Message service indication system and method

• US 20050246535A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying messages to a user, the messages having different levels of security, are provided herein. One method of displaying to a user messages having different levels of security includes receiving a message over a network includes examining an attribute of the message to determine a security-related level associated with the message. A visual indication for display to a device user is generated by the device. Such visual indication is indicative of the determined security-related level, and is configured to be visible during scrolling through a majority of the message text.

Claims

1. A method for operation upon a data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security, comprising:

examining an attribute of a message received over a network in order to determine a security-related level associated with the message;

generating a visual indication for display to a device user that is indicative of the determined security-related level;

wherein the generated visual indication is configured to be visible during a scrolling through of a majority of the text associated with the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a wireless mobile communications device that receives messages over a wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a security-related level includes at least a security type selected from the group of a confidential security-related level, sensitive security-related level, secret security-related level, and unrestricted security-related level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first visual indicator generated for a first security type is visually different than a second visual indicator generated for a second security type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating of the visual indicator is selected from the following group of visual indicators:

changing background of a device display to indicate the security-related level associated with a message;

changing a background pattern of the device display to include a series of stripes whose intensity varies over time;

changing a font size of the message test to indicate the security-related level associated with the message;

changing a display characteristic of a header field of the message; and

combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first network, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second network, wherein the first and second networks have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute is the network that provided the message, wherein the visual indication is indicative of the degree of security associated with the network which provided the message to the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first server, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second server, wherein the first and second servers have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute is the server that provided the message, wherein the visual indication is indicative of the degree of security associated with the server which provided the message to the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first sender, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second sender, wherein identities of the first and second senders have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute includes sender identity, wherein the visual indication is indicative of the degree of security associated with the sender of the message to the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein information about the security-related level of a message attribute is stored on a data store on the device and update data is provided by an administrator over a data communication link to the device, wherein the update data is used to update the information stored on the device related to handling the security-related level of the message attribute.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the administrator provides visual indicator settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate what visual characteristics are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the administrator provides to multiple devices owned by a company visual indicator settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate what visual characteristics are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indication is generated responsive to the content of a subject line associated with the message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple visual indicators are generated for a message for display on device, such that the first visual indicator is used to designate a security-related level associated with a first message attribute and a second visual indicator is used to designate a security-related level associated with a second message attribute when the message is displayed to a user.

14. Computer software stored on one or more computer readable media, the computer software comprising program code for carrying out a method according to claim 1.

15. A data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a message via a network;

security logic instructions operable to examine an attribute of the message to determine a security-related level associated with the message; and

user interface logic instructions operable to generate a visual indication for display to a device user and to be responsive to the determined security-related level associated with the message, the generated visual indication being configured to be visible during scrolling through a majority of the message text.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the data processing device is a wireless mobile communications device that receives messages over a wireless communication network.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the security-related level includes at least a security type selected from the group of:

a confidential security-related level, sensitive security-related level, secret security-related level, and unrestricted security-related level.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein a first visual indicator generated for a first security type is visually different than a second visual indicator generated for a second security type.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the visual indicator generated is selected from the following group of visual indicators:

changing background of a device display to indicate the security-related level associated with a message;

changing a background pattern of the device display to include a series of stripes whose intensity varies over time;

changing a font size of the message test to indicate the security-related level associated with the message;

changing a display characteristic of a header field of the message; and

combination thereof.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the visual indication is generated responsive to the content of a subject line associated with the message.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the security logic instructions are operable to determine a security-related level associated with the message responsive to at least an attribute selected from the group:

an originating network associated with the message, wherein different networks are associated with different security degrees;

a server from which the message was received, wherein different servers are associated with different security degrees;

or,

a sender associated with the message, wherein different senders are associated with different security degrees.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein information about the security-related level of a message attribute is stored on a data store on the device and update data is provided by an administrator over a data communication link to the device, wherein the update data is used to update the information stored on the device related to handling the security-related level of the message attribute.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the administrator provides visual indicator settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate what visual characteristics are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the administrator provides to multiple devices owned by a company visual indicator settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate what visual characteristics are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.

25. The device of claim 15, wherein multiple visual indicators are generated for a message for display on device, such that the first visual indicator is used to designate a security-related level associated with a first message attribute and a second visual indicator is used to designate a security-related level associated with a second message attribute when the message is displayed to a user.

26. One or more computer readable media having software program code for facilitating the handling of messages with different levels of security at a data processing device, the software program code comprising:

means for receiving a message via a network;

means for examining an attribute of the message to determine a security-related level associated with the message; and

means for generating a visual indication for display to a display associated with the data processing device, the visual indication being generated responsive to the determined security-related level associated with the message, and being configured to be visible during scrolling through a majority of the message text;

wherein the visual indicator generated is selected from the following group of visual indicators;

changing background of a device display to indicate the security-related level associated with a message;

changing a background pattern of the device display to include a series of stripes whose intensity varies over time;

changing a font size of the message test to indicate the security-related level associated with the message;

changing a display characteristic of a header field of the message; and

combination thereof.