Managed virtual point to point communication service having verified directory, secure transmission and controlled delivery

• US 8,832,853 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DST Technologies, Inc. (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DST Technologies, Inc. (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clark, Peter E., Ives, Paul M., Gentry, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US12/632,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A system for providing a managed virtual point to point communication service having a verified directory and providing secure transmission and controlled delivery of electronic document images may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a verified directory of users. The interface may communicate with devices of sending and receiving users in the verified directory. The processor may be operative to receive a request to deliver an electronic document image from a sending user to a receiving user. The processor may provide secure access to the electronic document image to the receiving user. The processor may provide a delivery confirmation to the sending device of the sending user upon determining that the electronic document image was securely accessed by the receiving user. The delivery confirmation may indicate that the electronic document image was securely transmitted to the receiving user.

Claims

1. A method of communicating document images between a plurality of verified users, the method comprising:

providing a verified directory describing a plurality of users to each of the plurality of users, each entry in the verified directory comprising an identifier representative of an identity of a user of the plurality of users, wherein, prior to inclusion in the verified directory, registration information has been provided by each of the plurality of users and the identity of each of the plurality of users has been verified as identifying the user represented thereby using the registration information;

providing, by a processor, a secure transmission of an electronic document image from a sending user in the verified directory of the plurality of users to a receiving user in the verified directory of the plurality of users such that only the receiving user of the plurality of users is able to view the electronic document image, wherein the electronic document image is securely transmitted to the receiving user when the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image;

receiving a request from the sending user comprising a replacement electronic document image;

replacing the electronic document image with the replacement electronic document image if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user such that the receiving user is provided secure access to the replacement electronic document image in lieu of the electronic document image; and

providing a replacement confirmation to the sending user when the electronic document image was replaced with the replacement electronic document image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a delivery confirmation to the sending user of the plurality of users, wherein the delivery confirmation indicates that the electronic document image was securely transmitted to the receiving user.

3. A method of communicating document images between a plurality of verified users, the method comprising:

receiving a request to deliver an electronic document image from a sending user in a verified directory of a plurality of users to a receiving user in the verified directory of the plurality of users, each entry in the verified directory comprising an identifier representative of an identity of a user of the plurality of users, wherein registration information has been provided by each of the plurality of users prior to the inclusion thereof in the verified directory and the identity of each of the plurality of users in the verified directory has been verified using the registration information as identifying the user represented thereby prior to each of the plurality of users being included in the verified directory;

providing, by a processor, secure access to the electronic document image to the receiving user;

receiving a request from the sending user comprising a replacement electronic document image;

replacing the electronic document image with the replacement electronic document image if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user such that the receiving user is provided secure access to the replacement electronic document image in lieu of the electronic document image;

providing a replacement confirmation to the sending user when the electronic document image was replaced with the replacement electronic document image; and

providing a delivery confirmation to the sending user, upon determining the electronic document image or the replacement electronic document image was securely accessed by the receiving user, wherein the delivery confirmation indicates that the electronic document image or the replacement electronic document image was securely accessed by the receiving user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the electronic document was securely accessed by the receiving user further comprises receiving a confirmation from the receiving user, wherein the confirmation indicates the receiving user accessed the electronic document image.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein providing, by the processor, secure access to the electronic document image to the receiving user further comprises:

storing the electronic document image until the receiving user is available to receive the electronic document image; and

transmitting, securely, the electronic document image to the receiving user, such that only the receiving user is able to view the electronic document image, when the receiving user is available to receive the electronic document image.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining whether the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image further comprises determining whether an online presence of the receiving user indicates that the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image further comprises:

sending a delivery notification to the receiving user of the plurality of users; and

receiving an availability notification from the receiving user of the plurality of users in response to the delivery notification.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image further comprises polling an electronic device of the receiving user to determine if the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a request received confirmation to the sending user, upon receiving the request to deliver the electronic document image from the sending user, wherein the request received confirmation indicates that the request was received.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the request further comprises an expiration date/time, wherein the expiration date/time indicates a latest date/time that secure access to the electronic document image should be provided to the receiving user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising cancelling the request if a current date/time exceeds the expiration date/time and the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a failure notification to the sending user if the current date/time exceeds the expiration date/time and the electronic document image has not been securely accessed to the receiving user.

14. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a withdraw request from the sending user;

withdrawing the request if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user; and

providing a withdraw confirmation to the sending user if the request was cancelled.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein the confirmation received from the receiving user of the plurality of users indicates that the electronic document image was securely accessed having an acceptable quality.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the electronic document image is encrypted by the sending user with a public key of the receiving user and the electronic document image is decrypted by the receiving user with a private key of the receiving user.

17. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transforming the electronic document image into a transformed electronic document image; and

providing, by the processor, secure access to the transformed electronic document image to the receiving user.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the transformed electronic image comprises at least one of an audio waveform or machine-editable text.

