Conditionally intercepting data indicating one or more aspects of a communiqué to obfuscate the one or more aspects of the communiqué

• US 8,730,836 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Mangione-Smith, William H., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van, Jenkey
• Application Number:
  US12/807,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20110083010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: intercepting communiqué aspect data that is directed to an end user entity and that indicates one or more aspects of a communiqué directed to the end user entity and that is affiliated with a particular source entity, the intercepting of the communiqué aspect data being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the end user entity to conditionally obfuscate the communiqué affiliated with the source entity; and transmitting to the end user entity, in response to intercepting the communiqué aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué to the end user entity, covert indicator data that upon reception by the end user entity covertly indicates the one or more aspects of the communiqué. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

(a) communiqué

aspect data intercepting module configured to intercept communiqué

aspect data transmitted to a communication device associated with an end user, the intercepting to prevent the communiqué

aspect data from reaching at least temporarily the communication device, the communiqué

aspect data to be intercepted indicating one or more aspects of a communiqué

that is directed to the communication device and that is affiliated with a particular source entity, the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data being in accordance with one or more conditional directives received via the communication device, wherein the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module is separate from the communication device; and

(b) covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that upon reception by the communication device covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the communication device, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module includes at least;

(i) a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

includes at least;

(A) a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the at least one predefined covert indicator covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, as the one or more covertly indicated aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

; and

wherein at least one of the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module or the covert indicator data transmitting module is implemented at least in part with hardware.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data, at least temporarily in memory without releasing the communiqué

aspect data, in order to prevent the communiqué

aspect data from reaching the communication device, the holding of the communiqué

aspect data being in accordance with the one or more conditional directives.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the triggering event determining module determines occurrence of one or more triggering events associated with the communication device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including a communication device location determining module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the communication device location determining module determines that the communication device is at one or more locations as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including a communication device location determining module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the communication device location determining module determines that the communication device is outside of one or more locations as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including a communication device time determining module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the communication device time determining module determines that the communication device is at one or more specified points and/or intervals of time as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including a third party proximity determining module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the third party proximity determining module determines that one or more third parties, as specified by the one or more conditional directives, are not within proximate vicinity of the communication device.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein said communiqué

aspect data holding module including a triggering event determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data holding module including an end user possession verifying module configured to hold the communiqué

aspect data without releasing the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device at least until the end user possession verifying module obtains verification that the end user has possession of the communication device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module configured to intercept the communiqué

aspect data as a function of one or more environmental conditions of the communication device, the one or more environmental conditions being determined by the environmental condition determining module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module configured to intercept the communiqué

aspect data as a function of one or more environmental conditions as determined by the environmental condition determining module based at least in part on data provided by the communication device, the data including at least sensor data from one or more sensors, the sensor data including at least image data and/or audio data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including a communication device location determining module configured to intercept the communiqué

aspect data as a function of location of the communication device as specified by the one or more conditional directives, the location of the communication device being determined by the communication device location determining module.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including a communication device time determining module configured to intercept the communiqué

aspect data as a function of time with respect to the communication device as specified by the one or more conditional directives, the time with respect to the communication device being determined by the communication device time determining module.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including an environmental condition determining module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module including a third party proximity determining module configured to intercept the communiqué

aspect data in response at least in part to the third party proximity determining module determining that one or more third parties, as specified by the one or more conditional directives, are within proximate vicinity of the communication device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that upon reception by the communication device covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the communication device comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit the covert indicator data to the communication device in response to intercepting the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting to the communication device all direct indications of the communiqué

.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit the covert indicator data to the communication device in response to intercepting the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting the communiqué

to the communication device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit the covert indicator data to the communication device in response to intercepting the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting the communiqué

aspect data to the communication device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit the covert indicator data to the communication device in response to intercepting the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting to the communication device header-type data associated with the communiqué

.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit the covert indicator data to the communication device in response to intercepting the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting to the communication device any data that directly identifies the source entity affiliated with the communiqué

