Sender driven certification enrollment system
AssigneeTumbleweed Software Corporation
InventorsJeffrey C. Smith, Jean-Christophe Bandini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sender driven certificate enrollment system and methods of its use are provided, in which a sender controls the generation of a digital certificate that is used to encrypt and send a document to a recipient in a secure manner. The sender compares previously stored recipient information to gathered information from the recipient. If the information matches, the sender transfers key generation software to the recipient, which produces the digital certificate, comprising a public and private key pair. The sender can then use the public key to encrypt and send the document to the recipient, wherein the recipient can use the matching private key to decrypt the document.
Claims41
An apparatus for generating a digital certificate for a recipient by a sender, comprising:
- a sending computer for use by said sender;
- a receiving computer for use by said recipient;
- a database for storing recipient information;
- means for initiating certificate enrollment in response to a request for a public key by the sending computer;
- means for querying said database by said sender for said stored recipient information;
- means for gathering private recipient information from said recipient;
- means for comparing said gathered private recipient information and said stored recipient information;
- means for controllably generating a digital certificate comprising a public key and a private key at said receiving computer;
- means for storing said digital certificate;
- and
- means for transferring said public key to said sending computer.
A method of generating a digital certificate for a recipient by a sender, comprising the steps of:
- initiating certificate enrollment in response to a request for a public key by the sender;
- querying a database for stored recipient information;
- gathering information from said recipient;
- comparing said gathered information with said queried, stored recipient information;
- selectively transferring software to said recipient based upon said comparison;
- selectively generating said digital certificate at said recipient with said software, said digital certificate comprising a public key and a private key;
- and
- transferring a copy of said public key to said sender.
The method of claim 23, wherein said e-mail message to said recipient contains an URL reference.
An apparatus for controlling generating a digital certificate for a recipient by a sender, comprising:
- a sending computer for use by said sender;
- a receiving computer for use by said recipient;
- a database for storing recipient information;
- means for initiating certificate enrollment in response to a request for a public key by the sending computer;
- means for gathering information from said recipient;
- and
- means for controllably generating a digital certificate for said recipient if said gathered information and said stored recipient information match.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.