System and method for temporary obfuscation during collaborative communications

• US 9,124,559 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Jang, Soobaek
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, JENISE E
• Application Number:
  US13/747,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods for temporary obfuscation during collaborative communications are provided. A method for obfuscation during collaborative communications, comprises entering a message including content into a first messaging device, marking the content as sensitive, sending the message including the content via a network to a second messaging device, and obfuscating the marked content and displaying any remaining portions of the message on the second messaging device.

Claims

1. A method for obfuscation during collaborative communications, the method comprising:

entering a message including content into a first messaging device;

marking the content as sensitive;

analyzing the marked content;

automatically generating details about the marked content based on the analysis;

sending the message including the marked content and the details about the marked content via a network to a second messaging device;

obfuscating the marked content and displaying any remaining portions of the message on the second messaging device; and

applying one or more predetermined preference rules that instruct that the message or a part of the message be marked as sensitive;

wherein the predetermined preference rules are based on at least one of location, time, or people in proximity to the messaging devices;

wherein the details comprise at least one of an indication of why, where and when the obfuscated content is sensitive automatically derived from at least one of key words and key phrases in the sensitive content; and

wherein the collaborative communications comprise at least one of instant messaging, messages sent via short message service (SMS) and messages sent via multimedia messaging service (MMS).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is marked as sensitive on the first messaging device or the second messaging device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the message to determine the presence of at least one of a graphic, meta data, a keyword or a key phrase.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying a flag to mark a part of the message corresponding to the at least one of the graphic, meta data, keyword or key phrase as sensitive.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one of a presence of a device in proximity to, a presence of a person in proximity to, or a location of each of the first and second messaging devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising marking as sensitive and obfuscating the message or the part of the message based on the predetermined preference rules.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to obfuscation of the marked content on the second messaging device, determining whether any preference rules have been implemented which may put conditions on whether the marked content is obfuscated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the marked content remains visible on the first messaging device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the marked content is obfuscated on the first messaging device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the marked content comprises analyzing use of at least one of the keywords and the key phrases in the marked content, wherein the details are based on at least one of the keywords and key phrases.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the marked content is performed in conjunction with the one or more predetermined preference rules, and the details are based on the one or more predetermined preference rules.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting a user of the second messaging device to selectively unlock the obfuscated content, wherein the selective unlocking is attained by clicking on an image concealing the obfuscated content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the details remain hidden until a user moves a cursor or a pointer over an image concealing the obfuscated content.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

marking as sensitive, on the second messaging device, additional content in the message that was not marked as sensitive on the first messaging device;

applying a preference rule at the second messaging device; and

determining, independent of the first messaging device, whether or not to obfuscate the marked additional content based on the application of the preference rule.

15. A method for obfuscation during collaborative communications, the method comprising:

entering a message including content into a first messaging device;

marking the content as sensitive;

analyzing the marked content;

automatically generating details about the marked content based on the analysis;

sending the message including the marked content and the details about the marked content via a network to a second messaging device; and

applying one or more predetermined preference rules that instruct that the message or a part of the message be marked as sensitive;

wherein the predetermined preference rules are based on at least one of location, time, or people in proximity to the messaging devices;

wherein the details comprise at least one of an indication of why, where and when the obfuscated content is sensitive automatically derived from at least one of key words and key phrases in the sensitive content; and

wherein the collaborative communications comprise at least one of instant messaging, messages sent via short message service (SMS) and messages sent via multimedia messaging service (MMS).

16. A method for obfuscation during collaborative communications, the method comprising:

receiving at a second messaging device, a message from a first messaging device via a network, the message including automatically generated details about content of the message, wherein the details comprise at least one of an indication of why, where and when the content is sensitive automatically derived from at least one of key words and key phrases in the content;

marking as sensitive, on the second messaging device, additional content in the message that was not marked as sensitive on the first messaging device;

applying a preference rule at the second messaging device that instructs that the message or a part of the message be marked as sensitive;

determining, independent of the first messaging device, whether or not to obfuscate the marked additional content based on the application of the preference rule; and

obfuscating the marked additional content based on a determination to obfuscate the marked additional content, and displaying any remaining portions of the message on the second messaging device;

wherein the preference rule is based on at least one of location, time, or people in proximity to the second messaging device; and

wherein the collaborative communications comprise at least one of instant messaging, messages sent via short message service (SMS) and messages sent via multimedia messaging service (MMS).