Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products For Instant Messaging

• US 20100131599A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Inventors: GIOVANNELLI, Jason Sturgill
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring the receipt of instant messages between two or more participants in a messaging environment are described herein. An embodiment of the invention operates by receiving a message from a sender. The message is displayed in a chat client of a recipient. Such message is displayed in an encrypted form to prevent human intelligible display of the message. An indication of selection of the message by the recipient is received. Thereafter, the message is displayed in the chat client in an unencrypted form, and an acknowledgement is sent to the sender. The sender updates a message status identifier by filling the message status identifier with a color or updating an icon or any other visual cue or identifier, uniquely identifying the message recipient, to thereby note the selection of the message by the recipient. In this way, the recipient of a message must select the message in order to view the message in its unencrypted form. When the recipient selects the message with a mouse pointer or any other interaction method, an acknowledgement is sent to the sender, indicating that the message has been viewed by the recipient. This prevents an assumption by the sender that the message has been viewed by the recipient until it is actually viewed in its unencrypted form.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for monitoring viewing of instant messages, comprising:

receiving a message from a sender;

displaying said message in a chat client of a recipient, wherein said message is displayed in an encrypted form to prevent human intelligible display of said message;

receiving an indication of selection of said message by said recipient;

displaying said message in said chat client in an un-encrypted form; and

sending an acknowledgement to said sender after said displaying step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sender updates a message status identifier associated with said recipient based on said acknowledgement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said sender updates said message status identifier by filling said message status identifier with a color associated with said recipient.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said sender updates said message status identifier by inserting a time at which said message was selected by said recipient.

5. A computer implemented method for monitoring viewing of instant messages, comprising:

sending a message to a recipient, wherein said message is displayed in an encrypted form to prevent human intelligible display of said message in a chat client associated with said recipient;

receiving from said chat client an acknowledgement after said recipient has selected said message; and

updating a message status identifier associated with said recipient based on said acknowledgement.

6. A system for monitoring receipt of instant messages in an environment including two or more participants, comprising:

a first chat client associated with a sender of a message; and

a second chat client associated with a recipient of said message, wherein said second chat

client encrypts said message sent by said first chat client prior to displaying said message an encrypted form to said recipient.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said second chat client displays said message in an un-encrypted form based on an input from said recipient.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said input comprises a selection of said message using a mouse pointer.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said first chat client receives an acknowledgement from said second chat client when said second chat client displays said message in an un-encrypted form.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said first chat client updates one or more message status identifiers based on said acknowledgement.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said one or more message status identifiers include identifiers associated with each of said participants.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said acknowledgement received from said second chat client updates a color of said identifiers.

13. A computer program product having control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling a processor to monitor receipt of instant messages in an environment including two or more participants, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to receive a message from a sender;

second computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to display said

message in chat clients of one or more recipients in an encrypted form to prevent viewing of content in said message;

third computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to receive an input corresponding to selection of said message from one or more recipients of said message;

fourth computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to display said message in an un-encrypted form to said one or more recipients allow viewing of content in said message; and

fifth computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to send an acknowledgement to said sender of said message after said displaying step.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

sixth computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to receive said acknowledgement from said chat clients; and

seventh computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to update one or more message status identifiers in chat client of said sender based on said acknowledgement.