Electronic Message Content and Header Restrictive Send Device Handling System and Method

• US 20140201295A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Inventors: Collins, Joseph, Shah, Amit Jindas
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 sending user device for separately entering via the user device message content of an electronic message and a recipient address corresponding to the message content such that the separate displays are not displayed via the user device at the same time. The message content and the recipient address are transmitted from the user device separately and the message content is not accessible by a user of the sending user device via the user device after a media component of the message content is transmitted from the device to a server computer.

Claims

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

providing a first display and a second display at a sending user device, the first display configured to allow a sending user to associate a first message content including a media component with the electronic message, the second display configured to allow the sending user to input a first recipient address corresponding to the first message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

displaying via the first display a first message content including a media component;

receiving via the second display a first recipient address, wherein the first message component including a media component and the first recipient address are not displayed to the sending user at the same time;

associating a message ID with the first message content including a media component, the message ID correlating the first recipient address and the first message content including a media component; and

transmitting the recipient address and the first message content including a media component from the sending user device to a server computer, the first message content including a media component being transmitted to the server computer separately from the recipient address, the first message content including a media component not being accessible by the sending user for display via the sending user device after said transmitting the media component to the server computer.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically deleting the first message content including a media component and a header information including the recipient address from the sending user device upon said transmitting the media component to the server computer.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically causing the first message content including a media component to not be accessible by the sending user for display upon the first display being closed.

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

5. 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.

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

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the first message content including a media component does not include information about the sender of the electronic message that itself provides a traceable identity of the sender.

8. 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.

9. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the first message content including a media component is performed such to prevent screenshot logging at the sending user device from capturing the media component and a header information of the electronic message simultaneously.

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

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deleting the first message content including a media component from the sending user device after said displaying via the first display the first message content including a media component; and

deleting a header information including the first recipient address from the sending user device after the second display is displayed.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

providing a third display via the recipient user device, the third 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;

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

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

automatically deleting the message content including the media component at a predetermined amount of time after being displayed such that after the fourth display is terminated from view, the message content including the media component is no longer available to the recipient user.

13. 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 providing a first display and a second display at a sending user device, the first display configured to allow a sending user to associate a first message content including a media component with the electronic message, the second display configured to allow the sending user to input a first recipient address corresponding to the first message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

a set of instructions for displaying via the first display a first message content including a media component;

a set of instructions for receiving via the second display a first recipient address, wherein the first message component including a media component and the first recipient address are not displayed to the sending user at the same time;

a set of instructions for associating a message ID with the first message content including a media component, the message ID correlating the first recipient address and the first message content including a media component; and

a set of instructions for transmitting the recipient address and the first message content including a media component from the sending user device to a server computer, the first message content including a media component being transmitted to the server computer separately from the recipient address, the first message content including a media component not being accessible by the sending user for display via the sending user device after said transmitting the media component to the server computer.

14. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising a set of instructions for automatically deleting the first message content including a media component from the sending user device upon said transmitting the media component to the server computer.

15. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising a set of instructions for automatically causing the first message content including a media component to not be accessible by the sending user for display upon the first display being closed.

16. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the media component includes an image.

17. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the first message content including a media component does not include information about the sender of the electronic message that itself provides a traceable identity of the sender.

18. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the set of instructions for displaying the first message content includes a set of instructions for preventing screenshot logging at the sending user device from capturing the media component and a header information of the electronic message simultaneously.

19. A machine readable hardware storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the set of instructions for displaying the first message content includes a set of instructions for preventing the caching of any information related to the first message content at the sending user device.

20. A system for handling of an electronic message, the method comprising:

a means for providing a first display and a second display at a sending user device, the first display configured to allow a sending user to associate a first message content including a media component with the electronic message, the second display configured to allow the sending user to input a first recipient address corresponding to the first message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

a means for displaying via the first display a first message content including a media component;

a means for receiving via the second display a first recipient address, wherein the first message component including a media component and the first recipient address are not displayed to the sending user at the same time;

a means for associating a message ID with the first message content including a media component, the message ID correlating the first recipient address and the first message content including a media component; and

a means for transmitting the recipient address and the first message content including a media component from the sending user device to a server computer, the first message content including a media component being transmitted to the server computer separately from the recipient address, the first message content including a media component not being accessible by the sending user for display via the sending user device after said transmitting the media component to the server computer.