Method, system and program product for providing selective enhanced privacy and control features to one or more portions of an electronic message

• US 8,832,201 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wall, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/193,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

A method, system and program product for providing selective enhanced privacy and control features to multiple portions of an electronic message. The method includes creating an electronic message on a device having an enhanced data messaging tool installed thereon, and further selecting, using the enhanced data messaging tool, one or more enhanced privacy and control features for different portions of data contained in the message created, such that, different privacy and control features can be selected for different portions of data contained in the message. The method further includes transmitting the message created to respective devices of one or more intended recipients, such that, the message received on a respective device of a respective recipient notifies the respective recipient regarding the privacy and control features selected by the sender for one or more portions of data contained in the message.

Claims

1. A communication method for sending electronic messages, said method comprising:

creating, by a processor of a computer system, an electronic message on a sender device for distribution of data to intended a user at a recipient device, said electronic message comprising a data structure consisting of said data or pointing to said data;

said processor receiving a selection of one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for one or more portions of said data;

said processor embedding a command syntax in the electronic message such that said embedded command syntax is coupled to said data structure in the electronic message, said command syntax coded to only describe and trigger the selected one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for said data, wherein the command syntax includes one or more commands which upon being executed at the recipient device prevent the user at the recipient device who receives the electronic message from printing the received electronic message, storing the received electronic message, copying the received electronic message, forwarding the received electronic message, and blind carbon copying the received electronic message; and

said processor transmitting, to said one user at the recipient device using a transmission medium, said electronic message that comprises the command syntax coupled to said data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each portion of said one or more portions of said data is selected from the group consisting of a text message, an e-mail message, an instant message, an application file, a video file, a picture file, a image file, a sound file, an audio file, a compressed file, an uncompressed file, a voicemail application, an electronic page, an Internet frame, a web page, an avatar, a folder, a container, an icon, an emoticon, a link, a software component, a programming component, a flash file, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features are selected from the group consisting of conditional viewing of said electronic message, one or more pre-defined passwords, a pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on the recipient device, wherein said pre-defined time frame comprises at least one of:

number of seconds, number of days, number of weeks, number of months, number of years, a specific date, a specific time, a unique event, a recurring event and an arbitrary time frame pre-defined by said sender, one or more local time zones, one or more international time zones, control features applicable to sender only, control features applicable to recipient only, control features applicable to both recipient and sender, unsend feature, redirect feature, copying control features, forwarding control features, blind carbon copy control features, storing control features, printing control features, language type control features, voice control features, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, sender'"'"'s rights to make changes to said electronic message, recipient'"'"'s rights to make changes to electronic message, repetition features for said electronic message, one or more attributes in said electronic message, in-network rights of sender, in-network rights of recipient, out-of-network rights of sender, out-of-network rights of recipient, track status of said one or more portions of said data, track status of electronic message, data count features, billing features, advertising features, features for turning on said enhanced data messaging tool, features for turning off said enhanced data messaging tool, auto-recovery rights for said data in said electronic message, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, recipient selection for said electronic message, animation features for said electronic message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sender device comprises at least one of:

a wired device, a wireless device, a personal computer, a server, a blade, a storage device, a pager, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a touchscreen, a keyboard, a handheld device, a cell phone, a router, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device, and wherein said enhanced data messaging tool is installed as at least one of;

an operating system, an operating system enhancement, firmware, an applet, a plug-in, a protocol, an application, a file and a folder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission medium comprises at least one of:

a phone line, a cable, the Internet, a wire line, a wireless line, a wired device, a wireless device, a satellite, a sound medium, a fiber optic cable, a light medium, a cell tower, a vibration medium, a frequency medium, a wavelength medium, a temperature medium, a Bluetooth medium, an infrared medium, a radio tower, an electrical line, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless mesh network (WMN), a global network, a temperature medium, a frequency medium, a language medium, a Braille code medium, a customizable code medium, a broadcast medium, a unicast medium, a multicast medium, a point-to-point broadcast, a point-to-multipoint broadcast, a multiplexed broadcast, a time-division multiplexed medium, a frequency-division multiplexed medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on said recipient device, said one or more portions of said data being automatically deleted on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said one more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected does not include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one more portions of said data in said electronic message to auto delete on said recipient device, said one more portions of said data will not automatically delete on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features do not include deleting the electronic message.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the electronic message as a streaming data feed.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the command syntax embedded in the electronic message transmitted to the user at the recipient device does not identify any intended recipient of said one or more intended recipients.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure in the electronic message comprises a link to a file, and wherein the command syntax pertains to the link to the file.

35. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

before said embedding, said processor receiving said command syntax via a command line interface into which the command syntax has been entered.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features comprise a control feature applicable to only a sender of the electronic message.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features comprise one control feature applicable to both the sender of said electronic message and the user at the recipient of said one or more intended recipient device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said one control feature is a right of the sender and of the user at the recipient device to make changes to said electronic message.

8. A system comprising a processor and a computer readable memory device coupled to the processor, said memory device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method for sending electronic messages, said method comprising:

said processor creating an electronic message on a sender device for distribution of data to a user at a recipient device, said electronic message comprising a data structure consisting of said data or pointing to said data;

said processor receiving a selection of one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for one or more portions of said data;

said processor embedding a command syntax in the electronic message such that said embedded command syntax is coupled to said data structure in the electronic message, said command syntax coded to only describe and trigger the selected one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for said data, wherein the command syntax includes one or more commands which upon being executed at the recipient device prevent the user at the recipient device who receives the electronic message from printing the received electronic message, storing the received electronic message, copying the received electronic message, forwarding the received electronic message, and blind carbon copying the received electronic message; and

said processor transmitting, to said one or more intended recipients using a transmission medium, said electronic message that comprises the command syntax coupled to said data structure.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each portion of said one or more portions of said data is selected from the group consisting of a text message, an e-mail message, an instant message, an application file, a video file, a picture file, a image file, a sound file, an audio file, a compressed file, an uncompressed file, a voicemail application, an electronic page, an Internet frame, a web page, an avatar, a folder, a container, an icon, an emoticon, a link, a software component, a programming component, a flash file, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features are selected from the group consisting of conditional viewing of said electronic message, one or more pre-defined passwords, a pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on the recipient device, wherein said pre-defined time frame comprises at least one of:

number of seconds, number of days, number of weeks, number of months, number of years, a specific date, a specific time, a unique event, a recurring event and an arbitrary time frame pre-defined by said sender, one or more local time zones, one or more international time zones, control features applicable to sender only, control features applicable to recipient only, control features applicable to both recipient and sender, unsend feature, redirect feature, copying control features, forwarding control features, blind carbon copy control features, storing control features, printing control features, language type control features, voice control features, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, sender'"'"'s rights to make changes to said electronic message, recipient'"'"'s rights to make changes to electronic message, repetition features for said electronic message, one or more attributes in said electronic message, in-network rights of sender, in-network rights of recipient, out-of-network rights of sender, out-of-network rights of recipient, track status of said one or more portions of said data, track status of electronic message, data count features, billing features, advertising features, features for turning on said enhanced data messaging tool, features for turning off said enhanced data messaging tool, auto-recovery rights for said data in said electronic message, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, recipient selection for said electronic message, animation features for said electronic message, syntax commands for initiating enhanced privacy and control features and security features for said electronic message comprising at least one of;

Morse code, encryption-decryption keys, fingerprinting, retinal scanning, temperature-based security feature, frequency-based security feature, a customized code for said electronic message, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said sender device comprises at least one of:

a wired device, a wireless device, a personal computer, a server, a blade, a storage device, a pager, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a touchscreen, a keyboard, a handheld device, a cell phone, a router, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device, and wherein said enhanced data messaging tool is installed on a respective device as at least one of;

an operating system, an operating system enhancement, firmware, an applet, a plug-in, a protocol, an application, a file and a folder.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on said recipient device, said one or more portions of said data being automatically deleted on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said one more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected does not include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one more portions of said data in said electronic message to auto delete on said recipient device, said one more portions of said data will not automatically delete on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

26. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features do not include deleting the electronic message.

30. The system of claim 8, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the electronic message as a streaming data feed.

14. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable physically tangible storage device having program code stored therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for sending electronic messages, said method comprising:

said processor creating an electronic message on a sender device for distribution of data to a user at a recipient device, said electronic message comprising a data structure consisting of said data or pointing to said data;

said processor receiving a selection of one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for one or more portions of said data;

said processor embedding a command syntax in the electronic message such that said embedded command syntax is coupled to said data structure in the electronic message, said command coded to only describe and trigger the selected one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for said data, wherein the command syntax includes one or more commands which upon being executed at the recipient device prevent the user at the recipient device who receives the electronic message from printing the received electronic message, storing the received electronic message, copying the received electronic message, forwarding the received electronic message, and blind carbon copying the received electronic message; and

said processor transmitting, to said one or more intended recipients using a transmission medium, said electronic message that comprises the command syntax coupled to said data structure.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on said recipient device, said one or more portions of said data being automatically deleted on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said one more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features selected does not include a respective pre-defined time frame for said one more portions of said data in said electronic message to auto delete on said recipient device, said one more portions of said data will not automatically delete on said recipient device upon expiration of said respective pre-defined time frame.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein each portion of said one or more portions of said data is selected from the group consisting of a text message, an e-mail message, an instant message, an application file, a video file, a picture file, a image file, a sound file, an audio file, a compressed file, an uncompressed file, a voicemail application, an electronic page, an Internet frame, a web page, an avatar, a folder, a container, an icon, an emoticon, a link, a software component, a programming component, a flash file, and combinations thereof.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features are selected from the group consisting of conditional viewing of said electronic message, one or more pre-defined passwords, a pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on the recipient device, wherein said pre-defined time frame comprises at least one of:

number of seconds, number of days, number of weeks, number of months, number of years, a specific date, a specific time, a unique event, a recurring event and an arbitrary time frame pre-defined by said sender, one or more local time zones, one or more international time zones, control features applicable to sender only, control features applicable to recipient only, control features applicable to both recipient and sender, unsend feature, redirect feature, copying control features, forwarding control features, blind carbon copy control features, storing control features, printing control features, language type control features, voice control features, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, sender'"'"'s rights to make changes to said electronic message, recipient'"'"'s rights to make changes to electronic message, repetition features for said electronic message, one or more attributes in said electronic message, in-network rights of sender, in-network rights of recipient, out-of-network rights of sender, out-of-network rights of recipient, track status of said one or more portions of said data, track status of electronic message, data count features, billing features, advertising features, features for turning on said enhanced data messaging tool, features for turning off said enhanced data messaging tool, auto-recovery rights for said data in said electronic message, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, recipient selection for said electronic message, animation features for said electronic message, syntax commands for initiating enhanced privacy and control features and security features for said electronic message comprising at least one of;

Morse code, encryption-decryption keys, fingerprinting, retinal scanning, temperature-based security feature, frequency-based security feature, a customized code for said electronic message, and combinations thereof.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said sender device comprises at least one of:

a wired device, a wireless device, a personal computer, a server, a blade, a storage device, a pager, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a touchscreen, a keyboard, a handheld device, a cell phone, a router, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device, and wherein said enhanced data messaging tool is installed as at least one of;

an operating system, an operating system enhancement, firmware, an applet, a plug-in, a protocol, an application, a file and a folder.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said transmission medium comprises at least one of:

a phone line, a cable, the Internet, a wire line, a wireless line, a wired device, a wireless device, a satellite, a sound medium, a fiber optic cable, a light medium, a cell tower, a vibration medium, a frequency medium, a wavelength medium, a temperature medium, a Bluetooth medium, an infrared medium, a radio tower, an electrical line, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless mesh network (WMN), a global network, a temperature medium, a frequency medium, a language medium, a Braille code medium, a customizable code medium, a broadcast medium, a unicast medium, a multicast medium, a point-to-point broadcast, a point-to-multipoint broadcast, a multiplexed broadcast, a time-division multiplexed medium, a frequency-division multiplexed medium.

27. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features do not include deleting the electronic message.

31. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the electronic message as a streaming data feed.

