Reduced traceability electronic message system and method for sending header information before message content

• US 8,291,026 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vaporstream, Inc.
• Inventors: Collins, Joseph, Shah, Amit Jindas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US12/605,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 715/752, 726/26
• 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. An electronic message is separated into a message content and container (header) information. In one aspect, the message content and header information are entered by a user separately and transmitted from the user computer separately. In another implementation, the message content and header information are displayed separately. In yet another implementation, an electronic message is permanently automatically deleted from the system at a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of reducing traceability of an electronic message having header information and a message content, the method comprising:

providing at a first computer a first display including an interface allowing a first user to input an address of a recipient of an electronic message;

receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address from the first user;

generating a unique message ID for the recipient address and assigning the message ID to the recipient address;

transmitting the recipient address from the first computer;

providing a second display including an interface allowing the first user to input a message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

receiving at the first computer the message content from the first user, wherein the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer before the completion of said receiving of the message content from the first user at the first computer;

assigning the message ID to the message content; and

transmitting the message content from the first computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the recipient address and message content at a second computer; and

storing the recipient address and message content until display to a second user.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the recipient address is stored separately from the message content.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said storing of the recipient address and the message content includes storing the recipient address and the message content using one or more server computers.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed so that following said transmitting of the message content and said transmitting of the recipient address, no indication of the electronic message is left on the first computer.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a third display including at least a portion of header information associated with the electronic message to a second user via a second computer;

in response to a first request from a second user, providing a fourth display including the message content via the second computer, such that when the message content is being displayed that no header information is displayed at the same time.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

automatically deleting the header information at a first time that occurs in a period starting at the time of the first request and ending with the time of termination of the fourth display; and

automatically deleting the message content at a second time that occurs after the first time.

8. A hardware computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions implementing a method of reducing traceability of electronic messages, the instructions comprising:

a set of instructions for providing at a first computer a first display including an interface allowing a first user to input an address of a recipient of an electronic message;

a set of instructions for receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address from the first user;

a set of instructions for transmitting the recipient address from the first computer;

a set of instructions for assigning a message ID to the recipient address;

a set of instructions for providing a second display including an interface allowing the first user to input a message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

a set of instructions for receiving at the first computer the message content from the first user, wherein the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer before the completion of the receiving of the message content from the first user at the first computer;

a set of instructions for assigning the message ID to the message content; and

a set of instructions for transmitting the message content from the first computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address.

9. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising:

a set of instructions for receiving the recipient address and message content at a second computer; and

a set of instruction for storing the recipient address and message content until display to a second user.

10. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the recipient address is stored separately from the message content.

11. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein said storing of the recipient address and the message content includes storing the header information and the message content using one or more server computers.

12. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein no indication of the electronic message is left on the first computer after the transmission of the recipient address and message content from the first computer.

13. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising:

a set of instructions for providing a third display including at least a portion of header information associated with the electronic message to a second user via a second computer;

a set of instructions for in response to a first request from a second user, providing, in response to a first request from a second user, a fourth display including the message content via the second computer, such that when the message content is being displayed that no header information is displayed at the same time.

14. A hardware computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising:

a set of instructions for automatically deleting the header information at a first time that occurs in a period starting at the time of the first request and ending with the time of termination of the fourth display; and

a set of instructions for automatically deleting the message content at a second time that occurs after the first time.

15. A system for reducing traceability of electronic messages, the system comprising:

a means for providing at a first computer a first display including an interface allowing a first user to input an address of a recipient of an electronic message;

a means for receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address from the first user;

a means for assigning a message ID to the recipient address;

a means for transmitting the recipient address from the first computer;

a means for providing a second display including an interface allowing the first user to input a message content, the first and second displays not being displayed at the same time;

a means for receiving at the first computer the message content from the first user, wherein the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer before the completion of the receiving of the message content from the first user at the first computer;

a means for assigning the message ID to the message content; and

a means for transmitting the message content from the first computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address.

16. A system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a means for receiving the recipient address and message content at a second computer; and

a means for storing the recipient address and message content until display to a second user.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the recipient address is stored separately from the message content.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein said storing of the recipient address and the message content includes storing the header information and the message content using one or more server computers.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein no indication of the electronic message is left on the first computer after the transmission of the recipient address and message content from the first computer.

20. A system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a means for providing a third display including at least a portion of header information associated with the electronic message to a second user via a second computer;

a means for in response to a first request from a second user, providing, in response to a first request from a second user, a fourth display including the message content via the second computer, such that when the message content is being displayed that no header information is displayed at the same time.

21. A system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a means for automatically deleting the header information at a first time that occurs in a period starting at the time of the first request and ending with the time of termination of the fourth display; and

a means for automatically deleting the message content at a second time that occurs after the first time.