RU2626339C2 - Method of communication, communication server and communication system with their use - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: in the method and device, in response to the user's request, unique user identifiers are generated and stored, each of which is designed to communicate with one individual correspondent and is associated with one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems; associations between the stored unique user identifiers and the correspondent addresses, for communication with which they are intended, are created, so that one unique user identifier is associated with one individual correspondent; upon receiving the message, depending on the result of check and predefined settings, the user is sent a received message to one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems or received message is blocked.

EFFECT: increasing the protection against unauthorized access.

7 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to communication systems, including electronic communication systems, in particular to a method for transmitting messages and a communication server for use in various electronic communication systems, as well as to a communication system using the aforementioned method of transmitting messages and a communication server.

Devices on which the claimed invention can be applied include general or special purpose computers, including embedded computers, desktops, laptops, netbooks, laptops, controllers, smartphones, any kind of computing devices connected to electronic communication systems (SEC systems), as well as distributed systems using such devices.

Fundamentally, the invention can be used in conjunction with any systems for organizing informational interaction of subscribers, including when sending regular letters, money transfers, and making phone calls.

BACKGROUND

SEC systems are understood to mean any electronic messaging systems between users in which users have certain identification features, hereinafter referred to as identifiers or addresses, for brevity. Examples of such systems include mobile communication and email systems, a fixed telephone network, instant messaging systems using messenger client programs, social networks such as Facebook and VKontakte, messaging systems such as ICQ, systems running Skype, Telegram, etc., forums and chats.

Electronic messages mean any information transmitted or received by a user of an information and telecommunication network. Users in such systems are people, organizations, groups of people, computers, servers, technical devices, or other participants in the exchange of information.

The main attributes of the SEC system include:

- identifiers or user addresses that uniquely identify the points of sending and receiving electronic messages;

- a communication server (CS), which is a system of hardware and software for transferring messages between points of sending and receiving electronic messages.

The SEC system can be centralized, like ICQ instant messaging, or distributed, like email.

In general, in known SECs, a limited number of identifiers are associated with a user, for example, one or more addresses.

The user identifier is used to maintain contact with an indefinite number of other users, called correspondents in the context of the present invention.

In the general case, systems define different identifiers as different users, which requires multiple authentication of the user, for example, by entering a username and password when working with several own identifiers. Repeated authentication takes time and effort of the user, therefore, solutions are needed that would allow the user to use several accounts at the same time with convenience, without the need to remember and enter the username and password of the user each time again.

One such solution is the multiple-entry system disclosed in patent document EP 2592796 A1, “System and method for multiple accounts to access internet message access protocol server”. The well-known system allows you to use multiple accounts (email addresses) so that you do not need to enter a username and password each time to switch to another account. Having set up the system, the user can switch between accounts in the browser and use different accounts to separate the email coming from his correspondents into different groups, i.e. one account is used for personal correspondence with friends, another for working correspondence with colleagues, a third for correspondence with teammates, etc.

The disadvantages of this well-known solution include the limited scope of its application, since it is intended only for working with e-mail.

Another problem of the known solutions is the security of communications, due to the fact that the repeated use of the user ID, for example, his email address, during correspondence, when registering on sites, in ads, on business cards makes the identifier virtually public and allows, without the consent of the user, to collect summary information about the user's contacts, his activity on the Internet. Thus, the user identifier becomes known to an unlimited circle of third parties and therefore can be used to send spam, i.e. commercial and other advertising or similar commercial types of messages, as well as unauthorized collection of user information.

As the closest analogue of the invention aimed at solving the above communication security problem, we can name the technical solution disclosed in the RF patent for invention No. 2456669 C2 "Secure transactional messaging", which describes systems and methods for providing replaceable email addresses. The user can set up a dedicated mailbox folder associated with a replaceable email address from a trusted Internet organization. The e-mail server can automatically forward e-mail messages coming from this organization to this folder. To “unsubscribe”, the user only needs to delete the dedicated folder. Alternatively, e-mails from the organization to the address to be replaced may be highlighted in the main user's inbox. Thus, the user can be sure that such email associated with this organization, found in the user's inbox or a specialized mailbox folder, is valid from this organization and is not an attempt to “fish out” (phishing) information or junk mail.

The disadvantages of this known solution include:

- limited scope, since the known solution is intended only for working with e-mail;

- the use of replaced addresses only for contacts with organizations when subscribing through the user interface provided by the organization requesting an email address;

- the use of sophisticated authentication technologies for routing messages to specialized folders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem to which the invention is directed is to eliminate the above disadvantages of the known solutions.

