US 2,003,037,261 · Filed 2002-05-01

The Early Blueprint for Sending Secrets Over the Internet

This patent describes a system for sending sensitive files or messages over the internet that only the intended person can read. Your device encrypts the content using special math (PKI encryption), sends it through a control server, and the recipient unlocks it with a PIN plus a time-limited passcode—like a two-factor authentication lock on steroids.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a complete secured delivery system where a sender's device encrypts content using public-key infrastructure, transmits it to a control server, and a recipient device decrypts it only after the recipient provides both a static PIN and a dynamically generated one-time passcode valid within a specific time window. What's protected here is the entire architecture and method: the encryption handoff, the server relay, and the two-layer authentication unlock on the recipient side.

Why it matters

This patent captures an early approach to solving a real problem: how do you send sensitive information (documents, credentials, private messages) over an untrusted network and guarantee only the right person can access it? By combining PKI encryption with two-factor authentication in a single end-to-end system, it represents a foundational security pattern that influenced how secure messaging, file transfer, and credential delivery systems were designed in the early 2000s.

Real-world use

When you send a password-protected document through a secure email service or use two-factor authentication to unlock a sensitive message on your phone, you're encountering the same core mechanics this patent describes.

Original USPTO abstract

Systems and Methods for secured content delivery between a sender and a recipient in an electronic network using PKI-based encryption. The system includes a sender local agent associated with a sender electronic device and a recipient two-factor authentication associated with a recipient wireless device wherein both the devices are capable of connecting to a control server via the Internet. The sender local agent is operable to (i) receive content generated on the sender electronic device, (ii) generate a package of encrypted content using PKI-based encryption by obtaining at least one public key from the control server, and (iii) send the package to the control server. The control server is operable to receive the package from the sender local agent and transmit the package to the recipient local agent. The recipient two-factor authentication is operable to (i) receive the packet from the control server, (ii) prompt the recipient to enter a user PIN, (iii) responsive to receiving the user PIN, generate a one-time passcode that is valid within a predetermined interval, and (iv) accessing to the network within the predetermined interval using both the user PIN and the one-time passcode.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,003,037,261
Filing date: 2002-05-01
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Ilumin Corporation
Inventor(s): MEFFERT GREGORY, HASTINGS PAUL, LAINE DOUG, KURT MARK C.
CPC class: H04L63/0428

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