Electronic message content and header restrictive recipient handling system and method

• US 8,935,351 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Inventors: Collins, Joseph, Shah, Amit Jindas
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US14/133,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 715/752, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 display of the header information does not display the media component and the display of the message content does not display a username associated with the header information. The message content including the media component are automatically deleted after being displayed such that after the display of the message content is terminated from view, the message content including the media component is no longer available to a recipient user.

Claims

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

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

providing a first display via the recipient user device, the first display including the first header information in a message list, the first display not displaying the media component;

receiving at the recipient user device the first message content including the media component, wherein the first message content including the media component is associated with a unique message ID that correlates the first message content including the media component with the first header information;

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

in response to the selection, providing a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the first message content including the media component without displaying a username associated with the first header information; and

automatically deleting the first 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 first message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said providing a second display includes not displaying any of the first header information.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the first 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.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the first 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

8. 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.

9. 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 and the first header information simultaneously.

10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said providing a second display includes preventing the caching of any information related to the first message content at the recipient user device.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said providing a first display includes displaying information representing electronic messages available for viewing.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein said automatically deleting the first message content including the media component from the server computer occurs after said providing a second display.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein said automatically deleting the first message content including the media component from the server computer occurs upon the second display being closed.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the media component and the first header information are kept separated in display, are kept separated during communication from a sending user device to a server computer, and are kept separated during communication from the server computer to the recipient user device.

17. 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 first header information corresponding to a first 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 first header information in a message list, the first display not displaying the media component;

a set of instructions for receiving at the recipient user device the first message content including the media component, wherein the first message content including the media component is associated with a unique message ID that correlates the first message content including the media component with the first header information;

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 first header information;

a set of instructions for in response to the selection, providing a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the first message content including the media component without displaying a username associated with the first header information; and

a set of instructions for automatically deleting the first 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 first message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.

18. A system for reducing traceability of an electronic message comprising:

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

a means for providing a first display via the recipient user device, the first display including the first header information in a message list, the first display not displaying the media component;

a means for receiving at the recipient user device the first message content including the media component. wherein the first message content including the media component is associated with a unique message ID that correlates the first message content including the media component with the first header information;

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 first header information;

a means for in response to the selection, providing a second display via the recipient user device, the second display displaying the first message content including the media component without displaying a username associated with the first header information; and

a means for automatically deleting the first 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 first message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.