Instant messages with privacy notices

• US 7,917,589 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, Gregory Allan, Kronlund, Curtis Duane, Moore, Scott Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman; Brandon S
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, THONG P
• Application Number:
  US11/467,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 713/201, 715/767, 705/1
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

In an embodiment, an instant message is received that includes data, a privacy indication, and an override indication. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is non-private, then the data is presented. But, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, then a privacy notice is presented and the data is hidden until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received. The privacy notice may include a prompt for the acknowledgment. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, the data is presented. In another embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device received input is less than a threshold amount of time, then the data is presented.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an instant message at a recipient client device from a sender, wherein the instant message comprises data and a privacy indication that specifies whether the data is private, and an override indication that specifies whether the privacy indication is allowed to be overridden;

determining, at the recipient client device, whether to present a privacy notice at the recipient client device based on the privacy indication and the override indication, wherein the determining further comprises deciding to present the data if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device at the recipient client device received a most recent user input is less than a threshold amount of time, wherein the time period was received from a user interface at the user interface device at the recipient client device;

presenting the data at the recipient client device and not presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is less than the threshold amount of time; and

presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device and hiding the data from presentation at the recipient client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time, wherein the privacy notice explains that the data that is hidden is private.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device and hiding the data from presentation at the recipient client device further comprises:

hiding the data until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received, wherein the data is presented in response to the acknowledgment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to receiving the acknowledgment that comprises a cursor positioned at the privacy notice, presenting a fly-over message that comprises the data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the acknowledgement comprises a request for presentation of the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a sending client that sends the instant message receives the privacy indication from a user interface and stores the privacy indication in the instant message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device further comprises:

presenting an identifier of a sender of the instant message at the recipient client device.

7. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

receiving an instant message at a recipient client device from a sender, wherein the instant message comprises data, a privacy indication that specifies whether the data is private, and an override indication that specifies whether the privacy indication is allowed to be overridden;

determining, at the recipient client device, whether to present a privacy notice at the recipient client device based on the privacy indication and the override indication, wherein the determining further comprises deciding to present the data if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device at the recipient client device received a most recent user input is less than a threshold amount of time, wherein the time period was received from a user interface at the user interface device at the recipient client device;

presenting the data at the recipient client device and not presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is less than the threshold amount of time; and

presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device instead of the data until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time wherein the privacy notice explains that the data is private.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the presenting the privacy notice further comprises:

presenting an identifier of a sender of the instant message; and

prompting for the acknowledgment.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and the override indication specifies that the privacy indication is not allowed to be overridden.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and a privacy option requests that the privacy indication be used.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the data if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a privacy option requests overriding the privacy indication.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice if the privacy indication specifies that the data is non-private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time.

13. A client device comprising:

a processor; and

memory connected to the processor, wherein the memory is encoded with instructions that when executed on the processor comprise;

receiving an instant message at the client device from a sender, wherein the instant message comprises data, a privacy indication that specifies whether the data is private, and an override indication that specifies whether the privacy indication is allowed to be overridden,

determining whether to present a privacy notice based on the privacy indication and the override indication, wherein the determining further comprises deciding to present the data at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device at the client device received a most recent user input is less than a threshold amount of time, wherein the time period was received from a user interface at the user interface device at the client device,

presenting the data at the client device and hiding the data from presentation at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the client device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time, and

presenting the privacy notice at the client device instead of the data until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the client device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time, wherein the privacy notice explains that the data is private.

14. The client device of claim 13, wherein the presenting the privacy notice at the client device instead of the data until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received further comprises:

presenting an identifier of a sender of the instant message;

prompting for the acknowledgment while hiding the data;

receiving the acknowledgment; and

presenting the data in response to the receiving the acknowledgment.

15. The client device of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and the override indication specifies that the privacy indication is not allowed to be overridden.

16. The client device of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and a privacy option requests that the privacy indication be used.

17. The client device of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the data at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a privacy option requests overriding the privacy indication.

18. The client device of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises:

deciding to present the privacy notice at the client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is non-private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time since the user interface device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time.