Automatic expiration of messages communicated among end user communication devices

• US 20120254324A1
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Loment Incorporated
• Inventors: Majeti, Venkata C., Pennabadi, Saiprasad
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

An exemplary method is implemented by a first end-user communication device for processing a received electronic communication that includes a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment. The user data segment contains a first command and a user message, where the first command contains a first parameter representing automatic expiration and an associated first value representing how long the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device. Under the control of an enhanced services application program, the user message in clear text format is generated for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device. A determination is made of the expiration of the time set by the first value, and upon the expiration, the clear text user message is thereafter prevented from being accessed by the first end-user communication device.

Claims

1. A method for processing by a first end-user communication device a received electronic communication, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the electronic communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing automatic expiration and an associated first value representing how long the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device;

under the control of an enhanced services application program, generating the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

determining, by the enhanced services application program, expiration of the time set by the first value and upon the expiration of the time being determined, thereafter preventing said clear text user message from being accessed by the first end-user communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of preventing said clear text user message from being accessed by the first end-user communication device comprises deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying on the screen of the first end-user communication device the user message in clear text format;

the determining step using the first time the clear text format of the user message is displayed on the screen as the start from which the time of the first value is reckoned.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first value specifies one of a set amount of time relative to the creation of the user message and a set date/time, said one defining the time interval during which the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device, said clear text user message being prevented from being displayed by the first end-user communication device upon the expiration of said first value regardless of whether the first end-user has ever caused the clear text user message to be displayed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first command and user message contained in the received the electronic communication are in encrypted format;

the step of generating comprising decrypting the encrypted first command and user message into clear text format and displaying the user message in clear text format.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the step of preventing said clear text user message from being displayed by the first end-user communication device comprises deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device;

the method further comprising storing in memory of the first end-user communication device the first command and user message in encrypted format following the deletion of the clear text user message.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the enhanced services application program having a forwarding capability where a received message by the first end-user communication device can be forwarded as an electronic communication to another user'"'"'s end-user communication device;

receiving in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction that inhibits the forwarding capability of the enhanced services application program from forwarding the user message of the user data segment containing the second command from the first end-user communication device to another end-user communication device.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a first end-user communication device to implement a method for processing a received electronic communication, the method comprising:

receiving the electronic communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing automatic expiration and an associated first value representing how long the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device;

generating the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

determining expiration of the time set by the first value and upon the expiration of the time being determined, thereafter preventing said clear text user message from being accessed by the first end-user communication device.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein preventing said clear text user message from being accessed by the first end-user communication device comprises deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying on the screen of the first end-user communication device the user message in clear text format;

the determining step using the first time the clear text format of the user message is displayed on the screen as the start from which the time of the first value is reckoned.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the first value specifies one of a set amount of time relative to the creation of the user message and a set date/time, said one defining the time interval during which the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device, said clear text user message being prevented from being displayed by the first end-user communication device upon the expiration of said first value regardless of whether the first end-user has ever caused the clear text user message to be displayed.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein:

the first command and user message contained in the received the electronic communication are in encrypted format;

the step of generating comprising decrypting the encrypted first command and user message into clear text format and displaying the user message in clear text format.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein;

the step of preventing said clear text user message from being displayed by the first end-user communication device comprises deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device;

the method further comprising storing in memory of the first end-user communication device the first command and user message in encrypted format following the deletion of the clear text user message.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

the enhanced services application program having a forwarding capability where a received message by the first end-user communication device can be forwarded as an electronic communication to another user'"'"'s end-user communication device;

receiving in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction that inhibits the forwarding capability of the enhanced services application program from forwarding the user message of the user data segment containing the second command from the first end-user communication device to another end-user communication device.

15. An end-user wireless communication device that processes a received electronic communication, the device comprising:

a microprocessor controlled apparatus receives the electronic communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing automatic expiration and an associated first value representing how long the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus generates, under the control of an enhanced services application program, the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus determines, under the control of the enhanced services application program, expiration of the time set by the first value and upon the expiration of the time being determined, thereafter preventing said clear text user message from being accessed by the first end-user communication device.

16. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the microprocessor controlled apparatus causes the deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device.

17. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 15 further comprising:

the microprocessor controlled apparatus displaying on the screen of the first end-user communication device the user message in clear text format;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus determining the first time the clear text format of the user message is displayed on the screen as the start from which the time of the first value is reckoned.

18. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the first value specifies one of a set amount of time relative to the creation of the user message and a set date/time, said one defining the time interval during which the user message will be available for display by the first end-user communication device, the microprocessor controlled apparatus preventing said clear text user message from being displayed by the first end-user communication device upon the expiration of said first value regardless of whether the first end-user has ever caused the clear text user message to be displayed.

19. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 15 further comprising:

the first command and user message contained in the received the electronic communication being in encrypted format;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus decrypting the encrypted first command and user message into clear text format and displaying the user message in clear text format.

20. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 19 wherein:

the microprocessor controlled apparatus causing the deletion of the clear text user message from the first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus storing in memory of the first end-user communication device the first command and user message in encrypted format following the deletion of the clear text user message.

21. The end-user wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein:

the enhanced services application program having a forwarding capability where a received message by the first end-user communication device can be forwarded as an electronic communication to another user'"'"'s end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus receiving in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction that prohibits the forwarding capability of the enhanced services application program from forwarding the user message contained in the same user data segment as the second command from the first end-user communication device to another user.

22. A method for processing by a first end-user communication device a received electronic communication, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the electronic communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature available on the first end-user communication device;

under the control of an enhanced services application program, generating the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

accepting a user input, by the enhanced services application program, being a request for execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message, the at least one user selectable feature being one of an action to further disseminate the associated clear text user message or to reproduce the clear text user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

determining, by the enhanced services application program, prior to execution of the request whether the user message subject to the request has an associated first parameter representing a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature;

preventing, by the enhanced services application program, execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message upon determining that a first parameter associated with the subject user message represents a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a first end-user communication device to implement a method for processing a received electronic communication, the method comprising:

receiving the electronic communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature available on the first end-user communication device;

under the control of an enhanced services application program, generating the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

accepting a user input, by the enhanced services application program, being a request for execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message, the at least one user selectable feature being one of an action to further disseminate the associated clear text user message or to reproduce the clear text user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

determining, by the enhanced services application program, prior to execution of the request whether the user message subject to the request has an associated first parameter representing a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature;

preventing, by the enhanced services application program, execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message upon determining that a first parameter associated with the subject user message represents a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature.

24. An end-user wireless communication device that processes a received electronic communication, the device comprising:

a microprocessor controlled apparatus that receives the electronic communication where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a first command and a user message, the first command containing a first parameter representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature available on the first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, generates the user message in clear text format for display on a screen of the first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, accepts a user input being a request for execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message, the at least one user selectable feature being one of an action to further disseminate the associated clear text user message or to reproduce the clear text user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, determining prior to execution of the request whether the user message subject to the request has an associated first parameter representing a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, preventing execution of said at least one user selectable feature for the user message upon determining that a first parameter associated with the subject user message represents a restriction of the at least one user selectable feature.