To solve this problem, a method for transmitting messages is proposed, containing stages in which:

- through a communication server, unique user identifiers are generated and stored, in response to a user’s request, each of which is designed to communicate with a single correspondent and is associated with one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems;

- by means of a communication server, the addresses that correspondents have in various electronic communication systems are stored;

- through a communication server, associations are created between the stored unique user identifiers and the addresses of the correspondents for which they are intended to communicate, so that one unique user identifier is associated with one separate correspondent;

- inform correspondents the corresponding unique user identifiers associated with the addresses of these correspondents;

- by means of the communication server, upon receipt of a message directed to the communication server using a unique user identifier, the presence of the message source address in the stored addresses of the correspondents is checked and, depending on the result of the check and the preset settings of the communication server, the user receives the received message at one or more addresses user in various electronic communication systems or block the received message.

Thus, in the proposed method, a separate independent and independent identifier is allocated to the user for each of his correspondents. This allows you to limit the popularity of the user ID for third parties and thereby significantly increase the user’s protection against spam, targeted hacker attacks, unauthorized collection of information about user contacts, visited sites, used information storages and services, or other similar actions by third parties.

Moreover, in the proposed method, it is possible to use one unique user identifier for transmitting messages to the user at various user addresses in various communication systems, i.e. by simple means, it is possible to use one “universal” unique user identifier when communicating simultaneously in any number of communication media, in particular, in all the aforementioned SEC systems.

As a result, the user’s protection from unwanted actions by third parties is significantly increased and at the same time, the convenience of communication in various communication systems, since the user is almost completely free from any additional manipulations associated with the presence of multiple addresses in different ECS systems.

Depending on the preset settings of the communication server, the user of his choice can, for example, block messages from those correspondents (sources) whose addresses are not in the stored addresses of the correspondents, even if these correspondents became aware, without the desire of the user, unique user identifiers. In other examples, the user can configure the communication server to receive messages from all correspondents using unique user identifiers, or only from "new" correspondents, messages from which are received for the first time. This expands the control capabilities for receiving messages, in particular, choosing the optimal level of communication security.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of:

- upon a user’s request to block communication with an unwanted correspondent or an unwanted group of correspondents, the address of the unwanted correspondent or an undesirable group of correspondents and the associated unique user identifier are deleted via the network interface and / or the unique user identifier is deleted directly.

Thus, the user is able to temporarily or permanently block the receipt of messages in case of further unclaimedness, or in the case of incorrect use by the correspondent of the communication through a unique identifier, or in the case when the unique identifier has become known by unauthorized persons. Moreover, the user does not lose contact with other correspondents, as is the case with the traditional use of a single common address for communication with many correspondents. It is important that in such a situation, an unwanted correspondent completely loses the opportunity to restore contact with the user independently within the framework of this communication system. In the traditional use of one user’s address, the address of an unwanted correspondent can also be blacklisted and blocked, but nothing prevents the attacker from contacting the user from another address again.

Preferably, the method also includes the possibility of generating unique user identifiers of choice in manual or automatic mode.

Thus, the user can either manually create unique user identifiers of his own choice, or entrust the generation of unique addresses to the communication server automatically. In automatic mode, you can provide the ability to generate according to certain rules, for example, with the automatic addition of numeric prefixes or suffixes to such user information as surname, name, year of birth, phone number, etc.

To solve the above problem and achieve the above technical results, a communication server configured for receiving and sending messages is also proposed, while the communication server is configured to:

- generate and save, in response to a user request, unique user identifiers, each of which is designed to communicate with a single correspondent and is associated with one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems;

- save the addresses that correspondents have in various electronic communication systems;

- create associations between the stored unique user identifiers and the addresses of correspondents for which they are intended to communicate, so that one unique user identifier is associated with one separate correspondent or with one separate group of correspondents;

- when receiving a message, check the availability of the message source address in the stored addresses of the correspondents and, depending on the verification result and the preset settings of the communication server, transmit the received message to the user at one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems or block the received message.

In a preferred embodiment, the communication server is configured to delete, upon a user’s request to block communication with an unwanted correspondent or an unwanted group of correspondents, the address of an unwanted correspondent or an unwanted group of correspondents and an associated unique user identifier, and / or with the ability to delete directly a unique user identifier.

Preferably, the communication server is also configured to generate unique user identifiers of choice in manual or automatic mode. In automatic mode, you can provide the ability to generate according to certain rules, for example, with the automatic addition of numeric prefixes or suffixes to such user information as surname, name, year of birth, phone number, etc.

Also, a communication system is proposed in which the method of transmitting messages and the communication server described above are used.

Thus, the scope of the invention is essentially not limited to electronic communications systems, for example, it can be used in combination with the so-called hybrid mail technology. In this technology, information intended for distribution, together with the database of names and addresses of its recipients, is sent electronically to the nearest print centers, where it is printed as an individualized document, packed in a mail envelope and delivered to recipients by traditional means of mail delivery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the organization of messaging in known systems SEC.

In FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a messaging arrangement in a messaging method and a communication server according to the invention.

In FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a message transmission in a message transmission method using a communication server according to the invention.

The schematic images shown in the figures of the drawings are of an extremely simplified illustrative nature and in no way limit the scope of legal protection, which is determined by the attached claims. It should also be understood that, while remaining within the essence and scope of the legal protection of the invention, a person skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection of the invention covers such modifications and changes, as well as their equivalents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A general idea of the organization of messaging in known CMS systems is given in FIG. 1 drawings.

User P (subscriber) is associated with a certain limited number of addresses in the SEC system. To simplify the understanding, the case is presented when the user P has only one address of the MPS user in the SEC system. This address is used to maintain contacts with an indefinite number of other users, hereinafter referred to as K1-Kn correspondents, who have AK1-AK2 addresses in the SEC system.

To organize the exchange of messages between the user and the correspondents, a communication server of a known type is used.

As mentioned above, it is obvious that anyone who knows his MPS can send a message to the user, which is the basis for spam and reduces the security of communications. Moreover, in the known solutions there is no possibility of using one user address (identifier) at once in several SEC systems.

As clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the claimed invention proposes a fundamentally new approach. By means of the communication server KS, containing the appropriately configured hardware and software described below, at the request of user P, they generate and store many unique identifiers IP1-IPn of the user. Moreover, by means of the communication server KS, each of the unique identifiers IP1-IPn can be associated with several addresses APS1-APSk of the user in one or several different SEC systems. Regardless of the time it takes to generate unique user addresses, the user determines the K1-Kn correspondents with whom messaging is supposed to be carried out, and through the communication server KS enters and saves the AK1-AKn addresses that the K1-Kn correspondents have in various communication systems. Under the addresses APS1-APSk of the user and the addresses AK1-AKn of correspondents in the context of this description, we mean such identification signs, for example, email addresses, phone numbers in the mobile (cellular) communication system, various accounts in quick messaging systems, or other similar identifiers in any SEC system.

As a communication server, a system that includes a general-purpose computing device such as a computer can be used. Computer components may include, but are not limited to, a central processor, system memory, and a system bus that links various components of the system, including system memory to the processor. A central processor may be a plurality of logical processors. The system bus can be, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. A computer may typically include various computer-readable media, for example, volatile or non-volatile, removable or non-removable. System memory may include computer storage media in the form of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or random access memory (RAM). The computer may also include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer storage media. Drives and disk drives and associated computer storage media provide storage of machine-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer. The user can enter commands and information into the computer through input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse device, trackball trackball or touch panel. Other input devices may be used, such as a microphone, joystick, game pad, scanner, etc. These and other input devices are usually connected to the processor via a user input interface that is connected to the system bus, but can be connected via other interfaces and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, or universal serial bus (USB). A monitor or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus via an interface, such as a video interface. In addition to the monitor, computers can also include other peripheral output devices, such as speakers and a printer.

By means of the communication server KS, associations are created between the stored unique identifiers of the user IP1-IPn and the addresses AK1-AKn of the correspondents for which they are intended to communicate, so that one unique user identifier, for example IP1, is associated with only one separate correspondent address, for example AK1 - see FIG. 2. Of course, if necessary, each unique identifier of the user's IP can be associated with several AK addresses of one separate correspondent, for example, if the correspondent is an organization, or with the addresses of several separate correspondents forming a group for exchanging messages of the same type, for example, personal messages, business or official character.

After the associations have been created, correspondents are informed of the unique identifiers IP1-IPn of the user corresponding to them, associated with the addresses APS1-APSk of the user of various SEC systems. It should be noted here that the message to the correspondents of the unique identifiers of the user's IP can be carried out both through the communication server of the COP, and in some other alternative way. So, for example, identifiers IP1-IPn can be printed on business cards, for example, one unique identifier IP2 on each copy of a business card, and distributed to future correspondents. The unique identifier can also be dictated by phone, demonstrated as a QR code on the user's mobile phone screen, photographed and recognized by the correspondent's mobile phone, after which the communication channel can already be formed automatically. Other ways of forming communication channels are possible depending on the specifics of communication systems.

Further, the invention works as follows.

K1-Kn correspondents send messages to the communication server of the COP, using the unique IP1-IPn user identifiers known to them. The communication server of the CS checks the legitimacy of the message sources, i.e. Presence of AK1-AKn addresses in stored addresses of correspondents. Further, the transmission mode is determined by the settings selected by the user. So, the user can block the communication channel from third parties as much as possible by setting up the CS communication server in such a way that all messages from sources that do not have addresses in the stored addresses of the correspondents will be blocked and not forwarded to the addresses APS1-APSk in various ECS systems. Conversely, if desired, the user can configure the communication server of the COP so that all received messages using the unique identifiers IP1-IPn will be transmitted to the user at one or more of its addresses APS1-APSk in various ECS systems. In this case, it is advisable to additionally provide for the possibility of marking messages received from sources whose addresses are not in the stored addresses of correspondents.

