Method, device, and system for providing privacy for communications
First Claim
1. A method of outputting content of a message or communication session comprising:
- setting a privacy indicator that is applicable to a first communication to be received by a communication terminal of an addressee of the first communication based on input received from a sender of the first communication such that a privacy indicator is included in a header of a message of the first communication to indicate that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in the header of the message prior to the first communication being sent to the communication terminal;
receiving, by the communication terminal, the first communication;
determining, by the communication terminal, that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication based on the privacy indicator of the message;
outputting content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication;
wherein;
the addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, andthe outputting of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication comprises;
determining, by the communication terminal, whether there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within a pre-specified distance of the communication terminal prior to the outputting of the content of the first communication such that an identification of the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal that is within the pre-specified distance is determinable by the communication terminal; and
(i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance, andupon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance;
identifying the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance;
(ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no person who is identified within a first list is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal,(iii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that only one or more persons who are identified within a second list and who are not the user are determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal,(iv) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly at or below a pre-specified audible level via a speaker of the communication terminal in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal and is not within the second list, and determining that the communication terminal is in a first position in which the speaker of the communication terminal is adjacent an ear of the user associated with the communication terminal, and(v) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, and(vi) in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal, the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal, the communication terminal is not in the first position, and that the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is not within the second list, deactivating audible outputting of content of the first communication.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system, method and communication terminal are configured to facilitate private outputting of content of a message or communication session. A communication terminal can be configured via data included in a message or via a privacy setting to output content of data from a communication session or message in accordance with a pre-selected privacy setting or one or more privacy rules. For instance, a communication terminal may be configured to suppress a text to speech function for certain text messages, email messages, instant messages, or social networking messages that it receives having the privacy parameter set therein. As another example, a user may set the privacy parameter in his or her terminal so that any such message received by that terminal is output in accordance with the privacy setting or rules. A detection of nearby people can affect how certain content may be output via a terminal.
32 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of outputting content of a message or communication session comprising:
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setting a privacy indicator that is applicable to a first communication to be received by a communication terminal of an addressee of the first communication based on input received from a sender of the first communication such that a privacy indicator is included in a header of a message of the first communication to indicate that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in the header of the message prior to the first communication being sent to the communication terminal; receiving, by the communication terminal, the first communication; determining, by the communication terminal, that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication based on the privacy indicator of the message; outputting content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication; wherein; the addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, and the outputting of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication comprises; determining, by the communication terminal, whether there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within a pre-specified distance of the communication terminal prior to the outputting of the content of the first communication such that an identification of the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal that is within the pre-specified distance is determinable by the communication terminal; and (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance, and upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance; identifying the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance; (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no person who is identified within a first list is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, (iii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that only one or more persons who are identified within a second list and who are not the user are determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, (iv) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly at or below a pre-specified audible level via a speaker of the communication terminal in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal and is not within the second list, and determining that the communication terminal is in a first position in which the speaker of the communication terminal is adjacent an ear of the user associated with the communication terminal, and (v) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, and (vi) in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal, the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal, the communication terminal is not in the first position, and that the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is not within the second list, deactivating audible outputting of content of the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communication terminal, comprising:
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a processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory, the memory having an application stored thereon, the application defining a method that is performed by the communication terminal when the processor runs the application such that the communication terminal is configured to; determine that a privacy indicator applies to a received first communication based on a privacy indicator included in a header of a message of the first communication received by the communication terminal and to determine that the privacy indicator indicates that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified via the privacy indicator, and output content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication; wherein; an addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, and the output of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication is configured to comprise; determining, by the communication terminal, whether there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within a pre-specified distance of the communication terminal prior to the outputting of the content of the first communication such that an identification of the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal that is within the pre-specified distance is determinable by the communication terminal; and (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance, and upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance; identifying the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance; (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no person who is identified within a first list is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, (iii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that only one or more persons who are identified within a second list and who are not the user are determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, (iv) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly at or below a pre-specified audible level via a speaker of the communication terminal in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal and is not within the second list, and determining that the communication terminal is in a first position in which the speaker of the communication terminal is adjacent an ear of the user associated with the communication terminal, and (v) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, and (vi) in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal, the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal, the communication terminal is not in the first position, and that the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is not within the second list, deactivating audible outputting of content of the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication terminal, comprising:
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a processor communicatively connected to non-transitory memory, the memory having an application stored thereon, the application defining a method that is performed by the communication terminal when the processor runs the application such that the communication terminal is configured to; determine that a privacy indicator applies to a received first communication based on a privacy indicator included in a header of a message of the first communication received by the communication terminal and to determine that the privacy indicator indicates that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified via the privacy indicator, and output content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication; wherein; an addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, and the output of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication comprises; determining, by the communication terminal, whether there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within a pre-specified distance of the communication terminal prior to the outputting of the content of the first communication such that an identification of the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determinable by the communication terminal; and (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance, and upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance; (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no person who is identified within a first list is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal based on an identification of the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance, (iii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that only one or more persons who are identified within a second list and who are not the user are determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal based on an identification of the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance, (iv) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly at or below a pre-specified audible level via a speaker of the communication terminal in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal and is not within the second list, and determining that the communication terminal is in a first position in which the speaker of the communication terminal is adjacent an ear of the user associated with the communication terminal, and (v) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, and (vi) in response to determining that there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal, that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal, the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal, the communication terminal is not in the first position, and that the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is not within the second list based on an identification of the at least one person who is not the user that is within the pre-specified distance, deactivating audible outputting of content of the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification