Preventing the capture of chat session text

• US 20060047748A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mese, John Carl, Kelso, Scott Edwards, Weksler, Arnold S., Peterson, Nathan J., Waltermann, Rod David
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for disabling the capturing of chat session text. A chat session participant may store a profile for informing other chat session participants of preferences regarding the capture of chat session text. A chat session user may disable another user'"'"'s ability to capture text. A chat session user may request that another user not capture text.

Claims

1. A method for preventing the capture of chat session text comprising the steps of:

running a first chat application on a first client, wherein the first chat application runs in conjunction with a first operating system on the first client, wherein the first chat application receives a first text message from a second chat application running on a second client coupled to said first client;

accessing a stored preference of a user of the second client for whether the user of the second client authorizes capturing the first text message; and

disabling a capture feature if the user of the second client does not authorize capturing the first text message.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of informing a user of the first client that the capture feature is disabled.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of accessing the stored preference of the user of the second client occurs in response to an attempt by the first operating system to capture the text message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client application receives a second text message from a third client application, the method further comprising the steps of:

accessing a stored preference of a user of the third client application for whether the user of the third client application authorizes capturing the second text message; and

capturing the second text message if the user of the third client application authorizes the capturing the second text message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the capture feature comprises a print screen feature for copying the first text message to a buffer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the capture feature comprises storing a transcript file.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of accessing the stored preference comprises accessing a stored profile residing on the second client.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first client application receives the first text message and the second text message as part of a stream of messages from a plurality of clients, wherein the first client and the plurality of clients are logged into an IM chat session for conducting one or more conversations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing the stored preference of the user of the second client comprises the first client receiving a broadcast of the stored preference of the user of the second client upon a change of state of the second client.

10. A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for preventing the capture of chat session text comprising the programming steps of:

running a first chat application on a first client, wherein the first chat application runs in conjunction with a first operating system on the first client, wherein the first chat application receives a first text message from a second chat application running on a second client coupled to said first client;

accessing a stored preference of a user of the second client for whether the user of the second client authorizes capturing the first text message; and

disabling a capture feature if the user of the second client does not authorize capturing the first text message.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising the programming step of informing a user of the first client that the capture feature is disabled.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the programming step of accessing the stored preference of the user of the second client is performed in response to an attempt by the first operating system to capture the first text message.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the first client application receives a second text message from a third client application, the computer program product further comprising the programming steps of:

accessing a stored preference of a user of the third client application for whether the user of the third client application authorizes capturing the second text message; and

capturing the second text message if the user of the third client application authorizes the capturing the second text message.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the capture feature comprises a print screen feature for copying the first text message to a buffer.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the capture feature comprises storing a transcript file.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the programming step of accessing a stored preference comprises accessing a stored profile residing on the second client.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the first client application receives the first text message and the second text message as part of a stream of messages from a plurality of clients, wherein the first client and the plurality of clients are logged into an IM chat session for conducting one or more conversations.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the programming step of accessing the stored preference of the user of the second client comprises the first client receiving a broadcast of the stored preference of the user of the second client upon a change of state of the second client.

19. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit coupled to the processor, wherein the memory unit is operable for storing a computer program for preventing the capture of chat session text;

circuitry for receiving a first text message from a second data processing system;

circuitry for receiving from a profile a preference of a user of the second data processing system regarding capture of the first text message;

circuitry for restricting capturing a portion of the first text message, wherein restricting capturing a portion of the first text message occurs in response to receiving the preference of the second data processing user.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the circuitry for restricting capturing a portion of the first text message restricts capturing the portion of the first text message by preventing copying the portion of the first text message to a buffer.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the circuitry for receiving a first text message from a second data processing system receives a second text message from a third data processing system, wherein the second circuitry receives a preference of a third data processing system user regarding capture of the second text message, wherein, in response to the preference of the third data processing system user, the third circuitry allows capturing a portion of the second text message.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the circuitry for restricting capturing a portion of the first text message restricts capturing the portion of the first text message by disabling saving the portion of the first text message to a transcript.

23. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

an operating system stored on the memory unit, wherein the circuitry for restricting capturing a portion of the first text message restricts capturing the portion of the first text message by instructing the operating system to not store the portion of the first text message.

24. The system of claim 19 further comprising circuitry for informing a user of the system of an unsuccessful attempt of the third circuitry for restricting capturing of the portion of the first text message.

25. A method for conducting chat sessions comprising:

receiving a plurality of text messages from a plurality of chat clients, wherein each of the plurality of chat clients has an associated chat user, wherein each associated chat user has a preference regarding capturing text messages from the associated chat user;

capturing one or more approved text messages, wherein the one or more approved text messages are a portion of the plurality of text messages from any client for which the associated chat user approves capturing text messages; and

disabling a capture feature for one or more unapproved text messages, wherein the one or more unapproved text messages are a portion of the plurality of text messages from any client for which the associated chat user does not approve capturing text messages.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of accessing a stored profile for each of the associated chat users, wherein the stored profile comprises a preference for whether each of the associated chat users authorizes capturing of chat session text.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of receiving a preference for whether each of the associated chat users authorizes capturing chat session text.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the one or more unapproved text messages comprise messages sent both before and after the step of receiving a preference for whether each of the associated chat users authorizes capturing chat session text.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the one or more unapproved text messages comprise messages sent only after the step of receiving a preference for whether each of the associated chat users authorizes capturing chat session text.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of disabling a capture feature comprises at least partially disabling an operating system'"'"'s copy, text-select, paste, and print screen features.