on a client accessing a client server comprising:

a first proxy server associated with the client;

a second proxy server located on the Internet;

wherein the first proxy server and the second proxy server are configured to;

receive a request for the chat application from the client at the first proxy server

transmit the request for the chat application from the first proxy server to the second proxy server;

provide a unique ID to the first proxy server from the second proxy server responsive to the request;

transmit the request for the chat application and the unique ID from the second proxy server to the chat server;

receive a response and the unique ID from the chat server at the second proxy server;

store the response at the second proxy server with the unique ID; and

access the stored response from the first proxy server by providing the unique ID to the second proxy server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to erase the stored response and the unique ID in the second proxy server responsive to an access by the first proxy server.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to push the response from the first proxy server to the client.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to determine a position of the client at the first proxy server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to encrypt transmissions from the first proxy server to the second proxy server using both a first public key of the chat server and a second public key of the second proxy server.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to encrypt from the second proxy server to the chat server using the first public key of the chat server.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second proxy servers are further configured to decrypt transmissions from the client server at the second proxy server using both a first private key of the first proxy server and a second private key of the second proxy server.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first proxy server is located in an intranet associated with the client.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first proxy server is located within an apparatus containing the client.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the second proxy server is accessible from the first proxy server via the Internet.