IT202100006311A1 - MESSAGING SYSTEM AND IDENTIFICATION OF USERS CLOSE TO EACH OTHER EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF INTERNET CONNECTION. - Google Patents

Description

Description of the Patent for Industrial Invention entitled:

?Messaging system and identification of users close to each other even in the absence of an internet connection?

field of technique

This patent application for an invention ? classifiable in the IT sector. In this case, the invention concerns the creation of a system for exchanging messages and data between users who are physically close to each other or who have somehow crossed paths, even in the absence of an internet connection.

Known art

Since the origins of history, man has? lavished in the search for communication with his fellow men to establish social relationships that would do so evolve, but also live in a more? safe and more long. Without communication, the story we tell today would probably be different from the one we know or, perhaps, there would not even be a story to tell.

From the use of sounds, gestures, engravings on stones or messages of smoke, man has spent the course of his existence always looking for better ways to be able to make himself understood. Has the use of speech and language given a turn to this difficulty of his? because, through oral communication, yes? could be handed down from father to son or from community? in the community lived stories that have allowed man to evolve from generation to generation.

Nowadays communication methods, both thanks to technological progress and thanks to the internet, have reached levels never seen before.

However, these methods, however efficient, have distorted the concept of meeting and interpersonal relationships, leading people to distrust those around them.

The cause of this phenomenon? to be associated, in part, with an atypical use of social networks that privileged those who were willing to use their own identity? to get popularity? in a world that rewards ostentation and appearance.

? There is no doubt, however, that the use of social networks also involves externalities? positive among users. In fact, these systems shorten distances, make events more neighbors and give the feeling of living in constant ?direct? the facts.

They connect parts of the world that are far apart, helping individuals to understand each other, thus eliminating barriers.

Being present on socials can actually help in so many circumstances. Are you making new friendships that you can keep longer? or less stable even over time or, in the case of young students working abroad through social media, they stay in touch with their relatives and group of friends.

At the same time, is it possible to make known one's ambitions in the workplace, one's tastes, knowledge, etc.? While such information may be deemed sensitive, as previously argued, ? there is no doubt that there are advantages in using the same social networks.

Description of the invention

The system object of the invention aims to put people who are at a close distance from each other in contact (maximum distance of influence of the Bluetooth) or who have crossed paths and therefore people who are close to each other and not far away with the aim of converting the friendship sort ?offline? in real friendship. The two main features of the application, in fact, are:

- Identification of users and contents around the user;

- Capacity? to continue to operate in situations where the internet connection is absent.

There? it would make it possible to overcome the inhibitions that prevent many people from coming into contact with others for the mere fear of being judged and/or being considered inappropriate.

Detailed description of the invention and its figures

As regards the identification of users and content around the user, yes? decided to take advantage of the Bluetooth (and not, for example, the GPS) as pu? provide more precise information about the ?meetings? of a user while consuming less battery. To ensure privacy and security, though, yes? decided to impose some limitations in order to significantly limit the possible abuse of this system by malicious people. The system ? was, for this, cos? structured:

fig. 1 illustrates the client app that connects to the server 1 and requests a random code 2 that identifies the user (the code, at the moment, is the same for different devices of the same user or if it is requested a short distance from the last one);

fig. 3 illustrates the client app which starts advertising the use of the application via Bluetooth 4.0 LE;

fig. 4 illustrates how two devices, after having performed what was previously requested 2, entering the range of action of the Bluetooth, connect automatically and exchange the codes obtained previously 2;

fig. 5 illustrates the devices, individually, which perform a first evaluation on the code (verify that it conforms to a precise format 10 and that it is not in the list of already recently detected 20) and, if successful, save it in a local list at device;

fig. 6 illustrates how the list 30 is periodically transmitted to the server managed personally by the owner of the app who performs further checks.

fig. 7 illustrates how the server verifies that the users have not blocked 40 or that there are no further problems and if these are exceeded, they inform the users of the meeting with a delay of about an hour.