In FIG. Figure 3 shows a particular embodiment of the invention in the mode of receiving an e-mail message from a correspondent and then transmitting this message to the user essentially simultaneously to the user's email address and, in the form of SMS, to the user's phone number in the cellular communication system.

The user has a unique identifier, for example PNxxx@pnbox.net on the pnbox.net communication server, and the associated email address, for example aaa@ya.ru, and a phone number, for example +7 (962) 359-XX-71.

A correspondent having an address, for example, korr@mail.ru in an SEC type email system, addresses the message, in the form of an email message, to the user with the identifier PNxxx@pnbox.net known to him. The pnbox.net communication server receives the message, checks for the presence of the address korr@mail.ru in the stored addresses of the correspondents, and, as described above, depending on the settings, sends the message to the user at the email address aaa@ya.ru. A copy of this message, or a notification of its receipt, is sent to the phone number +7 (962) 359-XX-71, and the communication server converts the addressing to the specified phone number, and the e-mail message to an SMS message. Of course, in a similar way, the present invention can be implemented when the correspondent sends any type of message, converting any addressing and type of message, in particular, association and type of message related to the transmission of voice messages or messages through client programs such as "messenger", social networks and other systems SEC. The order of forwarding and conversion of messages is determined by the user.

It should be noted that information about the unique identifiers of the user and the addresses of the user and correspondents associated with them is contained only on the communication server. The correspondent does not see the “personal” user addresses, for which, in the above example, the email address aaa@ya.ru and the telephone number +7 (962) 359-XX-71 were indicated.

Depending on the settings, the user may be shown “own” addresses of correspondents in the SEC system and / or addresses of correspondents stored on the communication server according to the invention.

Of course, in the framework of the invention, the correspondent can act as a user, and the user as a correspondent. In this case, messaging can be carried out between the communication servers according to the invention.

As already noted, the scope of legal protection of the invention is determined by the attached claims. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection of the invention is not limited to the specific features or actions disclosed above, which are described in the description only to illustrate examples of how the invention can be implemented.

Claims (19)

1. A method for transmitting messages, comprising the steps of: - through a communication server, unique user identifiers are generated and stored, in response to a user’s request, each of which is designed to communicate with a single correspondent and is associated with one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems; - by means of a communication server, the addresses that correspondents have in various electronic communication systems are stored; - through a communication server, associations are created between the stored unique user identifiers and the addresses of the correspondents for which they are intended to communicate, so that one unique user identifier is associated with one separate correspondent; - inform correspondents the corresponding unique user identifiers associated with the addresses of these correspondents; - by means of the communication server, upon receipt of a message directed to the communication server using a unique user identifier, the presence of the message source address in the stored addresses of the correspondents is checked and, depending on the result of the check and the preset settings of the communication server, the user receives the received message at one or more addresses user in various electronic communication systems or block the received message, wherein the method is characterized in that it further comprises a step in which: - upon a user’s request to block communication with an unwanted correspondent or an unwanted group of correspondents, the address of the unwanted correspondent or an undesirable group of correspondents and the associated unique user identifier are deleted via the network interface and / or the unique user identifier is deleted directly. 2. The method according to claim 1, in which the generation of unique user identifiers is carried out optionally in manual or automatic mode. 3. The method according to p. 2, in which the generation of unique identifiers in automatic mode is carried out according to certain rules. 4. A communication server configured to receive and send messages, while the communication server is configured to: - generate and save, in response to a user request, unique user identifiers, each of which is designed to communicate with a single correspondent and is associated with one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems; - save the addresses that correspondents have in various electronic communication systems; - create associations between the stored unique user identifiers and the addresses of correspondents for which they are intended to communicate, so that one unique user identifier is associated with one separate correspondent or with one separate group of correspondents; - when receiving a message, check the presence of the message source address in the stored addresses of the correspondents and, depending on the verification result and the preset settings of the communication server, transmit the received message to the user at one or more user addresses in various electronic communication systems or block the received message, the communication server is characterized in that it is additionally configured to delete, upon user request to block communication with an unwanted correspondent or an undesirable group of correspondents, the address of an unwanted correspondent or an undesirable group of correspondents and the associated unique user identifier, and / or with the ability to delete directly a unique identifier user. 5. The communication server according to claim 4, further configured to generate unique user identifiers of choice in manual or automatic mode. 6. The communication server according to claim 5, further configured to generate unique user identifiers in automatic mode according to certain rules. 7. A communication system using a communication server according to any one of paragraphs. 4-6.

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