Associating Secondary Message Addresses with Certificates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email systems face issues when trying to encrypt messages using certificates that do not contain a matching email address, leading to address mismatches and failed message encryption, especially when certificates are issued without email addresses or when email addresses change.
Innovation Solution
The system allows users to associate secondary message addresses with certificates, storing these addresses in a secure data structure on the device, enabling message encryption even if the message address does not match the primary address within the certificate, without requiring a new certificate to be issued.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system requires exact matching between certificate email addresses and message recipient addresses, then message security and authentication are maintained, but message encryption fails when email addresses change or certificates are issued without email addresses
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a mapping between message addresses and certificates by storing secondary message addresses in association with certificates before message encryption is attempted. This preliminary association allows the system to resolve address mismatches proactively rather than reactively, enabling successful encryption even when certificate email addresses differ from message recipient addresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping mechanism that sits between the message address and the certificate. This intermediary layer stores secondary message addresses associated with certificates, allowing the system to bridge the gap when direct address matching fails. The mapping acts as a mediator that translates between different address representations while maintaining security.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system stores multiple message addresses associated with each certificate, then address mismatch errors are prevented and encryption succeeds, but data storage requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal mapping structure that serves multiple functions: it stores secondary message addresses, enables address translation, and provides lookup capabilities. This single multi-functional component handles various address matching scenarios without requiring separate mechanisms for each case, thereby managing complexity while enhancing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying the certificate structure itself, the system creates a separate copy or mapping of message addresses associated with each certificate. This copying approach allows the system to maintain the original certificate integrity while adding address mapping capabilities in a separate, manageable data structure that doesn't complicate the core certificate format.
3Reliability
If users must manually search for correct certificates when address mismatches occur, then certificate security is maintained, but user efficiency and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic certificate selection by querying the stored mapping of secondary message addresses to certificates. Instead of requiring user intervention to find the correct certificate, the system self-services the certificate selection process by automatically resolving the address-to-certificate mapping, thereby maintaining accuracy while significantly improving encryption speed and user productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system automatically queries the address-certificate mapping based on the message recipient address and retrieves the appropriate certificate. This automated feedback loop eliminates manual searching while maintaining security through accurate certificate selection, as the system continuously references the stored mapping to ensure correct certificate assignment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for associating message addresses with certificates, in which one or more secondary message addresses are identified and associated with a user-selected certificate that does not contain any e-mail addresses. In certain situations, a message may be encrypted using a certificate that does not contain an e-mail address that matches the e-mail address of the individual to which the message is to be sent, so long as the address to which the message is to be sent matches any of the message addresses associated with the certificate. The message addresses are saved in a data structure that resides in a secure data store on a computing device, such as a mobile device.