21. A process for deploying computing infrastructure comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer system, wherein said code in combination with said computer system is capable of performing a method for sending electronic messages, said method comprising:

creating, by a processor of the computer system, an electronic message on a sender device for distribution of data to a user at a recipient device, said electronic message comprising a data structure consisting of said data or pointing to said data;

said processor receiving a selection of one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for one or more portions of said data;

said processor embedding a command syntax in the electronic message such that said embedded command syntax is coupled to said data structure in the electronic message, said command syntax consisting of a first tag, a text string, and a second tag such that the text string is disposed between the first tag and the second tag, wherein the text string is coded to describe and trigger the selected one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for said data, wherein the command syntax includes one or more commands which upon being executed at the recipient device prevent the user at the recipient device who receives the electronic message from printing the received electronic message, storing the received electronic message, copying the received electronic message, forwarding the received electronic message, and blind carbon copying the received electronic message; and

said processor transmitting, to said one or more intended recipients using a transmission medium, said electronic message that comprises the command syntax coupled to said data structure.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein each portion of said one or more portions of said data is selected from the group consisting of a text message, an e-mail message, an instant message, an application file, a video file, a picture file, a image file, a sound file, an audio file, a compressed file, an uncompressed file, a voicemail application, an electronic page, an Internet frame, a web page, an avatar, a folder, a container, an icon, an emoticon, a link, a software component, a programming component, a flash file, and combinations thereof.

23. The process of claim 21, wherein the one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features are selected from the group consisting of conditional viewing of said electronic message, one or more pre-defined passwords, a pre-defined time frame for said one or more portions of said data to auto delete on the recipient device, wherein said pre-defined time frame comprises at least one of:

number of seconds, number of days, number of weeks, number of months, number of years, a specific date, a specific time, a unique event, a recurring event and an arbitrary time frame pre-defined by said sender, one or more local time zones, one or more international time zones, control features applicable to sender only, control features applicable to recipient only, control features applicable to both recipient and sender, unsend feature, redirect feature, copying control features, forwarding control features, blind carbon copy control features, storing control features, printing control features, language type control features, voice control features, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, sender'"'"'s rights to make changes to said electronic message, recipient'"'"'s rights to make changes to electronic message, repetition features for said electronic message, one or more attributes in said electronic message, in-network rights of sender, in-network rights of recipient, out-of-network rights of sender, out-of-network rights of recipient, track status of said one or more portions of said data, track status of electronic message, data count features, billing features, advertising features, features for turning on said enhanced data messaging tool, features for turning off said enhanced data messaging tool, auto-recovery rights for said data in said electronic message, auto-recovery rights for said electronic message, recipient selection for said electronic message, animation features for said electronic message.

24. The process of claim 21, wherein said sender device comprises at least one of:

a wired device, a wireless device, a personal computer, a server, a blade, a storage device, a pager, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a touchscreen, a keyboard, a handheld device, a cell phone, a router, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device, and wherein said enhanced data messaging tool is installed as at least one of;

an operating system, an operating system enhancement, firmware, an applet, a plug-in, a protocol, an application, a file and a folder, and wherein said transmission medium comprises at least one of;

a phone line, a cable, the Internet, a wire line, a wireless line, a wired device, a wireless device, a satellite, a sound medium, a fiber optic cable, a light medium, a cell tower, a vibration medium, a frequency medium, a wavelength medium, a temperature medium, a Bluetooth medium, an infrared medium, a radio tower, an electrical line, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless mesh network (WMN), a global network, a temperature medium, a frequency medium, a language medium, a Braille code medium, a customizable code medium, a broadcast medium, a unicast medium, a multicast medium, a point-to-point broadcast, a point-to-multipoint broadcast, a multiplexed broadcast, a time-division multiplexed medium, a frequency-division multiplexed medium.

28. The process of claim 21, wherein said one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features do not include deleting the electronic message.

32. The process of claim 21, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the electronic message as a streaming data feed.

39. A communication method for sending electronic messages, said method comprising:

creating, by a processor of a computer system, an electronic message on a sender device for distribution of data to a user at a recipient device, said electronic message comprising a data structure consisting of said data or pointing to said data;

said processor receiving a selection of one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for one or more portions of said data;

said processor embedding a command syntax in the electronic message such that said embedded command syntax is coupled to said data structure in the electronic message, said command syntax coded to describe and trigger the selected one or more pre-defined selective enhanced privacy and control features for said data, wherein the command syntax includes one or more commands which upon being executed at the recipient device prevent the user at the recipient device who receives the electronic message from printing the received electronic message, storing the received electronic message, copying the received electronic message, forwarding the received electronic message, and blind carbon copying the received electronic message; and

said processor transmitting, to said user at the recipient device using a transmission medium, said electronic message that comprises the command syntax coupled to said data structure, wherein the command syntax embedded in the electronic message transmitted to the user at the recipient device does not identify any intended recipient of said one or more intended recipients.