Automatic expiration of messages communicated to an end user communication device

• US 20120254325A1
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Loment Incorporated
• Inventors: Majeti, Venkata C., Pennabadi, Saiprasad
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

An exemplary method is implemented by an electronic device for transmitting a data message to at least a first end-user communication device. Data that forms a user message for conveyance to a first end-user communication device and a first value are received under the control of an enhanced services application program. A digital packet is formed with a header segment and a user data segment. The user data segment is formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and contains a first command and the user message, the first command representing that the user message is to be automatically deleted by the recipient first end-user communication device. The first command includes the first value that represents how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the first end-user communication device. The digital packet is transmitted to the first end-user communication device.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an electronic device for transmitting a data message to at least a first end-user communication device, the method comprising the steps of

receiving, under the control of an enhanced services application program, data that forms a user message for conveyance to the at least a first end-user communication device;

receiving, under the control of the enhanced services application program, an input of a first value;

forming a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and containing a first command and the user message, the first command representing that the user message is to be automatically deleted by the at least a first end-user communication device, the first command including the first value that represents how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device;

transmitting the digital packet to the at least first end-user communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first value represents a time interval that defines how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first value represents a future time that defines when the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user data segment includes a command segment that contains the first command, the first command including a predetermined command character that represents the associated user message is to be deleted at a time set by the first value by the at least first end-user communication device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined command character, first value and user message are encrypted prior to transmission of the digital packet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital packet is transmitted as one of a short messaging service message, an email message, simple mail transfer protocol and hypertext transfer protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction to the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device to inhibit actions by the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device that could have been taken with regard to the received user message absent the second command, the actions inhibited including saving, printing and transferring the received user message that would have permitted the received user message to be viewed beyond the time established by the first value.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by an electronic device to implement a method for originating electronic communications to be transmitted to a first end-user communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, under the control of an enhanced services application program, data that forms a user message for conveyance to the at least a first end-user communication device;

receiving, under the control of the enhanced services application program, an input of a first value;

forming a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and containing a first command and the user message, the first command representing that the user message is to be automatically deleted by the at least a first end-user communication device, the first command including the first value that represents how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device;

transmitting the digital packet to the at least first end-user communication device.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the first value represents a time interval that defines how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device or a future time that defines when the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the user data segment includes a command segment that contains the first command, the first command including a predetermined command character that represents the associated user message is to be deleted at a time set by the first value by the at least first end-user communication device.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein:

the first command and user message contained in the received the electronic communication are in encrypted format;

the step of generating comprising decrypting the encrypted first command and user message into clear text format and displaying the user message in clear text format.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the predetermined command character, first value and user message are encrypted prior to transmission of the digital packet.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the digital packet is transmitted as one of a short messaging service message, an email message, simple mail transfer protocol and hypertext transfer protocol.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction to the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device to inhibit actions by the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device that could have been taken with regard to the received user message absent the second command, the actions inhibited including saving, printing and transferring the received user message that would have permitted the received user message to be viewed beyond the time established by the first value.

15. An electronic communication device that originates a data message for transmission to at least a first end-user communication device, the electronic communication device comprising:

a microprocessor controlled apparatus receives, under the control of an enhanced services application program, data that forms a user message for conveyance to the at least a first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus receives, under the control of the enhanced services application program, an input of a first value;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus forms a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and containing a first command and the user message, the first command representing that the user message is to be automatically deleted by the at least a first end-user communication device, the first command including the first value that represents how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus causes the transmission of the digital packet to the at least first end-user communication device.

16. The electronic communication device of claim 15 wherein the first value represents a time interval that defines how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device.

17. The electronic communication device of claim 15 wherein the first value represents a future time that defines when the user message will be automatically deleted by the at least first end-user communication device.

18. The electronic communication device of claim 15 wherein the user data segment includes a command segment that contains the first command, the first command including a predetermined command character that represents the associated user message is to be deleted at a time set by the first value by the at least first end-user communication device.

19. The electronic communication device of claim 18 the microprocessor controlled apparatus encrypts at least the predetermined command character, first value and user message prior to transmission of the digital packet.

20. The electronic communication device of claim 15 wherein the microprocessor controlled apparatus transmits the digital packet as one of a short messaging service message, an email message, simple mail transfer protocol and hypertext transfer protocol.

21. The electronic communication device of claim 15 further comprising:

the microprocessor controlled apparatus transmitting in the user data segment a second command representing an instruction to the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device to inhibit actions by the enhanced services application program in the first end-user communication device that could have been taken with regard to the received user message absent the second command, the actions inhibited including saving, printing and transferring the received user message that would have permitted the received user message to be viewed beyond the time established by the first value.

22. A method implemented by an electronic device for transmitting a data message to a first end-user communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, under the control of an enhanced services application program, data that forms a user message for conveyance to the first end-user communication device;

receiving, under the control of the enhanced services application program, an input of a first command;

forming a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and containing the first command and the user message, the first command representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature provided by the enhanced services application program on the first end-user communication device where the at least one user selectable feature is one of an action to further disseminate the user message to other devices or to reproduce the user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

transmitting the digital packet to the at least first end-user communication device.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein of an enhanced services application program, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by an electronic communication device to implement a method for originating an electronic communication, the method comprising:

receiving data that forms a user message for conveyance to the first end-user communication device;

receiving an input of a first command;

forming a user data segment, under the control of the enhanced services application program, that is part of a digital packet having a header segment and the user data segment, the user data segment containing the first command and the user message, the first command representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature provided by the enhanced services application program on the first end-user communication device where the at least one user selectable feature is one of an action to further disseminate the user message to other devices or to reproduce the user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

transmitting the digital packet to the first end-user communication device.

24. An electronic communication device that originates an electronic communication, the device comprising:

a microprocessor controlled apparatus that receives, under the control of an enhanced services application program, data that forms a user message for conveyance to the first end-user communication device and a first command;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, forms a user data segment that is part of a digital packet having a header segment and the user data segment, the user data segment containing the first command and the user message, the first command representing a restriction of at least one user selectable feature provided by the enhanced services application program on the first end-user communication device where the at least one user selectable feature is one of an action to further disseminate the user message to other devices or to reproduce the user message so the latter would be available for later viewing;

the microprocessor controlled apparatus, under the control of an enhanced services application program, transmitting the digital packet to the first end-user communication device.