Mail Security method and system
OwnerHuayan Wang, Bruce A. Willinsinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a security envelope with a barcode carrying a digital signature signed by the sender or the first mailman at the entrance point of the postal system. This system imposes non-repudiation on the sender at its location or at its drop-off point. To provide authentication information, the barcode is scanned and tracked at each point from the source to the destination.
Claims28
A security envelope, comprising:
- a barcode in a two-dimensional symbology located on the security envelope, the barcode encoding:
- a public component, the public component comprising a public digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the private key of the sender;
- and
- a private component, the private component comprising a private digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the public key of the receiver.
5 The security envelope as in claim 4, wherein the information relating to the physical characteristics of the security envelope include at least one of:
- (a) the date the security envelope was sealed;
- (b) the size of the security envelope;
- and (c) the weight of the security envelope.
A method for securing the mails, comprising:
- (1) producing a digital mail identification that encodes physical identification information of a security envelope into a barcode in a two-dimensional symbology;
- wherein the digital mail identification comprises:
- (a) a public component, the public component comprising a public digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the private key of the sender;
- and
- (b) a private component, the private component comprising a private digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the public key of the receiver;
- (2) applying the digital mail identification to the security envelope.
14 The method as in claim 13, wherein the information relating to the physical characteristics of the security envelope include at least one of:
- (a) the date the security envelope was sealed;
- (b) the size of the security envelope;
- and (c) the weight of the security envelope.
A system of securing the mails, comprising:
- (1) at least one security envelope, comprising
- (a) a barcode in a two-dimensional symbology located on the security envelope, the barcode encoding:
- (i) a public component, the public component comprising a public digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the private key of the sender;
- and
- (ii) a private component, the private component comprising a private digital mail identification and a digital signature signed by the sender encrypted by the public key of the receiver;
- (2) at least one mobile computer, comprising:
- (a) a bar code reader;
- (b) a physical authentication identifier reader;
- (c) a computer capable of comparing information obtained from the bar code reader and the physical authentication identifier reader;
- (d) a database capable of storing at least one public key and at least one private key;
- (e) a display;
- and
- (f) a printer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.