Method and Apparatus for Controlling the Transfer of Private Information in a Communication System

• US 20080313080A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, William O. JR., Vasa, Yojak Harshad, Sammarco, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Methods and systems for selectively transferring confidential or private information to a user of a communication device are disclosed. In an exemplary method, a trigger event is detected at a first communication device, resulting in the retrieval of a data object for transmission to a second communication device. If the data object includes private or confidential information, consent of a user of the first communication device is required before the data object may be sent to the second communication device. In some embodiments, consent is obtained by explicitly requesting consent from a user. In others, consent may be deemed under pre-determined circumstances.

Claims

1. A method for selectively transferring private information to a user of a communication device, comprising:

detecting the occurrence of a trigger event at a first communication device;

retrieving or forming a data object in response to the trigger event;

determining whether the data object includes private information;

determining whether a user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object, if the data object includes private information;

sending the data object to a second communication device if the user of the first communication device has consented or if the data object does not include private information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving or forming a data object in response to the trigger event comprises requesting the data object from a data object server and receiving the data object in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of a trigger event at a first communication device comprises receiving a trigger event message from the first communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the data object includes private information comprises inspecting the data object for a confidentiality indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the data object includes private information comprises sending a confidentiality query to the first communication device and evaluating the response, if any, to the confidentiality query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object is based on the response to the confidentiality query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object comprises evaluating a pre-determined consent profile for the user of the first communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object comprises sending a consent query to the first communication device and evaluating the response, if any, to the consent query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event indicates acceptance of an electronic sales offer by the user of the first communication device and the data object comprises private financial information, and wherein determining whether the user has consented to transfer of the data object comprises deeming consent based on said indication of acceptance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger event comprises the establishing of a communication session, a change in communication status, the expiration of a timer, or a manual activation of a device key by a user of the first communication device.

11. A first communication device configured for communication with a second communication device, wherein the first communication device comprises processing logic configured to:

detect the occurrence of a trigger event at the first communication device;

retrieve or form a data object in response to the trigger event;

determine whether the data object includes private information;

determine whether a user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object, if the data object includes private information;

send the data object to a second communication device if the user of the first communication device has consented or if the data object does not include private information.

12. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to retrieve the data object by requesting the data object from a data object server and receiving the data object in response to the request.

13. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to form the data object by assembling the data object using one or more stored data items selected in view of the triggering event.

14. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to retrieve the data object by requesting the data object from a data object server and receiving the data object in response to the request.

15. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the data object includes private information by inspecting the data object for a confidentiality indicator.

16. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the first data object by evaluating a pre-determined consent profile for the user of the first communication device.

17. The first communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object by querying the user of the first communication device and evaluating the response to the query.

18. A data object server comprising processing logic configured to:

receive a trigger event message from a first communication device;

retrieve or form a data object in response to the trigger event message;

determine whether the data object includes private information;

determine whether a user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object, if the data object includes private information;

send the data object to a second communication device if the user of the first communication device has consented or if the data object does not include private information.

19. The data object server of claim 18, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the data object includes private information by inspecting the data object for a confidentiality indicator.

20. The data object server of claim 18, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the first data object by evaluating a pre-determined consent profile for the user of the first communication device.

21. The data object server of claim 18, wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object by querying the user of the first communication device and evaluating the response to the query.

22. The data object server of claim 18, wherein the trigger event message indicates acceptance of an electronic sales offer by the user of the first communication device and the data object comprises private financial information, and wherein the processing logic is configured to determine whether the user of the first communication device has consented to transfer of the data object by deeming consent based on said indication of acceptance.