, subject heading of the communiqué

, and/or reception time of the communiqué

.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the at least one predefined covert indicator covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, as the one or more covertly indicated aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that is defined at least in part by the one or more conditional directives.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that indirectly indicates the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert audio indicator that audibly indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly at least a ping, a ring, and/or a hum that indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly one or more simulated natural background noises that indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly, at least one voice message that indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly at least one voice message that was created to indirectly indicate to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly at least one voice message that was previously presented to indirectly indicate to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present audibly at least one voice message that was previously presented and that has been modified to indirectly indicate to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert visual indicator that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present one or more visual symbols and/or icons that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present one or more particular colors that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one visual message that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present one or more visual words and/or phrases that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present the one or more visual words and/or phrases in a particular font and/or style that visually indirectly indicates to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a visual message that was previously presented to visually indirectly indicate to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a visual message that was previously presented and that has been modified to visually indirectly indicate to the end user the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert vibrating indicator that indirectly indicates to the end user, via specific vibration, the at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that upon reception by the communication device covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the communication device comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that does not, at least directly, identify the source entity as a source for the communiqué

.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that does not include any representations of the source entity.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said covert indicator data transmitting module comprises:

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device covert indicator data that includes one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the source entity.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein said communiqué

aspect data intercepting module comprises;

a conditional directive receiving module configured to receive the one or more conditional directives from the communication device, wherein the conditional directive receiving module is separate from the communication device.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module comprises;

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module configured to intercept communiqué

aspect data that is transmitted to the communication device, the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module being configured to intercept the transmitted communiqué

aspect data by diverting the transmitted communiqué

aspect data into one or more memories and holding the diverted communiqué

aspect data without releasing it until occurrence of one or more triggering events.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the at least one predefined covert indicator covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, as the one or more covertly indicated aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present the at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, at least a subject heading of the communiqué

.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the at least one predefined covert indicator covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, as the one or more covertly indicated aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué

, the predefined covert indicator being known by the end user.

44. An article of manufacture comprising:

a signal-bearing non-transitory storage medium bearing;

one or more instructions for intercepting communiqué

aspect data that is transmitted to a communication device associated with an end user, the intercepting to prevent the communiqué

aspect data from reaching at least temporarily the communication device, the communiqué

aspect data to be intercepted indicating one or more aspects of a communiqué

that is directed to the communication device and that is affiliated with a particular source entity, the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data being in accordance with one or more conditional directives received via the communication device, wherein the intercepting is performed separately from the communication device; and

one or more instructions for transmitting to the communication device covert indicator data that upon reception by the communication device covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the communication device, the one or more instructions for transmitting to the communication device covert indicator data including at least;

one or more instructions for transmitting to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the one or more instructions for transmitting to the communication device covert indicator data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

includes at least;

one or more instructions for transmitting to the communication device predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, wherein the at least one predefined covert indicator covertly indicates, without explicitly indicating, as the one or more covertly indicated aspects and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

.

45. A system, comprising:

a communiqué

aspect data intercepting module configured to intercept communiqué

aspect data that is transmitted to an end user entity, the intercepting to prevent the communiqué

aspect data from reaching at least temporarily the end user entity, the communiqué

aspect data to be intercepted indicating one or more aspects of a communiqué

that is directed to the end user entity and that is affiliated with a particular source entity, the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the end user entity, wherein the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module is separate from the end user entity; and

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the end user entity covert indicator data that upon reception by the end user entity covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, including at least an indication of at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

, the transmitted covert indicator data to include predefined data configured to covertly indicate without explicitly indicating, the at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least in part by causing presentation of at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates, the at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the end user entity; and

wherein at least one of the communiqué

aspect data intercepting module or the covert indicator data transmitting module is at least partly implemented with hardware.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the end user entity covert indicator data that upon reception by the end user entity covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, including at least an indication of at least one of an identity of the source entity, a subject heading of the communiqué

, or a reception time of the communiqué

, the transmitted covert indicator data to include predefined data configured to covertly indicate without explicitly indicating, the at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

at least in part by causing presentation of at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates, the at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

, the transmission of the covert indicator data being in response to the intercepting of the communiqué

aspect data and in lieu of transmitting direct indication of the communiqué

to the end user entity comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the end user entity covert indicator data that when received by a communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the end user entity covert indicator data that when received by a communication device causes the communication device to present a covert indicator that covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué

and/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

comprises;

a covert indicator data transmitting module configured to transmit to the end user entity predefined data that when received by the communication device causes the communication device to present at least one predefined covert indicator that covertly indicates at least some of the one or more aspects of the communiqué and

/or one or more other aspects of the communiqué

.