Methods and apparatus for enhancing device messaging

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for enhanced messaging. Specifically, methods and apparatus are presented for transmitting a communication characteristic indicator of a communication message substantially simultaneous to an input of data defining at least a portion of the communication message at the sending device. In one aspect, the communication characteristic indicator represents one or more characteristics of the data.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of operating a receiving device engaged in a messaging session with a sending device, comprising:
 receiving, from the sending device before a user of the sending device indicates a command to send a communication message, a first communication characteristic indicator of a first message size of message content from a first in-progress version of the communication message; and   presenting, on the receiving device, an in-progress visual representation of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message on a display screen of the receiving device, the in-progress visual representation configured such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived and being presented with a size that is proportionate to the first message size of the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the first communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the presenting configures the in-progress visual representation such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived by rendering the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the presenting renders the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible within the in-progress visual representation by obfuscating and/or blurring the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the sending device after the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, message content from a completed version of the communication message; and   replacing the in-progress visual representation with a visual representation of the message content from the completed version of the communication message that permits the message content from the completed version of the communication message to be perceived.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, a second communication characteristic indicator of a second message size of message content from a second in-progress version of the communication message; and   dynamically scaling, without permitting the message content of the second in-progress version of the communication message to be perceived, the size of the in-progress visual representation to be proportionate to the second message size of the message content from the second in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the second communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the second message size is larger than the first message size, and the dynamically scaling increases the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately, or   wherein the second message size is smaller than the first message size, and the dynamically scaling decreases the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the dynamically scaling is performed repeatedly based on a frequency at which communication characteristic indicators are received at the receiving device from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the presenting presents the in-progress visual representation within a message history window on the display screen of the receiving device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein one or more visual representations depicting perceivable message content from one or more previously completed communication messages are displayed in the message history window along with the in-progress visual representation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the presenting further presents, on the display screen, an input window that presents an in-progress version of message content entered by a user of the receiving device prior to message completion. 
     
     
         12 . A receiving device engaged in a messaging session with a sending device, comprising:
 means for receiving, from the sending device before a user of the sending device indicates a command to send a communication message, a first communication characteristic indicator of a first message size of message content from a first in-progress version of the communication message; and   means for presenting, on the receiving device, an in-progress visual representation of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message on a display screen of the receiving device, the in-progress visual representation configured such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived and being presented with a size that is proportionate to the first message size of the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the first communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         13 . The receiving device of  claim 12 , wherein the means for presenting configures the in-progress visual representation such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived by rendering the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible. 
     
     
         14 . The receiving device of  claim 13 , wherein the means for presenting renders the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible within the in-progress visual representation by obfuscating and/or blurring the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message. 
     
     
         15 . The receiving device of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 means for receiving, from the sending device after the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, message content from a completed version of the communication message; and   means for replacing the in-progress visual representation with a visual representation of the message content from the completed version of the communication message that permits the message content from the completed version of the communication message to be perceived.   
     
     
         16 . The receiving device of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 means for receiving, from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, a second communication characteristic indicator of a second message size of message content from a second in-progress version of the communication message; and   means for dynamically scaling, without permitting the message content of the second in-progress version of the communication message to be perceived, the size of the in-progress visual representation to be proportionate to the second message size of the message content from the second in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the second communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         17 . The receiving device of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the second message size is larger than the first message size, and the means for dynamically scaling increases the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately, or   wherein the second message size is smaller than the first message size, and the means for dynamically scaling decreases the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately.   
     
     
         18 . The receiving device of  claim 16 , wherein the means for dynamically scaling performs the dynamic scaling repeatedly based on a frequency at which communication characteristic indicators are received at the receiving device from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message. 
     
     
         19 . The receiving device of  claim 12 , wherein the means for presenting presents the in-progress visual representation within a message history window on the display screen of the receiving device. 
     
     
         20 . The receiving device of  claim 19 , wherein one or more visual representations depicting perceivable message content from one or more previously completed communication messages are displayed in the message history window along with the in-progress visual representation. 
     
     
         21 . The receiving device of  claim 19 , wherein the means for presenting further presents, on the display screen, an input window that presents an in-progress version of message content entered by a user of the receiving device prior to message completion. 
     
