Telephone messaging privacy

• US 9,357,051 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parmenion, LLC
• Original Assignee: Parmenion, LLC
• Inventors: Rogitz, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ALEXANDER J.
• Application Number:
  US14/932,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/418, 455/416, 455/3.06, 455/3.05, 455/3.03, 455/412.1, 455/415, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 726/26, 379/158, 379/202.01, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A user can select to automatically delete sent and received text messages from a phone, to avoid complications of another person having access to the phone reading stored messages.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication device (WCD) comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal accessible by the processor and comprising instructions executable by the processor to configure the processor for;

presenting at least one element on the WCD selectable by a user input to cause at least one message to be automatically rendered inaccessible on the WCD after transmission of the message from the WCD;

receiving user initiated input on the WCD, the at least one message having content generated responsive to the user-initiated input;

responsive to a user command to send the at least one message, wirelessly sending the at least one message to a mobile wireless communication recipient device;

after the message has been sent, automatically rendering inaccessible the at least one message whose content has been generated responsive to the user-initiated input on the WCD, wherein the at least one message whose content has been generated responsive to user-initiated input is also rendered inaccessible on the mobile wireless communication recipient device after having been presented on the mobile wireless communication recipient device for viewing, the at least one message whose content has been generated responsive to user-initiated input being rendered inaccessible on the WCD in that no sent message whose content has been generated responsive to user-initiated input and that is rendered inaccessible can be viewed simply by invoking a mailbox selector on the WCD;

wherein rendering inaccessible the at least one message includes precluding presentation of the at least one message on a mobile communication device for viewing.

2. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present a user interface (UI) including first and second selector elements respectively selectable to provide input to automatically delete sent messages, and to automatically delete received messages.

3. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present a user interface (UI) including a selector element selectable to provide input to automatically delete both sent messages and received messages.

4. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to present a user interface (UI) including a selector element selectable to provide input to reset automatic deletion of messages such that no messages are automatically deleted.

5. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable for, responsive to receiving input to automatically delete sent messages, automatically deleting a sent message from the medium following transmission of the sent message, and responsive to a determination that the user has not provided input to automatically delete sent messages, not automatically deleting the sent message from the medium following transmission of the sent message.

6. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable for, responsive to receiving input to automatically delete received messages, automatically deleting an incoming message from the medium following viewing of the incoming message, and responsive to not receiving input to automatically delete received messages, not automatically deleting the incoming message following viewing of the incoming message.

7. The WCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to automatically delete incoming messages from the medium responsive to the user navigating away from a display showing the incoming message.

8. A device comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one server processor for;

providing to a mobile wireless communication device (WCD) an application executable to present at least one user interface (UI) on a display of the WCD, the UI for receiving user input selection to automatically render inaccessible on the WCD at least one message whose content has been generated responsive to user-initiated input after transmission of the message;

the application being configured for, after the at least one message has been transmitted, automatically rendering the at least one message inaccessible on the WCD, wherein the at least one message is also rendered inaccessible on a second mobile wireless communication device sending the message to or receiving the message from the WCD after having been presented on the second mobile wireless communication device for viewing, a message being rendered inaccessible on the WCD in that no message that is rendered inaccessible can be viewed by invoking a mailbox selector on the WCD;

wherein rendering inaccessible the at least one message includes precluding presentation of the at least one message on the WCD and/or the second a mobile wireless communication device for viewing;

communicating using a server, the message between the WCD and the second wireless communication device; and

after communicating the message between the WCD and the second mobile wireless communication device, deleting the message on the server.

9. A device comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that includes instructions executable by at least one processor of a mobile wireless communication device (WCD) to;

present on the WCD at least one selector element selectable by a user to automatically render inaccessible on the WCD at least one message;

access at least one content of the at least one message, the content being generated responsive to user input;

responsive to user command to send the at least one content, send the at least one content to at least one mobile wireless communication recipient device;

responsive to user input to automatically render inaccessible the at least one content and after the at least one content has been sent, automatically render inaccessible, on the WCD, the at least one content, wherein the at least one content can also be rendered inaccessible on the mobile wireless communication recipient device after having been presented on the mobile wireless communication recipient device for viewing, a content of the at least one message being rendered inaccessible on the WCD in that no content whose content has been generated responsive to user input and that is rendered inaccessible can be viewed simply by invoking a mailbox selector on the WCD;

wherein rendering inaccessible the at least one content includes precluding presentation of the at least one content on a mobile communication device for viewing.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable to:

present at least one user interface (UI) on the WCD with selector elements selectable by a user prior to receipt of an incoming content and/or prior to generation of an outgoing content to provide input to automatically delete sent contents, and/or to automatically delete received contents;

responsive to input to automatically delete sent contents, automatically delete the outgoing content following transmission thereof through the transceiver, and/or responsive to input to automatically delete received contents, automatically delete the incoming content following viewing thereof on the WCD.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the UI comprises first and second selector elements respectively selectable to provide input to automatically delete sent contents, and to automatically delete received contents.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the UI includes a selector element selectable to provide input to automatically delete both sent contents and received contents.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the UI includes a selector element selectable to provide input to reset automatic deletion of contents such that no contents are automatically deleted.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for, responsive to input to automatically delete sent contents, automatically deleting outgoing contents from the medium following transmission of the outgoing contents, and responsive to not receiving input to automatically delete sent text contents, not automatically deleting the outgoing content from the medium following transmission of the outgoing content.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for, responsive to input to automatically delete received contents, automatically deleting an incoming content from the medium following viewing of the incoming content, and responsive to not receiving input to automatically delete received contents, not automatically deleting incoming contents from the medium following viewing of the incoming contents.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the incoming content is automatically deleted from the medium responsive to the user navigating away from a display showing the incoming content.