Systems and methods of transmitting and displaying private message data via a text input application

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for transmitting and displaying private messages securely using a mobile device. The mobile device provides a user interface which is displayed on a mobile device while a messaging application is displayed on the mobile device's display. A private messaging applet runs within the keyboard region of a mobile device display, and receives and displays private messages from within the keyboard region of the mobile device display. The private message is displayed by initially obfuscating the entire message, and, based on detecting a user's contact with the display, displaying a smaller portion of the private message in relation to the location of the user's contact with the display. The private message is automatically deleted from the mobile device after the user removes contact with the display. The private messaging applet allows a user to remove a sent private message from a private messaging server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transmitting a private message via a communication apparatus, the method comprising:
 displaying, on a display of a communication apparatus, a messaging screen of a messaging application, the messaging screen including a private messaging button;   detecting selection of the private messaging button;   executing a private messaging application in response to detecting selection of the private messaging button, the private messaging application including a private messaging field and a private messaging screen;   receiving private message data entered into the private messaging field from another communication apparatus;   displaying an indicator of the private message data received through the private messaging application;   detecting selection of the indicator;   displaying a private message contained in the private message data so that the displayed private message is obfuscated;   continuously detecting display input, the display input including a display location; and   displaying, at or near the display location, a portion of the private message corresponding to the display location, the portion of the private message being unobfuscated.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the another communication apparatus an instruction to delete the private message data from memory of the communication apparatus prior to displaying the private message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising upon selecting the private messaging button, displaying a list of private messaging contacts. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising displaying, on the display, most recently contacted persons from the private messaging contacts. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising displaying, on a left-most side of the private messaging application, the most recently contacted persons. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 executing another application from the messaging screen; and   displaying, on at least a portion of the display, another application screen.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is a numeric indicator showing the number of received private message data and wherein the numeric indicator is displayed over or near the private messaging button. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator represents a private message in a list of private messages. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising permanently deleting a private message once a user exits the private message screen. 
     
     
         10 . A system for transferring and displaying private messaging data, comprising:
 a first computing device configured to:
 display, on a display connected to the device, a messaging screen, the messaging screen containing a private messaging icon; 
 receive user input on the display and determine whether a first condition is met; 
 display a private messaging screen in response to the user input once the first condition is met; 
 receive private message data from the device display, the private message data containing a tag indicating the private message data is private; 
 transmit the private message data to a second computing device; 
   a second computing device configured to:
 receive and store private message data from at least one computing device; 
 send private message data to a computing device in response to receiving a valid retrieve instruction; 
 delete private message data in response to receiving a valid purge instruction; and 
   a third computing device configured to:
 display, on a second display connected to a second device, a messaging screen, the messaging screen containing a private messaging icon; 
 receive a first user input on the second display and determine whether a second condition is met; 
 display a private messaging screen in response to the first user input once the second condition is met; 
 receive private message data that has been tagged as private from another computing device; 
 display an indicator of the private message data received on either of the private message icon or the private message screen; 
 receive a second user input on the second display and determine whether a third condition is met; 
 display the private message data on the display in a manner which obfuscates the private message data; 
 continuously detect a third user input, the third input including a location on the display; and 
 display, at or near the location on the display, a portion of the private message data unobfuscated while the third input is detected. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second computing device is configured to receive device requests to delete private message data from the third computing device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second computing device is a messaging server connected to the first computing device and the third computing device via a network. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein in response to receiving a valid retrieve instruction on the second computing device from the third computing device, the second computing device sends the private message data to the third computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the private message data is encrypted prior to transmission to the third computing device. 
     
     
         15 . A method for transmitting a private message via a communication apparatus, the method comprising:
 displaying, on a display of a communication device, a messaging screen of a messaging application, the messaging screen including a private messaging icon;   detecting user selection of the private messaging icon;   launching a private messaging application in response to detecting user selection of the private messaging icon;   receiving private message data that has been tagged as private from a computing device;   displaying an indicator of the private message data received through the private messaging application, the private messaging application receiving the private message data from the computing device;   receiving user selection of the indicator of the received private message data;   displaying at least one private message contained within the private message data on the display so that the private message contents are obfuscated;   detecting a user's selection of a portion of the obfuscated contents; and   displaying, at or near the user-selected portion of the obfuscated contents, an unobfuscated portion of the private message corresponding to the user-selected portion of the obfuscated contents.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 upon executing the private messaging application, displaying an indicator of sent private message data; and   upon detecting selection of the indicator of the sent private message data, sending an instruction to at least a second computing device to delete the sent private message data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the private message icon is a tab, the tab located within at least a portion of the messaging screen. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein detecting user selection of the private messaging icon includes detecting continuous contact across a region of the messaging screen, the continuous contact originating in a predetermined region of the messaging screen, and terminating a predetermined distance from the predetermined region. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising upon detecting selection of the private messaging icon, switching from displaying the indicator of the received private message data to displaying contact icons. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 upon detecting a second user selection, the second user selection being of a contact icon, displaying a second private messaging screen configured to accept an input, the input including private message data; and   storing the private message data and adding a tag to the stored input, marking the input as private message data.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising transmitting the private message data to a second communication device.