Method and system for protecting messenger identity

• US 10,666,584 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jiazheng Shi
• Original Assignee: Jiazheng Shi
• Inventors: Shi, Jiazheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US16/153,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20200112527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 598 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for protecting message sender identity in an instant messaging system. Upon receiving an instant message via the instant messaging system, the system may withhold the identity of the sender while pushing the message to the other users in the communication channel. Identity withholding is controlled by the sender on his or her device. The disassociated message is displayed in a style that is common to users, for example, displaying in the middle, displaying in a common location, or even displaying in random locations on a screen of the message thread. Although someone can take a screenshot of a message, the screenshot does not contain any information that can be used to identify the actual sender of the message. In this case, users may generally rely on the context to appreciate the dynamics and/or flow of the conversation. The invention thus enables information sharing in an instant messaging system without the concern of screenshot.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a user device for protecting message sender identity in an instant messaging system, the method comprising:

receiving a message sent from a sender through a communication channel via the instant messaging system;

determining if an ephemeral mode is selected by the sender;

arranging a disassociated message by disassociating the message from the actual sender and/or a receiver of the message if it is determined that the ephemeral mode is selected by the sender;

sending the disassociated message to the receiver through the communication channel; and

displaying the disassociated message on user devices in a common style wherein screens of the user devices do not present information that indicates the sender of the disassociated message, including by displaying the dissociated message in a random location on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message can be includes a text, image, or audio.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein ephemeral mode is determined based on a command made by the sender.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the disassociated message is displayed in a middle region of a message thread on the screen of the user devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a disassociated dummy message displays on the screen of the user device to invite readers to get its original message content.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the message from the display after a predetermined period of time has passed since receiving a user action, wherein the user action comprises clicking, tapping, or swiping on a display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a personal computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a mobile device.

9. A personal computing device comprising:

a display;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor which, upon executing the instructions, performs a process comprising;

receiving a message via the instant messaging system;

determining if an ephemeral mode is selected by a sender;

arranging a disassociated message by disassociating the message from the sender and/or a receiver of the message if it is determined that the ephemeral mode is selected by the sender;

sending disassociated message to users in the same communication channel; and

displaying disassociated message on computing devices in a common style wherein the devices do not present information that indicates the sender of the disassociated message, including by displaying the dissociated message in a random location on a screen.

10. The personal computing device of claim 9, wherein ephemeral mode is determined based on a command made by the sender.

11. The personal computing device of claim 9, wherein the message can be displayed in the middle of the message thread.

12. The personal computing device of claim 9, wherein a disassociated dummy message displays on computing device to invite readers to get its original message content.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing the message from the display after a predetermined period of time has passed since receiving a user action, wherein the user action comprises clicking, tapping, or swiping on a display.

14. A non-transient computer readable medium programmed with computer readable code that upon execution by a processor of a mobile device causes the processor to:

receiving a message via the instant messaging system;

determine if an ephemeral mode is selected by a sender;

arranging a disassociated message by disassociating the message from the sender and/or a receiver of the message if it is determined that the ephemeral mode is selected by the sender;

sending disassociated message to users in the same communication channel; and

displaying disassociated message on mobile devices in a common style wherein the devices do not present information indicates the sender of the disassociated message, including by displaying the dissociated message in a random location on a screen.

15. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein a disassociated dummy message displays on the mobile device to invite readers to get its original message content.

16. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the message can be displayed in the middle of the message thread.