The second main feature allows the application to be used in conditions of total absence of connection. In order to always guarantee a certain degree of safety and protection, it would be unthinkable for the server not to intervene in the ?certifying? the identity of a particular device. In the absence of this protection, an attacker could in fact create an offline profile, disturb, delete the app and all data relating to this use would be lost if not saved by the other person. Furthermore, introduce a security system? convenient because in any case the user must download the app when there is a connection and therefore not ? it is unthinkable to introduce a safety step in this phase or in any case in the moments preceding the connection failure (think of the airport before an aircraft takes off). The assumed security system works like this:

Fig.8 illustrates the client which generates a pair of asymmetric keys 50 (one public and one private) and downloads, if changed, the public keys of the server. The generated public key is sent to the server which replies with a packet signed 60 with the server's private key, verifiable from one of the previously downloaded keys, containing the hash of the user's public key and all the basic information about it ( name, surname, profile photo hash, username, etc.). This package acts to all intents and purposes as if it were an ?identity card? released by the server and that can? be verified and authenticated by anyone in possession of the previously downloaded keys.

fig. 9 illustrates how in the absence of the internet, via a bluetooth network, the devices exchange the public keys 110 and the signed packet;

fig. 10 illustrates the device which receives the information 110 and verifies the signature of the server. If the check fails 70 the package ? tampered with and thus the connection with that device is severed. Otherwise 80 the public key hash of the other device is calculated and compared with the one present in the package. The same verification occurs for verifying the profile picture or other information in the form of a hash in the package. If all checks are passed then the connection ? trust and the two devices can start interacting by encrypting the information 90 with the keys received to prevent further devices from ?analysing? the traffic between the two and having received the information, decrypt it with the private key in possession 100.

Can you? imagine how these controls prevent the devices from making a series of changes (such as changing the profile picture or username or other data) during the absence of connection, but such a compromise? necessary in order to ensure that the exchange of information is guaranteed by the server. It is expected that, once the connection is restored, the devices will transmit the communications made in the absence of connection to the server to allow storage and conservation. Obviously if both devices were to delete the? app before the availability? of the connection, the information exchanged would be irretrievably lost.

The present invention ? been described for illustrative, but non-limiting purposes, according to preferred embodiments thereof, but ? it should be understood that variations and/or modifications may be made by experts in the art without thereby departing from the relative scope of protection, as defined by the attached claims.

Claims (8)

Claims 1. Messaging system and identification of close or crossed users characterized by the fact that a precise user identification is not provided but a random code (1,2) which has meaning only for the server; 2. System according to the previous claim characterized by an APP which continues to function even in the background and by the server which discards, without informing any user and/or programmer, all the ?unwelcome? encounters? what can be the encounters between blocked users (40) or other conditions/filters entered by the programmer; 3. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the delay of at least one hour imposed by the server prevents the system from being used as a ?radar? to locate specific people live. 4. System according to the preceding claims characterized in that the devices, individually, perform a first evaluation on the code or verify that it conforms to a precise format (10) and that it is not in the list of already? recently detected (20) and, if exceeded, they save it in a list local to the device, furthermore a list (30) is transmitted to the server managed personally by the owner of the app who performs further checks; 5. System according to the preceding claims characterized by a server which verifies the users so that have not blocked (40) or that there are no further problems and if overcome, inform users of the meeting with a delay of about an hour; 6. System according to the preceding claims characterized in that the client generates a pair of asymmetric keys (50), one public and one private, and downloads, if changed, the public keys of the server; this generated public key is sent to the server which replies with a signed packet (60) with the server's private key, verifiable from one of the previously downloaded keys, including the hash of the user's public key and all the basic information about it it (name, surname, profile photo hash, username, etc.); 7. System according to the preceding claims characterized in that the device receiving the information (110) verifies the signature of the server, if the verification fails (70) the packet ? tampered with and therefore the connection with this device is truncated, otherwise (80) the hash of the public key of the other device is calculated and compared with the one present in the package; the same verification occurs to verify the profile picture or other information in the form of a hash in the package; if all checks are passed then the connection ? trust and the two devices can start interacting by encrypting (90) the information with the keys received to prevent further devices from ?analysing? the traffic between the two and having received the information, decrypt it with the private key in possession (100); 8. System according to claim n.1 characterized in that it can be used in conditions of total absence of connection via a bluetooth network (110).