# US 12,008,628 B2 · Systems and methods for obscuring content in electronic messages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,628 B2 - Document ID: US12008628B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/345,155 - Filed: 2021-06-11 - Published: 2022-12-15 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-11 - Assignees: Shopify Inc. - Applicants: Shopify Inc. - Inventors: Robert Saunders - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008628B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)} - G06Q 10/0838: {Historical data} - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - H04L 63/0421: {Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer} - H04L 63/0428: {wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload} - G06Q 10/0833: Tracking - G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR} - G06Q 20/383: {Anonymous user system} - G06Q 30/0282: Rating or review of business operators or products - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Some of the electronic messages transmitted post-purchase to the purchaser of a gift may include content that is of interest to the gift recipient. However, not all of the content in a message suitable for the purchaser might be suitable for a message to the gift recipient. In some embodiments, content may be obscured in a message for a given recipient. The obscuring may be implemented through at least one of: hiding, omitting, masking/obfuscating, or modifying the content presented. In some embodiments, a message is generated without having regard to the possible message recipients, and includes fields tagged to associate each field with a respective one or more recipients. For each recipient, a message is generated and transmitted in which the content that does not have a tag associated with that recipient is obscured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: obtaining first electronic contact information associated with a user and second electronic contact information associated with a recipient; generating a master message including multiple fields, each field of the multiple fields assigned at least one of: a first tag that corresponds to the user, a second tag that corresponds to the recipient, or a third tag indicating that a content modification rule of one or more content modification rules applies; generating a first electronic message, wherein the first electronic message includes the content of the multiple fields assigned the first tag; generating a second electronic message that includes at least some content present in the first electronic message and obscures other content present in the first electronic message, wherein the second electronic message includes the content of any of the multiple fields that are assigned the second tag and modified content for any of the multiple fields that are assigned the third tag; transmitting the first electronic message to a device associated with the first electronic contact information; and transmitting the second electronic message to another device associated with the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the first electronic contact information and the second electronic contact information comprises: transmitting web content to allow for entering of a first email address of the user, and to allow for selection of an indication; receiving, responsive to the web content, the selection of the indication and indications of at least: the first email address and a second email address of the recipient; and storing, in memory, the first email address as the first electronic contact information and the second email address as the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, the method further comprising: in response to the receiving the selection of the indication: transmitting further web content to allow selection of one or more rules from amongst a plurality of rules for obscuring particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message; and responsive to the further web content, receiving an indication of the selection of the one or more rules from amongst the plurality of rules, wherein the generation of the second electronic message includes obscuring the particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message based on the selection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obscuring the other content present in the first electronic message comprises at least one of: omitting particular content present in the first electronic message, masking the particular content, or generating modified content to replace the particular content. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic message includes information private to the user, and wherein the second electronic message obscures the information private to the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the information private to the user includes at least one of: sensitive information, personally identifiable information, or payment-related information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting web content; receiving, responsive to the web content, an indication of one or more rules for obscuring particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message; and assigning at least one tag to one or more fields of the master message based on the one or more rules. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obscuring the other content present in the first electronic message comprises at least one of: omitting, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the first tag and not assigned the second tag; masking, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the first tag and not assigned the second tag; or replacing, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the first electronic message with the modified content for at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the third tag. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic message is a first email directed to the device associated with the first electronic contact information and the second electronic message is a second email directed to the another device associated with the second electronic contact information, and wherein both the first email and the second email provide a particular message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generating the first electronic message occurs in response to an event. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a memory to store first electronic contact information associated with a user and second electronic contact information associated with a recipient; and at least one processor to: generate a master message including multiple fields, each field of the multiple fields assigned at least one of: a first tag that corresponds to the user, a second tag that corresponds to the recipient, or a third tag indicating that a content modification rule of one or more content modification rules applies; generate a first electronic message, wherein the first electronic message includes the content of the multiple fields assigned the first tag; generate a second electronic message that includes at least some content present in the first electronic message and obscures other content present in the first electronic message, wherein the second electronic message includes the content of any of the multiple fields that are assigned the second tag and modified content for any of the multiple fields that are assigned the third tag; instruct transmission of the first electronic message to a device associated with the first electronic contact information; and instruct transmission of the second electronic message to another device associated with the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is to: instruct transmission of web content to allow for entering of a first email address of the user, and to allow for selection of an indication; receive, responsive to the web content, the selection of the indication and indications of at least: the first email address and a second email address of the recipient; and store, in memory, the first email address as the first electronic contact information and the second email address as the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein, in response to the receiving the selection of the indication, the at least one processor is further to: instruct transmission of further web content to allow selection of one or more rules from amongst a plurality of rules for obscuring particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message; and responsive to the further web content, receive an indication of the selection of the one or more rules from amongst the plurality of rules, wherein during generation of the second electronic message the at least one processor is to obscure the particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message based on the selection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein obscuring the content present in the first electronic message comprises at least one of: omitting particular content present in the first electronic message, masking the particular content, or generating modified content to replace the particular content. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first electronic message includes information private to the user, and wherein the second electronic message obscures the information private to the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to: instruct transmission of web content; receive, responsive to the web content, an indication of one or more rules for obscuring particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message; and assign at least one tag to one or more fields of the master message based on the one or more rules. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is to obscure the other content present in the first electronic message by performing operations comprising at least one of: omitting, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the first tag and not assigned the second tag; masking, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the first tag and not assigned the second tag; or replacing, in the second electronic message, the content of at least one field of the first electronic message with the modified content for at least one field of the generated master message that is assigned the third tag. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first electronic message is a first email directed to the device associated with the first electronic contact information and the second electronic message is a second email directed to the another device associated with the second electronic contact information, and wherein both the first email and the second email provide a particular message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is to generate the first electronic message in response to an event. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising: obtaining first electronic contact information associated with a user and second electronic contact information associated with a recipient; generating a master message including multiple fields, each field of the multiple fields assigned at least one of: a first tag that corresponds to the user, a second tag that corresponds to the recipient, or a third tag indicating that a content modification rule of one or more content modification rules applies; generating a first electronic message, wherein the first electronic message includes the content of the multiple fields assigned the first tag; generating a second electronic message that includes at least some content present in the first electronic message and obscures other content present in the first electronic message, wherein the second electronic message includes the content of any of the multiple fields that are assigned the second tag and modified content for any of the multiple fields that are assigned the third tag; transmitting the first electronic message to a device associated with the first electronic contact information; and transmitting the second electronic message to another device associated with the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to obtain the first electronic contact information and the second electronic contact information by performing operations including: transmitting web content to allow for entering of a first email address of the user purchaser, and to allow for selection of an indication; receiving, responsive to the web content, the selection of the indication and indications of at least: the first email address and a second email address of the recipient; and storing, in memory, the first email address as the first electronic contact information and the second email address as the second electronic contact information. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to perform operations including: in response to the receiving the selection of the indication: transmitting further web content to allow selection of one or more rules from amongst a plurality of rules for obscuring particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message; and responsive to the further web content, receiving an indication of the selection of the one or more rules from amongst the plurality of rules, wherein the generation of the second electronic message includes obscuring the particular content present in the first electronic message from the second electronic message based on the selection. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first electronic message includes information private to the user, and wherein the second electronic message obscures the information private to the user.