     
         22 . A receiving device engaged in a messaging session with a sending device, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive, from the sending device before a user of the sending device indicates a command to send a communication message, a first communication characteristic indicator of a first message size of message content from a first in-progress version of the communication message; and   at least one processor coupled to a display screen and configured to present an in-progress visual representation of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message on the display screen, the in-progress visual representation configured such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived and being presented with a size that is proportionate to the first message size of the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the first communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         23 . The receiving device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor configures the in-progress visual representation such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived by rendering the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible. 
     
     
         24 . The receiving device of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor renders the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible within the in-progress visual representation by obfuscating and/or blurring the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message. 
     
     
         25 . The receiving device of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the sending device after the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, message content from a completed version of the communication message, and   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to replace the in-progress visual representation with a visual representation of the message content from the completed version of the communication message that permits the message content from the completed version of the communication message to be perceived.   
     
     
         26 . The receiving device of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, a second communication characteristic indicator of a second message size of message content from a second in-progress version of the communication message, and   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically scale, without permitting the message content of the second in-progress version of the communication message to be perceived, the size of the in-progress visual representation to be proportionate to the second message size of the message content from the second in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the second communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         27 . The receiving device of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the second message size is larger than the first message size, and the at least one processor is configured to increase the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately, or   wherein the second message size is smaller than the first message size, and the at least one processor is configured to decrease the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately.   
     
     
         28 . The receiving device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the dynamic scaling repeatedly based on a frequency at which communication characteristic indicators are received at the receiving device from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message. 
     
     
         29 . The receiving device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to present the in-progress visual representation within a message history window on the display screen of the receiving device. 
     
     
         30 . The receiving device of  claim 29 , wherein one or more visual representations depicting perceivable message content from one or more previously completed communication messages are displayed in the message history window along with the in-progress visual representation. 
     
     
         31 . The receiving device of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to present, on the display screen, an input window that presents an in-progress version of message content entered by a user of the receiving device prior to message completion. 
     
     
         32 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a receiving device engaged in a messaging session with a sending device, cause the receive device to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
 at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to receive, from the sending device before a user of the sending device indicates a command to send a communication message, a first communication characteristic indicator of a first message size of message content from a first in-progress version of the communication message; and   at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to present an in-progress visual representation of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message on a display screen, the in-progress visual representation configured such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived and being presented with a size that is proportionate to the first message size of the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the first communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to present causes the receiving device to present the in-progress visual representation such that none of the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message can be perceived by rendering the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to present causes the receiving device to render the message content from the first in-progress version of the communication message illegible within the in-progress visual representation by obfuscating and/or blurring the message content of the first in-progress version of the communication message. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to receive, from the sending device after the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, message content from a completed version of the communication message; and   at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to replace the in-progress visual representation with a visual representation of the message content from the completed version of the communication message that permits the message content from the completed version of the communication message to be perceived.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to receive, from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message, a second communication characteristic indicator of a second message size of message content from a second in-progress version of the communication message; and   at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to dynamically scale, without permitting the message content of the second in-progress version of the communication message to be perceived, the size of the in-progress visual representation to be proportionate to the second message size of the message content from the second in-progress version of the communication message as indicated by the second communication characteristic indicator.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 36 ,
 wherein the second message size is larger than the first message size, and the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to dynamically scale causes the receiving device to increase the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately, or   wherein the second message size is smaller than the first message size, and the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to dynamically scale causes the receiving device to decrease the size of the in-progress visual representation proportionately.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to dynamically scale causes the receiving device to perform the dynamic scaling repeatedly based on a frequency at which communication characteristic indicators are received at the receiving device from the sending device before the user of the sending device indicates the command to send the communication message. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to present causes the receiving device to present the in-progress visual representation within a message history window on the display screen of the receiving device. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein one or more visual representations depicting perceivable message content from one or more previously completed communication messages are displayed in the message history window along with the in-progress visual representation. 
     
     
         41 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the receiving device to present causes the receiving device to present, on the display screen, an input window that presents an in-progress version of message content entered by a user of the receiving device prior to message completion.