Secure Data Transmission System

Abstract

A secure messaging system that requires pairing of second and receiving devices via user identification credentials and the associated media access control addresses (MAC addresses) of the paired devices. Paired devices may communicate encrypted messages and deletion parameters may be established by a sending device, including immediate deletion requests. The message and the instructions are automatically decrypted by the receiving device and interpreted to provide the data and configure the deletion parameters. The system preferably manages device pairing via a remote server that is accessed by a device application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of securely transmitting messages between electronic devices, comprising:
 receiving a request to send a message from a sending device having a first MAC address to a receiving device having a second MAC address;   confirming that said first MAC address of said sending device matches at least said one of a predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses associated with a corresponding plurality of registered electronic devices and stored in memory;   confirming that said second MAC address of said receiving device matches another one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses in said memory; and   forwarding said message from said sending device to said receiving device if said first and second MAC addresses are confirmed as having matches in said memory.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses associated with a corresponding plurality of registered electronic devices have been paired with at least another of predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of confirming that said first MAC address of said sending device has been paired with said second MAC address of said receiving device and wherein the step of forwarding said message is performed only if said first and second MAC addresses have been paired. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of pairing at least one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses with another of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses in response to a pairing request received from a requesting device having one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses that is forwarded to and accepted by another of said plurality of registered devices. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of terminating said pairing at request of either device involved in said pairing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said message further comprises a deletion parameter that specifies how long said message is to be retained by said receiving device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of causing the deletion of said message from said receiving device in response to a deletion request from said sending device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of registering at least one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses associated with a corresponding plurality of registered electronic devices by requiring a user identification and a password from each device and associating said user name and password with said MAC address for said registered device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of registering at least one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses associated with a corresponding plurality of registered electronic devices further comprises the step of requiring the presence of downloadable software on each electronic device to be registered. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of confirming that said username and password of said sending device match said registered username and password associated with the one of said predetermined plurality of unique MAC addresses that corresponds with said sending device. 
     
     
         11 . A system for securely transmitting messages between electronic devices, comprising:
 a database containing a plurality of MAC addresses uniquely corresponding with a plurality of electronic devices;   a server programmed to forward a message from a sending device having a first MAC address to a receiving device having a second MAC address if said database contains said first MAC address and said second MAC address.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said server is further programmed to establish at least one pairing between two or more of said electronic devices and save said pairing relationship with said database. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the server is further programmed to verify that said sending device and said receiving device have a pairing relationship prior to forwarding said message. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said served is programmed to establish at least one pairing by forwarding a request from a first device registered in said database to a second device registered in said database and receiving from said second electronic device an acceptance or denial of said request. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said server is further programmed to terminate said pairing at request of any device within said pairing relationship. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said server is further programmed to add a deletion parameter to said message to notify said second device to delete said message after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said server is further programmed to remotely delete said message from said second device after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said database stores, along with each MAC address, a username and password associated with each of said electronic devices in said database. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said server is further programmed to request from said sending device a first username and password and from said receiver device a second username and password and to confirm that said first username and password matches said username and password associated with said first electronic device and said second username and password matches said username and password associated with said second device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said server is further programmed to require the presence of downloadable software on each device stored in said database.