Electronic Message Recipient Handling System and Method with Separated Display of Message Content and Header Information

• US 20150106743A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Inventors: Collins, Joseph, Shah, Amit Jindas
• Granted Patent: US 9,306,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

An electronic messaging system and method with reduced traceability. Separate displays are provided at a recipient user device for separately displaying via the user device header information of an electronic message and message content including a media component. The message content and the header information are correlated with a unique identifier. The header information is displayed in a message list via a first display. The message content including a media component is displayed via a second display. The display of the message content occurs via the second display without displaying the header information. Methods, systems, and computer readable media with separation of the display of media component and header information in various implementations may provide for reduced traceability of an electronic message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of handling an electronic message, the method comprising:

receiving at a recipient user device a header information corresponding to a message content that includes a media component;

providing a first display via the recipient user device, the first display including the header information in a message list;

receiving at the recipient user device the message content including the media component, wherein the message content including the media component and the header information are correlated by a unique identifier;

receiving a selection by the recipient user via the first display, the selection directed to a portion of the message list corresponding to the header information; and

in response to the selection, providing a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the message content including the media component without displaying the header information.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the message content including a media component does not include information about a sender of the electronic message that itself provides a traceable identity of the sender.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the message content including a media component does not include information that in itself identifies a user sending the electronic message, a recipient user of the electronic message, or a date associated with the electronic message.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the recipient user device is a device selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a workstation computer, a server computer, a laptop computer, a handheld device, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, and any combinations thereof.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the media component includes information selected from the group consisting of an image, video, audio, and any combinations thereof.

6. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the media component includes an image.

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said providing a second display includes preventing screenshot logging at the recipient user device from capturing the media component.

8. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said providing a second display includes preventing the simultaneous capture of the media component and the header information via screenshot logging at the recipient user device.

9. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the first header information and the first message content are received at the recipient user device via a network, wherein the first header information and the first message content are communicated over the network separately.

10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving the first message content includes receiving the first message content from a server computer and the method further comprises automatically deleting the first message content including the media component from the server computer.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein said automatically deleting the first message content including the media component from the server computer occurs after said providing a second display.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein said automatically deleting the first message content including the media component from the server computer occurs upon the second display being closed.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically deleting the message content including the media component at a predetermined amount of time after being displayed such that after the second display is terminated from view, the message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.

14. A machine readable hardware storage medium containing machine executable instructions implementing a method of handling an electronic message, the instructions comprising:

a set of instructions for receiving at a recipient user device a header information corresponding to a message content that includes a media component;

a set of instructions for providing a first display via the recipient user device, the first display including the header information in a message list;

a set of instructions for receiving at the recipient user device the message content including the media component, wherein the message content including the media component and the header information are correlated by a unique identifier;

a set of instructions for receiving a selection by the recipient user via the first display, the selection directed to a portion of the message list corresponding to the header information; and

a set of instructions for providing, in response to the selection, a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the message content including the media component without displaying the header information.

15. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the message content including a media component does not include information about a sender of the electronic message that itself provides a traceable identity of the sender.

16. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the message content including a media component does not include information that in itself identifies a user sending the electronic message, a recipient user of the electronic message, or a date associated with the electronic message.

17. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, wherein said set of instructions for providing a second display includes a set of instructions for preventing screenshot logging at the recipient user device from capturing the media component.

18. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, wherein said set of instructions for providing a second display includes a set of instructions for preventing the simultaneous capture of the media component and the header information via screenshot logging at the recipient user device.

19. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising a set of instructions for automatically deleting the message content including the media component at a predetermined amount of time after being displayed such that after the second display is terminated from view, the message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.

20. A system for handling an electronic message comprising:

a means for receiving at a recipient user device a header information corresponding to a message content that includes a media component;

a means for providing a first display via the recipient user device, the first display including the header information in a message list;

a means for receiving at the recipient user device the message content including the media component, wherein the message content including the media component and the header information are correlated by a unique identifier;

a means for receiving a selection by the recipient user via the first display, the selection directed to a portion of the message list corresponding to the header information; and

a means for providing, in response to the selection, a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the message content including the media component without displaying the header information.