METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING SCREEN SHARING DURING CONFIDENTIAL DATA ENTRY

• US 20140215356A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: BRANDER, Ryan Conrad, POELUEV, Yuri
• Granted Patent: US 9,699,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

A method, transmitting device, and computer-readable storage medium are provided for sharing image data between a source device and at least one receiving device. In one implementation, a method is provided for periodically sending image data of a shared screen to the at least one receiving device using a sharing connection. The method also receives a request associated with activating a user interface component involving confidential information, suspends updating of the image data responsive to the received request, and periodically sends suspended image data to the at least one receiving device while updating is suspended.

Claims

1. A method for sharing image data between a source device and at least one receiving device, the method comprising:

periodically sending image data of a shared screen to the at least one receiving device using a sharing connection;

receiving a request associated with activating a user interface component involving confidential information;

suspending updating of the image data responsive to the received request; and

periodically sending suspended image data to the at least one receiving device while updating is suspended.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a user interface component is based at least in part on receiving user input associated with the user interface component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a user interface component is based at least in part on receiving a request to display a virtual keyboard having keyboard elements specific to entry of confidential information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a user interface component is based at least in part on determining that a current input focus is associated with the user interface component.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface component is no longer activated when the current input focus is not associated with the user interface component.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising resuming updating of the image data responsive to determining that the user interface component is no longer activated.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether confidential information is displayed in the user interface component after determining that the user interface component is no longer activated; and

obfuscating the confidential information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein suspending updating of the image data comprises preventing updated image data from being placed into an image buffer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending the suspended image data comprises periodically sending a single screen image that was placed into the image buffer prior to suspending.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a notification indicating that screen sharing is suspended.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification is added before updating of the image data is suspended, and wherein the suspended image data sent to the at least one receiving device includes the notification.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a user interface component comprises determining that the user interface component includes information designated not to be shared.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface component is associated with the confidential information, and wherein the confidential information is one of a login credential, an account number, a social security number, a credit card number, or information related to finances.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface component is associated with authentication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user interface component is one of an authentication field and an authentication prompt.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein suspending updating of the image data comprises suspending updating of a portion of the screen image corresponding to a display position of the user interface component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein suspending updating of the image data comprises suspending updating of the user interface component while a remainder of the image data is updated.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the user interface component is associated with a non-shareable attribute; and

suspending updating of the portion of the screen image corresponding to the position of the user interface component, upon determining that the user interface component is associated with the non-shareable attribute.

19. A source device for sharing image data with at least one receiving device, the source device comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media enabled to store instructions; and

one or more processors enabled to execute the instructions, the executing of the instructions causing the transmitting device to;

periodically send image data of a shared screen to the at least one receiving device using a sharing connection;

receive a request associated with activating a user interface component involving confidential information;

suspend updating of the image data responsive to the received request; and

periodically send suspended image data to the at least one receiving device while updating is suspended.

20. One or more tangibly-embodied nontransitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a source device, cause the source device to:

periodically send image data of a shared screen to at least one receiving device using a sharing connection;

receive a request associated with activating a user interface component involving confidential information;

suspend updating of the image data responsive to the received request; and

periodically send suspended image data to the at least one receiving device while updating is suspended.