19. A method for providing a verified directory utilized for secure transmission and controlled delivery of electronic document images, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to register for a verified directory describing a plurality of verified users, the request comprising user information describing the user, wherein each entry in the verified directory comprises an identifier representative of an identity of a user of the plurality of users, the identity of each of the plurality of users in the verified directory having been verified as identifying the user represented thereby prior to each of the plurality of users being included in the verified directory;

verifying an identity of the user based on the user information describing the user prior to the user being included in the verified directory;

providing the verified directory describing the plurality of verified users to the user; and

providing, by a processor, a secure electronic document image transmission service to the user, wherein the user uses the secure electronic document image transmission service to securely transmit an electronic document image to a receiving user of the plurality of verified users such that only the receiving user of the plurality of verified users is able to view the electronic document image, further wherein the electronic document image is securely transmitted to the receiving user when the receiving user is available to receive the electronic document image;

receiving a request from the sending user comprising a replacement electronic document image;

replacing the electronic document image with the replacement electronic document image if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user such that the receiving user is provided secure access to the replacement electronic document image in lieu of the electronic document image; and

providing a replacement confirmation to the sending user when the electronic document image was replaced with the replacement electronic document image.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein verifying the identity of the user based on the user information further comprises initiating a communication with the user based on the user information.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the user information comprises at least one of a credit card number, a billing address, a telephone number, or a private email address.

22. A system for communicating document images between a plurality of verified users, the system comprising:

a memory operative to store a verified directory describing a plurality of users, each entry in the verified directory comprising an identifier representative of the identity of a user of the plurality of users, wherein, prior to inclusion in the verified directory, registration information has been provided by each of the plurality of users and the identity of each of the plurality of users has been verified as identifying the user represented thereby using the registration information;

an interface coupled with the memory and operative to communicate with a sending device of a sending user of the plurality of users in the verified directory and a receiving device of a receiving user of the plurality of users in the verified directory; and

a processor coupled with the interface and the memory, the processor operative to receive from the sending device, via the interface, a request to deliver an electronic document image from the sending user of the plurality of users to the receiving user of the plurality of users, provide, via the interface, secure access to the electronic document image to the receiving user of the plurality of users via the receiving device, receive, via the interface, a request from the sending user comprising a replacement electronic document image, replace, via the interface, the electronic document image with the replacement electronic document image if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user such that the receiving user is provided secure access to the replacement electronic document image in lieu of the electronic document image, provide, via the interface, a replacement confirmation to the sending user when the electronic document image was replaced with the replacement electronic document image and provide, via the interface, a delivery confirmation to the sending device of the sending user, upon determining the electronic document image or the replacement electronic document image was securely accessed by the receiving user via the receiving device, wherein the delivery confirmation indicates that the electronic document image or the replacement electronic document image was securely transmitted to the receiving user via the receiving device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further operative to receive, via the interface, a confirmation from the receiving device of the receiving user, wherein the confirmation indicates the receiving user accessed the electronic document image.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further operative to store, in the memory, the electronic document image until the receiving user is available to receive the electronic document image, and transmit, securely via the interface, the electronic document image to the receiving device of the receiving user, such that only the receiving user is able to view the electronic document image, when the receiving user is available to receive the electronic document image.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is further operative to determine whether the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further operative to determine whether an online presence of the receiving user indicates that the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further operative to provide, via the interface, a delivery notification to the receiving device of the receiving user of the plurality of users, and receive, via the interface, an availability notification from the receiving device of the receiving user of the plurality of users in response to the delivery notification.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further operative to poll, via the interface, the receiving device of the receiving user of the plurality of users to determine if the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further operative to provide, via the interface, a request received confirmation to the sending user, upon receiving the request to deliver the electronic document image from the sending user, wherein the request received confirmation indicates that the request was received.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the electronic document image is encrypted by the sending user with a public key of the receiving user and the electronic document image is decrypted by the receiving user with a private key of the receiving user.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further operative to transform the electronic document image into a transformed electronic document image, and provide, via the interface, secure access to the transformed electronic document image to the receiving device of the receiving user.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the transformed electronic image comprises at least one of an audio waveform or machine-editable text.

33. A system of communicating document images between a plurality of verified users, the system comprising:

means for providing a verified directory describing a plurality of users to each of the plurality of users, each entry in the verified directory comprising an identifier representative of an identity of a user of the plurality of users, wherein, prior to inclusion in the verified directory, registration information has been provided by each of the plurality of users and the identity of each of the plurality of users has been verified as identifying the user represented thereby using the registration information;

means for providing, by a processor, a secure transmission of an electronic document image from a sending user in the verified directory of the plurality of users to a receiving user in the verified directory of the plurality of users such that only the receiving user of the plurality of users is able to view the electronic document image, wherein the electronic document image is securely transmitted to the receiving user when the receiving user is available to access the electronic document image;

means for receiving a request from the sending user comprising a replacement electronic document image;

means for replacing the electronic document image with the replacement electronic document image if the electronic document image has not been securely accessed by the receiving user such that the receiving user is provided secure access to the replacement electronic document image in lieu of the electronic document image; and

means for providing a replacement confirmation to the sending user when the electronic document image was replaced with the replacement electronic document image.