Reduced traceability electronic message system and method

• US 9,282,081 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• 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): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US13/447,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 715/752, 726/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0482 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• 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 using a single display image screen having separate portions for entry of message content and header information. The separate portions do not allow visibility of content in the portions to be displayed at the same 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 image screen having a first portion for entering an address of a recipient of an electronic message and a second portion for entering a message content;

receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address via the first portion;

transmitting the recipient address from the first computer;

receiving at the first computer the message content via the second portion, wherein the recipient address and the message content are not displayed on the first display image screen at the same time; and

transmitting the message content from the first computer to a server computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address, the recipient address and the message content each including an association prior to being transmitted from the first computer to allow the message content and the recipient address to be related to each other at a later time by the server computer.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second portion restricts a user of the first display image screen from entering any information until after the recipient address is no longer visible in the first portion.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second portion restricts a user of the first display image screen from entering any information until the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second portion restricts a user of the first display image screen from entering information into the second portion by a restriction selected from the group consisting of blurring the display of the second portion, darkening the display of the second portion, hiding any information in the second portion from display, disabling entry into the second portion, and any combinations thereof.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein information previously input into the first portion is not visible after the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising actuating a control on the first display image after inputting the recipient address to initiate said transmitting the recipient address from the first computer.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising actuating a control on the first display image after inputting the recipient address to initiate the recipient address no longer being visible to a user of the first display image screen.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the control includes a control selected from the group consisting of a button, a graphical element, a hyperlink, and any combinations thereof.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising actuating a control on the first display image screen after said receiving the message content.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said actuating a control initiates a process of making the message content no longer visible on the first display image screen.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said actuating a control initiates said transmitting the message content.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing at a second computer a second display image screen having a third portion for displaying at least a portion of a header information of the electronic message and a fourth portion for displaying at least a portion of the message content, wherein the second display image screen restricts display such that the at least a portion of the header information and the at least a portion of the message content are not displayed on the second display image screen at the same time.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising displaying the at least a portion of the header information via the third portion while not displaying the at least a portion of the message content.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the at least a portion of the message content is not displayed on the second display image screen until after the at least a portion of the header information is no longer visible on the second display image screen.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising actuating a control on the second display image screen after the at least a portion of the header information is displayed via the third portion.

16. 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.

17. A computer readable hardware storage medium containing computer executable instructions implementing a method of reducing traceability of an electronic message, the instructions comprising:

a set of instructions for providing at a first computer a first display image screen having a first portion for entering an address of a recipient of an electronic message and a second portion for entering a message content;

a set of instructions for receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address via the first portion;

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

a set of instructions for receiving at the first computer the message content via the second portion, wherein the recipient address and the message content are not displayed on the first display screen at the same time; and

a set of instructions for transmitting the message content from the first computer to a server computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address, the recipient address and the message content each including an association prior to being transmitted from the first computer to allow the message content and the recipient address to be related to each other at a later time by the server computer.

18. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the second portion to restrict a user of the first display image screen from entering any information until after the recipient address is no longer visible in the first portion.

19. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the second portion to restrict a user of the first display image screen from entering any information until the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer.

20. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the second portion to restrict a user of the first display image screen from entering information into the second portion by a restriction selected from the group consisting of blurring the display of the second portion, darkening the display of the second portion, hiding any information in the second portion from display, disabling entry into the second portion, and any combinations thereof.

21. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, wherein information previously input into the first portion is not visible after the recipient address is transmitted from the first computer.

22. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the actuating of a control on the first display image after inputting the recipient address to initiate said transmitting the recipient address from the first computer.

23. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the actuating of a control on the first display image after inputting the recipient address to initiate the recipient address no longer being visible to a user of the first display image screen.

24. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for allowing the actuating of a control on the first display image screen after said receiving the message content.

25. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 24, wherein said set of instructions for allowing the actuating of a control further comprises a set of instructions for initiating a process of making the message content no longer visible on the first display image screen.

26. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 24, wherein said set of instructions for allowing the actuating of a control further comprises a set of instructions for initiating said transmitting the message content.

27. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions for providing at a second computer a second display image screen having a third portion for displaying at least a portion of a header information of the electronic message and a fourth portion for displaying at least a portion of the message content, wherein the second display image screen restricts display such that the at least a portion of the header information and the at least a portion of the message content are not displayed on the second display image screen at the same time.

28. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 27, further comprising a set of instructions for displaying the at least a portion of the header information via the third portion while not displaying the at least a portion of the message content.

29. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 28, wherein the at least a portion of the message content is not displayed on the second display image screen until after the at least a portion of the header information is no longer visible on the second display image screen.

30. A computer readable hardware storage medium according to claim 29, further comprising a set of instructions for actuating a control on the second display image screen after the at least a portion of the header information is displayed via the third portion.

31. A system for reducing traceability of an electronic message, the system comprising:

a means for providing at a first computer a first display image screen having a first portion for entering an address of a recipient of an electronic message and a second portion for entering a message content;

a means for receiving at the first computer an input of a recipient address via the first portion;

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

a means for receiving at the first computer the message content via the second portion, wherein the recipient address and the message content are not displayed on the first display screen at the same time; and

a means for transmitting the message content from the first computer to a server computer, wherein the message content is transmitted from the first computer separately from the recipient address, the recipient address and the message content each including an association prior to being transmitted from the first computer to allow the message content and the recipient address to be related to each other at a later time by the server computer.