Displaying private information on personal devices

• US 9,372,997 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Robison, Austin, Faaborg, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US14/492,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150178501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/11, 726/12, 726/13, 713/189, 713/176, 713/171, 713/193, 713/180, 713/170, 713/186, 713/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity

Abstract

A computing device is described that includes one or more processors and at least one module operable by the one or more processors to determine whether the computing device is currently designated to display private information, receive an incoming communication, and determine that the incoming communication includes content that is private information. The at least one module is further operable by the one or more processors to, if the computing device is currently designated to display private information, output, for display, an indication of the incoming communication, and, if the computing device is not currently designated to display private information, refrain from outputting, for display, the indication of the incoming communication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an incoming communication directed to a user;

determining, by the computing device, that the incoming communication includes private information;

determining, by the computing device, based on whether an individual other than the user is currently viewing a display operatively coupled to the computing device, whether the computing device is currently designated to display private information;

responsive to determining that the user is associated with a currently active user account of the computing device;

determining that the computing device is currently designated to display private information; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, the indication of the incoming communication; and

responsive to determining that the user is not associated with the currently active user account;

determining that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

refraining from outputting, by the computing device and for display, the indication of the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a first computing device associated with the user, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining that the first computing device is not currently designated to display private information;

determining that a second computing device associated with the user is currently designated to display private information; and

providing, by the first computing device and for display by the second computing device, the incoming communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device is based at least in part on a current location of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining, based at least in part on the current location of the computing device, whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device comprises:

responsive to determining that the current location is associated with a public location type, determining that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the current location is associated with a home location type, determining that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device comprises:

determining, by the computing device, whether the computing device is currently being worn;

responsive to determining that the computing device is currently being worn, determining that the computing device is currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the computing device is not currently being worn, determining that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device comprises:

capturing, by the computing device, audio data;

determining, by the computing device, whether the audio data includes one or more voices associated with individuals other than the user;

responsive to determining that the audio data includes the one or more voices, determining that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the audio data does not include the one or more voices, determining that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device comprises:

capturing, by the computing device, visual data;

determining, by the computing device, whether the visual data includes at least one face other than a face of the user;

responsive to determining that the visual data includes the at least one face other than the face of the user, determining that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the visual data does not include the at least one face other than the face of the user, determining that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the incoming communication includes content that is private information comprises:

identifying, by the computing device, one or more objects included in image data of the incoming communication; and

determining, based on the one or more objects, that the incoming communication includes private information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the incoming communication includes private information is based on one or more of a sender of the incoming communication, a type of relationship between the user and the sender of the incoming communication, content of the incoming communication, and a privacy flag included in the incoming communication.

10. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one module operable by the one or more processors to;

receive an incoming communication directed to a user;

determine that the incoming communication includes content that is private information;

determine, based on whether an individual other than the user is currently viewing a display operatively coupled to the computing device, whether the computing device is currently designated to display private information;

responsive to determining that the user is associated with the currently active user account;

determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information; and

output, for display, the indication of the incoming communication; and

responsive to determining that the user is not associated with the currently active user account;

determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

refrain from outputting, for display, the indication of the incoming communication.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the computing device is a first computing device associated with the user, and wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

responsive to determining that the first computing device is not currently designated to display private information;

determine that a second computing device associated with the user is currently designated to display private information; and

provide, for display by the second computing device, the incoming communication.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

determine a current location of the computing device; and

determine, based at least in part on the current location, whether the individual other than the user is currently viewing the display of the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

responsive to determining that the current location is associated with a public location type, determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the current location is associated with a home location type, determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

determine whether the computing device is currently being worn;

responsive to determining that the computing device is currently being worn, determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the computing device is not currently being worn, determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

capture audio data;

determine whether the audio data includes one or more voices associated with individuals other than the user;

responsive to determining that the audio data includes the one or more voices, determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the audio data does not include the one or more voices, determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

16. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

capture visual data;

determine whether the visual data includes at least one face other than a face of the user;

responsive to determining that the visual data includes the at least one face other than the face of the user, determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

responsive to determining that the visual data does not include the at least one face other than the face of the user, determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information.

17. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the at least one module is further operably by the one or more processors to:

determine whether the incoming communication includes private information based at least in part on one or more of a sender of the incoming communication, a type of relationship between a user associated with the computing device and the sender of the incoming communication, content of the incoming communication, and a privacy flag included in the incoming communication.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure one or more processors of a computing device to:

receive an incoming communication directed to a user;

determine that the incoming communication includes content that is private information;

determine, based on whether an individual other than the user is currently viewing a display operatively coupled to the computing device, whether the computing device is currently designated to display private information;

responsive to determining that the user is associated with a currently active user account of the computing device;

determine that the computing device is currently designated to display private information; and

output, for display, the indication of the incoming communication; and

responsive to determining that the user is not associated with the currently active user account;

determine that the computing device is not currently designated to display private information; and

refrain from outputting, for display, the indication of the incoming communication.